Anytime, Anywhere Learning

wanted to truly be grading for equity, we needed to continue to learn together and get support in the process. And then 2020 happened. To say that the situation was challenging is an understatement. In the midst of all the change, the focus on equity became the lens through which we saw the many problems of our school’s grading, teaching, and assessment system. The moment demanded action. Even though a lot of change was happening each day, our administration knew that in order to better enact the 4.0 scale and a rolling gradebook throughout our school in the 2020–2021 school year, we needed more discussion and training around competency-based grading and assessment. In the summer of 2020, our administrative and coaching staff read and discussed Breaking With Tradition (Stack & Vander Els, 2018). The text helped us develop a shared understanding of the what of competency-based learning and grading and how it intersected with the shifts we were already attempting. Throughout that summer, we planned an introduction to competency-based learning presentation for our entire staff at the beginning of the school year. While planning for that presentation, our discussions as an administrative team focused on identifying and naming the why of the competency-based system, to include assessment, grading, and learning. Through those discussions, we collectively noticed that the why was directly tied to our grading for equity work; everything was connected. Competency-based learning and assessment could ensure that every student is valued for their abilities, strengths, and developing understanding, while attending to each student’s learning needs and interests as a learner. This pushed us to think beyond the formal gradebook process of the rolling gradebook, and beyond the 4.0 numbering system, and reminded us to focus on the most important element of learning: the student’s needs and developing understanding. As the 2020–2021 school year unfolded, we had many solitary and online collective “Aha!” moments that helped our staff and students experience the benefits of competency-based learning. Through it all, we deliberately continued to return to the why of student-centered learning and equity as the reason for our shift to competency-based learning and assessment. While we can honestly report that we do not have the perfect competency-based learning system in place at our school, or that every single staff member at our high school has a deep understanding of how to implement it with fidelity (yet!), we do have a shared mission for our daily work: we believe in equity and the value of each student’s voice and learning journey. That belief and our larger community of competency-based learners with whom we network, inspire us every day to continue our journey toward competency-based learning for equity. (B. Blankenship and E. Dean, personal communication, July 12, 2021)

Of all the design principles for competency-based learning, none are more famous (or infamous) than the notion of anytime, anywhere learning. When the model first came on the scene in the early 2000s, it was justified as a way to move away from the

outdated Carnegie Unit (seat time) where learning was measured by the amount of time a student spent in a classroom in favor of a model based on what students actually learned (competencies). Early proponents saw such a system as more authentic and better calibrated to student achievement. Opponents at the time worried that it would create a culture whereby students would skip steps, take shortcuts, and look to “test out” of certain learning situations and courses. For many years, the idea that students could move at their own pace through curriculum or a course sequence was one that many schools feared to take on. Doing so would disrupt many of their operational models in their school, including how they build their calendar, schedule classes, and use their staffing resources. For the first few years, “move when ready” models stayed well under the radar, but this just provided time for the model to be perfected by those bold enough to take it on.

Since 2010, a variety of anytime, anywhere flexible models have found their way into mainstream schools. Following are some examples.

Online Self-Paced Schools and Programs

Schools such as the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS) in New Hampshire have turned the educational model on its head by offering self-paced courses to students at all grade levels, facilitated by real teachers who use a scripted curriculum that is built by the school in advance. Typical teacher teaching loads mirror what they would be in traditional schools in terms of number of students managed and number of grade levels or courses taught, but teachers do not have to spend their time developing curriculum and building lesson plans. Rather, they spend their time providing reteaching and intervention to students as they work, and provide a critical communication link between the student, school, and home. Schools like FLVS and VLACS market themselves as flexible, competency-based approaches that allow students to learn anytime, in any place, at their own pace. Many schools allow students to pursue programs such as these and then transfer them into their school courses of study. This ability for students to mix and match increases scheduling opportunities and allows students to pursue passions in areas that the school may not have the capacity to offer. Some students never leave the online environment and are able to finish their programs completely through schools like FLVS and VLACS.

Extended Learning Opportunities

In many competency-based schools, students have the ability to earn credit for learning experiences that happen outside of the classroom. For example, in the state of New Hampshire in the United States, these are categorized as extended learning opportunities (ELOs). ELOs are often developed collaboratively by a student and a

teacher so that a student can pursue a personalized experience. A business or community partner enters into an agreement to host the student for a period of time and is given a series of management or supervision tasks with the student, most commonly referred to as an internship. The school oversees and assesses the student’s progress, and, ultimately, whether or not the student was able to meet the competencies identified at the start for the experience. Similarly, a student may wish to pursue a passion project on their own time. For example, a student may wish to engage in a specific long-term scientific study that is outside of the scope of a school science course. They could be matched up with a science teacher at the school or perhaps a lab scientist from a local college or university. Again, in this ELO experience, the student develops a set of competencies at the beginning and work toward reaching proficiency by the end of the experience. Since every ELO experience is unique, ELOs are often considered to be independent of time and are instead self-paced.

At the Singapore American School, extended learning opportunities are offered through the school’s Catalyst Project. There, students have the flexibility to select a project in any field of interest with the support of their teachers. Students are assessed according to the school’s competencies in the areas of character, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation, critical thinking, cultural competence, and self-awareness. They do this by designing their own learning experience. Teachers provide guidance to students, but ultimately, the students are the drivers for their work. They are encouraged to network and collaborate with industry experts and other outside partners. These individuals provide a high level of mentorship to students to give them meaning, purpose, and insight throughout their learning process. There are commonalities in the examples from the United States and Singapore:  The schools have a way to recognize and award credit for learning that takes place outside of the classroom.  Students are encouraged to engage in learning that they are passionate about.  Learning is connected to multiple competencies.  Outside individuals play a critical mentorship role for students throughout their learning journeys.

Blended or Hybrid Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic brought blended learning or hybrid learning to the forefront. With these types of courses, students have access to a classroom teacher (either in person or remotely) as they work through a self-paced curriculum. In a hybrid approach, the teacher provides just-in-time-learning instruction in short bursts on a regular basis to students as they work through the curriculum. Formative assessment