En complément aux billets précédents de Catherine et de ma part autour des programmes d’apprentissage axé sur les compétences, deux événements politiques de la semaine confirment l’intérêt des élus américains pour ces méthodes. D’une part, une rencontre entre Ted Mitchell, sous-secrétaire au Département d’Éducation, et un groupe de recteurs d’universités concernées, d’autre part, un vote unanime à la Chambre des Représentants… Comme le rappelle assez justement Dan Barrett:
“The approach [competency-based learning] has emerged as the educational disruption of the moment because it appears to solve many of the challenges facing higher education. Colleges’ core market of traditional-aged students is declining, costs keep rising, a national campaign is pushing for increasing the number of graduates, and the value of a degree and what students are learning are under growing scrutiny.
The buzz among policy makers,think tanks, and foundations is spreading to colleges, which see competency programs as a way to tap, at lower cost and with greater efficiency, into a growing market of adult students whose lives don’t follow rigid semesters.” (Dan Berrett, 2014)
Lors de la rencontre mardi le 22 juillet entre Mitchell et le C-BEN (Competency-based Education Network), le Département d’Éducation a annoncé de nouvelles ouvertures à l’aide financière étudiante pour les établissements qui expérimenteront avec ces formules (environ 350 institutions américaines développeraient de telles offres) au grand enthousiasme des participants. Ces nouvelles ouvertures paveraient la voie à de la législation qui faciliterait la normalisation des programmes d’apprentissage axé sur les compétences. Les “sites expérimentaux” pourront explorer différentes avenues afin d’améliorer la qualité académique et de réduire les coûts:
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“self-paced competency-based programs, such as direct assessment degree tracks.” [par exemple, l’Université du Wisconsin s’était vu refusé de l’aide fédérale pour sa ‘Flex Option’, une version particulièrement poussée de la logique competency-based. Avec la nouvelle annonce, ils y seraient éligibles.]
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““hybrid” programs, which combine elements of direct assessment and credit-hour-based coursework. That version is currently not allowed under federal rules.”
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“prior-learning assessment — which is the granting of college credit for learning that occurs outside the traditional classroom. Prior learning credits have not been eligible for federal aid spending in the past.”
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“federal work-study programs under which college students mentor high school students in college readiness, student aid, career counseling and financial literacy.” (Fain, 2014)
Puis, mercredi le 23 juillet, les Représentants républicains et démocrates ont voté à l’unanimité en faveur d’un projet de loi élargissant le déploiement de programmes d’apprentissage axé sur les compétences:
“Under the legislation passed by the House, the Education Department would allow federal student aid to flow to up to 30 academic programs that want to experiment with competency-based education. Those experiments could involve as many as several thousand students.
The legislation would go beyond the efforts of the Obama administration to provide waivers to some colleges that want to use competency-based education” (Stratford, 2014)
Toutefois, Paul Fain précise que…
“…[I]t’s less likely the U.S. Senate will follow suit, experts said, in part because of top Senate Democrats’ desire to deal with the issue as part of the broad set of proposed legislation relating to the Higher Education Act, the law that governs federal financial aid, which is due to be renewed in coming years.”
Il reste que ce vote a une portée symbolique importante et constitue une victoire pour les apologistes des méthodes competency-based learning: “For several hours on the House floor Tuesday, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle took turns praising competency-based learning as a way to help nontraditional students and lower the cost of higher education.” (Stratford, 2014) Compte tenu du climat politique américain actuel, cela nous semble d’autant significatif…
Sources:
Berrett, Dan, “College, on Your Own“, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 juillet 2014
Fain, Paul, “Experimenting With Aid“, Inside Higher Ed, 23 juillet 2014
Stratford, Michael, “Baby Steps for Higher Ed Act”, Inside Higher Ed, 24 juillet 2014
