Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Volume 11, Fall 2023 - Competency-based Education and the Millennial Learner: A Perfect Pairing?

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca

A literature-based study examines how competency-based education (CBE) relates to millennial learners in medical training contexts in Canada and the U.S. It defines and evaluates features of competency-based models and connects them to theories of student development and learning preferences associated with millennials. The review traces CBE’s functional approach, emphasizing clear competency specifications, modular instruction, outcome-weighted evaluation, feedback, personalization, and field experience. Findings assess whether CBE’s effectiveness is ideal or nuanced for millennial students, with implications for classroom application.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

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Competency-based Education and the Millennial Learner: A Perfect Pairing?

Competency-based Education: Function and Theory

Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Volume 11, Fall 2023 Competency-based Education and the Millennial Learner: A Perfect Pairing? Michael Anthony Figueiredo University of Toronto Competency-based education (CBE) has become common practice for postsecondary education institutions that facilitate medical training in Canada and the U. S (Campbell, 2020). In terms of theoretical framework, pedagogical delivery and effectiveness, the CBE approach has evolved over time, and so have students. During the rise of CBE approximately 7-10 years ago, it was common for higher education programs to largely consist of students of the millennial generation. It will be analyzed and determined whether CBE can in fact account for establishing a distinct relationship between its methodology and students. This literature-based study out of the University of Toronto defines and examines features of competency-based models while exploring characteristics and preferences in accordance with millennial learners in the medical setting. Todo so, CBE teaching and learning theories will elucidate specific methods of student engagement. The findings will be assessed in consideration with classroom application, to determine whether the efficacy of CBE is the ideal strategy for millennial learners is supported or nuanced. Keywords: competency-based education, millennial learners, post-secondary education 1 El Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Volume 11, Fall 2023 Over the last decade, higher education institutions governed by the Royal College of Physiciansand Surgeons of Canada that administer medical training, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, implemented an alternate approach to traditional time-based learning, impacting the way teachers teach and learners learn. This strategy can be referred to as competency-based education (CBE) . The methodology is far from new, in theory dating back to the 1980’s, and even further if we are considering synonymous concepts. Some authors have stated that this approach has a 100-year developmental history beginning with the workplace efficiency movement (Taylor, 1911) and then moving to the educational sector by the 1940’s (Tyler, 1949) . Common understandings of key elements in competency-based systems have adopted different terms, such as —competency-based, mastery-based, proficiency-based, and performance-based education (Levine & Patrick, 2019, p. 4) . An early definition of CBE, as described by Swanchak and Campbell is “the precise specification of competencies or behaviours to be learned, the modularization of instruction, evaluation and feedback, personalization, and field experience” (1981, p. 5) . This definition of CBE has evolved to become an instructional delivery method with evaluation criteria weighted heavily on outcomes rather than process. It is a practical milestone-based system that ensures on-the-job skills are met. Though CBE has been used to varying degrees in professional, trade, and military training for decades, the medical discipline has recently espoused CBE at an international level (Curry & Docherty, 2017) . Notably, the integration of competency-based models in higher education is not a result of practitioner negligence or ineptitude, but rather to ensure a baseline of competence across all specialties and uniformity in the development of crucial skills (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada, 2020) . Competency-based education is now common practice for medical programs within university networks, backed by professional associations in the U.S. and Canada, such asthe Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. As a result, today’s medical trainees are subjected to evaluation of not only their academic knowledge and clinical skills, but also their competencies, as they progress through a sub-curriculum scattered with milestones and entrustable

FAQs

What central relationship does the study investigate between CBE and millennial learners?

It analyzes whether competency-based education can establish a distinct relationship between its methodology and millennial learners, particularly in medical training.

How does the paper describe CBE’s functional operation in educational settings?

From a functionalist perspective, CBE uses clear specification of competencies, modular instruction, evaluation and feedback, personalization, and field experience, with progress judged by demonstrated competencies rather than time.

What outcome does the study use to evaluate whether CBE is effective for millennial students?

The findings are assessed for classroom application to determine whether the efficacy of CBE as a teaching strategy is supported or nuanced for millennial learners.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca