Competency-Based Education in a Traditional Higher Education Setting: A Case Study of an Introduction to Psychology Course

This paper presents a case study of a Competency-Based Education Introduction to Psychology course conducted in a small, private, traditional university in the western United States. Two competency-graded sections were offered, one online and one in the classroom. Eleven undergraduate students completed the online section, and 24 students completed the classroom-based section of the course. For both sections, we present the course design including learning outcomes, course projects, grade assignments, instructional methods, and both student and instructor reflections on learning outcomes. This case study illustrates how competency-based courses can be designed and executed in a traditional academic environment in both online and classroom-based courses.