TUESDAY
DAILY EGYPTIAN MARCH 26, 2013
Program merits success, not time dedication
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
SINCE 1916
VOLUME 98, ISSUE 114
Signs of disapproval
ELIZABETH ZINCHUK Daily Egyptian Education has often been defined by time spent in the classroom, but an alternative program is now a step closer to redefining it. The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to colleges March 19 that announced universities may apply to provide federal student aid to students enrolled in competency-based programs and also detailed the process for doing so, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Competency-based education programs focus on learning rather than time spent in a program, and student progress is defined by competence demonstration, according to the article. This means students must prove they have mastered the knowledge and skills required for a particular course. Credit is awarded when students achieve specific goals, as demonstrated through tests, regardless of the time it takes to pass them. Although the Chronicle article states financial aid could make the programs more viable for colleges nationally, professors and students differed on how they positive they thought the different learning environment might be. Kelly Glassett, professor of curriculum and instruction, said he would be against launching such programs at the university. He said the university offers competency tests for core curriculum classes, but it has no programs based on the same principle. Those programs would not provide a clear example of how students learn, he said. “With respect to education and being a teacher, I don’t think an exam is a good measure of what one can do in the classroom,” he said. “It is more of a performance-based type of situation. Glassett said the traditional classroom setting offers more than an assessment. The tests only show how much students have retained, not how they learned it, he said. A classroom semester offers more interaction than a competency assessment program would, Glassett said. “I think (students) also lose the important social aspect of peers and interacting with peers and teachers and mentors,” he said. However, Glassett said he did see some competency concept positives. Experienced adults returning to college might benefit the most from competency-based programs, and the ability to finish the program quicker could be beneficial. He said competency should be based more in internships or student teaching opportunities, since they provide real-world experience. Deborah Barnett, nontraditional student programs director, agreed that nontraditional students could benefit from competency-based programs. Barnett said such exams such as the College Level Examination Program have benefitted nontraditional students in the past. “Expanding the idea to include competency-based programs could be an exciting development if quality is maintained,” she said. Barnett said nontraditional students sometimes have obligations such as work and family that make getting a degree through credit hours tougher. Even though competency-based classes may be completed faster, she said, the program must maintain high educational standards. “As with any educational program, competency-based programs will need to do what the name implies, which is ensure that competencies or learning outcomes of the course or program have been achieved,” she said. Degree completion time and teacher-student interaction were examples students highlighted when they gave differing opinions on competency-based programs. Jasmen Welch, a sophomore from Chicago studying childhood development, said she liked the idea of a competency-based program. “It seems easier and faster than getting credits, so I would say it’s better,” Welch said. Michelle Hardimon, a sophomore from Peoria studying early childhood education, said she disliked the program because she prefers a classroom interaction versus a series of assessments. “I don’t like the idea,” Hardimon said. “I would rather have a teacher to interact with me instead of assessments.”
ALEXA ROGALS | DAILY EGYPTIAN
Corina Leng, middle, an alumna from Cobden, and Mary O’Hara, of Carbondale, left, join the “No Fracking” rally Monday at Morris Library. O’Hara said she helps neighborhood groups prepare for the effects of fracking if it began. “If fracking starts here, they are going to be pumping chemicals into the earth, which will contaminate our water supply,” O’Hara said.
Administration questions SKILLS Act JESSICA WETTIG MILES Daily Egyptian Many professionals fear the passing of the SKILLS Act could be detrimental; others believe it won’t make a difference. The U.S. House of Representatives on March 15 approved an amendment called the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act, which aims to combine the Workforce Investment Act with several other programs to create one single umbrella act. In particular, this act provides job placement for workers and assists employers in filling vacant positions. However, the amendment may cut 35 federal job-placement programs already provided by the Workforce Investment Act because of the merges. According to The Chronicle for Higher Education, Democrats opposed the bill and walked out when the House approved it. The SKILLS Act still awaits Senate approval. Some professionals think the ammendment will change many things, while some don’t. University President Glenn Poshard said the bill likely won’t pass because of Senate opposition. However, he said the bill’s surrounding debate demonstrates another example of Congress’ dysfunctionality. “Like a family, they need to sit down at the kitchen table and discuss this,” he said.
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ike a family, they need to sit down at the kitchen table and discuss this.
Poshard said the bill isn’t about principle or one side being right about everything. Instead, he explained, it’s about cutting expenses as much as possible, but not as drastic as the act proposes — it’s about balancing the budget. While the act would cut money from federal programs, Poshard said he didn’t think it would majorly affect the university. Beth Winfrey Freeburg, department of workforce education and development chair, said the Workforce Investment Act funds WorkNet and Illinois Shared Learning Environment, but she wasn’t aware of any changes the SKILLS Act would create. She said WorkNet is a program that benefits both potential employers and employees since jobs can be posted online by employers, and appropriate training for these jobs can be identified so the potential employee can prepare. The Illinois Shared Learning Environment is run throughout the state and partners with high schools to prepare students for future employment, she said. However, four-year universities aren’t the only institutions that could
— Glenn Poshard University President be affected. Community colleges could also see changes if the act is passed. Steve O’Keefe, director of college relations at John A. Logan College, said the 80 students supported by the Workforce Investment Act will suffer the most. These students depend on the funding for tuition, books, living and travel expenses, he said. Throughout the past 23 years, thousands of displaced workers such as coal miners have relied on Workforce Investment Act-funded college programs, he said. O’Keefe said the college had an “all hands on deck” mentality: Staff members were devoted to helping the displaced workers in whatever way they could. The government will have to choose which programs to cut to keep operating, he said. It’s not program cuts the college will worry about but rather the funding, which O’Keefe said is a loss that will result in an enrollment decrease. This act would not only affect college programs, but also area organizations that receive Workforce Investment Act funding. Please see BILLS | 3