PBE Process Overview

The process of transitioning your program to the Performance-Based Education model is made up of multiple phases. It begins with into alignment with industry, uses backward design to create a competency-focused structure for each course, and then goes through the process of assessing and creating content that will be built into Canvas courses for the ultimate learning experience. 

As we work with your program, we will discuss questions and concerns, and we will get into more detail about what these phases look like. Remember that each program's needs are as unique as the program itself. There will be elements that are applied to all programs and elements that are configured specifically to the program. 

Below is a brief overview of each of the phases we will work through together. 

PBE Kick-Off Meetings introduce programs and faculty to the PBE process, making sure to discuss roles and responsibilities of all involved and give an overview of the phases, processes, and next steps. 

Industry Alignment: 

Programs work with our team during this 2 - 4 week process to:

• refine the list of skills gathered in SkillsEngine; 

• validate those skills with industry partners and faculty, determining how critical each skill is; and 

• identify which courses cover each of those skills and at what level of complexity. 

This process also assists in identifying critical skills that are not covered in a program, which then can be integrated into the curriculum. 

Program Alignment Meetings: 

In a series of 2 - 4 meetings, each program discusses the findings of the industry feedback, determining which complex skills will be the focus of each course during the deconstruction phase. These complex skills will be used to write Course Competencies (CC) and Learning Objectives (LO). The industry feedback acts as a reference throughout the Deconstruction Phase.

Deconstruction: 

A process in which Instructional Designers and CMEs meet approximately once per week to break down each course. ID/CME teams utilize WECM/AGGM outcomes and industry-aligned Complex Skills. Teams use these as guides to build related Course Competencies and Learning Objectives and outline the knowledge, skills, and abilities students will need to demonstrate in order to master those competencies. 

Emphasizing Communication:  

To improve communication, designated recurring meetings will be held between the ID Team and each program at various levels. It is important to find times that work for everyone involved so that we're able to support each person involved in the process. 

Deconstruction Document: 

This is the document that will hold all the information of the deconstruction. It will act as a course outline and guides the development and building of each course. 

Quality Check: 

Once each deconstruction is complete, the CME and Instructional Designer will meet with the Curriculum Analyst to go over each course's Course Competencies for clarity and quality before being approved to move into the Development Phase. 

Learning Journey: 

To guide the development process, ID-CME teams will create a learning journey for each course that maps the curriculum through:

• Course Competencies, 

• Learning Objectives, 

• teaching content (videos, readings, media, etc.), 

• Practice & Apply activities or labs, 

• Checks for Understanding, and 

• Mastery Assessments. 

Emphasizing Communication: 

Just as in the Deconstruction phase, designated recurring meetings will be held between the ID Team and each program at various levels. It is important to find times that work for everyone involved so that we're able to support each person involved in the process.

Canvas Course Sandboxes:

Course sandboxes are available for CMEs to use to draft content or explore how Canvas works. 

Canvas Course Builds:

Course builds are completed by instructional designers using content created and curated by CMEs.

Interactives, XR, and Gamification: 

Course interactives, gamification, and extended reality (XR) are used in PBE courses in order to both scaffold the skills students need to master the course content and engage them in active learning that challenges them. These often allow students to practice the skills that they need before they step into real-world scenarios where they have to apply those skills. 

Interactives are activities designed to engage learners and give them more control over their learning. These can include clickable graphics, expanded menus, simple exercises, audio and video, animated videos, complex simulations, scenario-based cases, and more. 

Extended Reality (XR) is the umbrella category that covers all the various forms of computer-altered reality, including Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR). The use of XR should supplement and enhance hands-on learning while also aligning with a program's learning objectives.

Gamification is a learning design strategy that captures students' attention and encourages active participation. Gamifying learning often includes presenting a series of small, achievable challenges to reach an overall goal. Other basic principles of gamification include the freedom to fail, rapid feedback and rewards, progression or leveling up, and storytelling.

Module and Course Reviews: 

After ID/CME teams complete course builds, course reviews will be sent out to the CME team, the Director of Alignment, and the ID Manager. CME teams and the Director of Alignment will review courses for content, including: depth and accuracy of information, how the content is chunked to help students make progress, and the authenticity of mastery assessments. The ID Manager will review courses for design elements, accessibility and copyright compliance. 

Facilitator's Guides: 

Facilitator's Guides are designed to lead instructors through the information they'll need to run the course. They often include an overview of content, formative activities, checks for understanding, mastery assessments, technology considerations. They also include links to deconstruction documents and learning journeys.

Continuous Improvement: 

As courses are developed and implemented, instructional designers work with CMEs and/or course instructors to assess the effectiveness of the course content. They use best practices and course data to make and prioritize improvements based on how well the course is working for students and industry. 

Final Course Reviews: 

Final course reviews are completed using the Open SUNY Quality Review (OSCQR) Rubric to ensure that each course meets "quality instructional design and accessibility standards." This rubric is used by the ID and CQA Teams to review courses during the post-development phase and to provide feedback for CMEs and IDs so that they can make any necessary updates to ensure that each course meets TSTC's standards.