Three decades and still counting (the wrong things): An analysis of three reports on the possibility and practicality of shifting our academic currency from credit hours to competencies

Abstract This study examines three milestone reports on competency‐based education (CBE) policy that were produced between 2002 and 2015 to identify whether additional arguments, not made in the three reports, could be formulated to increase the pace of transition from credit hours to competencies as the measure of academic learning. Using content analysis, frequency of topics and categorization within five change driver categories (social–cultural; economy and economics; policy and politics; teaching, learning, and technology; workforce) the study concludes that most arguments were made in the policy and teaching, learning, and technology categories implying that arguments based in the economics (cost) and social–cultural drivers could increase the pace of transition to competencies. The study specifically identifies emphasis on the equity of competency‐based instruction, pacing, and assessment over the current credit hour model as having significant potential to shift and increase the pace of CBE adoption.