A Competency-based Education Approach for Effective On-line Program Design: Exploring E-learning Platforms Compatibility

This paper investigates the compatibility of e-learning platforms with a competency-based educative (CBE) approach. Using the European Tuning program model derived from the Bologna Process declaration, an integrative framework for creating a degree curriculum based on the CBE approach has been designed such as to include degree competencies, learning outcomes, courses and learning activities. This framework and its underlying principles were then experimented on Moodle in order to explore to what extent the platform offers features that are adapted to implement the CBE approach. For comparison purposes, the compatibility of three other learning management systems (LMSs), namely Blackboard, Canvas and Brightspace, with the CBE approach was also examined. The overall results showed that the explored e-learning platforms offer a relatively compatible environment to the elaborated framework for online courses, thereby adding a boost of broadness and validity to the suggested CBE model.