C3Be Director Diane DeBacker Reflects on the CBExchange Asia-Pacific Conference

Diane DeBacker, the director of AAI’s Center for Certification & Competency-Based Education (C3Be), participated in the CBExchange Asia-Pacific conference in Singapore, an annual event hosted by the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN). The conference served as a platform for C3Be to showcase their projects that help make learning visible. Furthermore, it also was an opportunity for C3Be to present its development and implementation of Competency-Based Education at the University of Kansas. 

After the conference, DeBacker shared her reflections, insights and key takeaways, detailing her experience and how the conference will influence C3Be’s work and research.

What was the CBExchange Asia-Pacific conference?

The CBExchange Asia-Pacific conference was sponsored by the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) and the Singapore Institute of Technology. The conference was held in Singapore and attended by over 550 people mostly from the Asia-Pacific region and some attendees from the United States and other countries. This was the first convening of this conference in an international setting. The conference sold out and was truly a success.

What motivated you to participate in the conference?

The University of Kansas is a member of C-BEN and, as such, we’ve attended C-BEN conferences in the United States in the past few years. The Center for Certification and Competency-Based Education, C3Be, a research center within the Achievement and Assessment Institute, AAI, submitted a proposal to present a breakout session at the conference. The proposal was approved, and the rest is history!

Can you give us a brief overview of the topic you presented?

I was honored to co-present with Dr. Neal Kingston, Vice Provost of Jayhawk Global and Competency-Based Education, on the topic “Using Graphical Tools to Develop and Support Competency-Based Education Programs.” We described the different projects we’ve done at KU over the past several years related to making learning visible, including information on Dynamic Learning Maps, a teaching map from a cyber defense course taught at KU, a curriculum mapping project with for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, a project aligning well-suited attributes of a cybersecurity professional to the NICE framework, and information about Jayhawk Flex.

What key takeaways did you gain from the conference?

My key takeaway from the conference was that competency-based education (CBE) is growing not only in the United States but across the world. It was refreshing and encouraging to learn about what other countries are doing with CBE programs and know that KU is considered a leader in this space.

Can you share a highlight or memorable moment of the conference?

The entire conference was memorable. Singapore is an amazing country with advanced technology and education systems. Our Singapore hosts, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), organized a very successful conference. Neal and I had the privilege of visiting the SIT campus prior to the conference to learn about a CBE program they’re launching in engineering. Hearing from the faculty and staff as to how they developed the program was very beneficial to us as we’re in development of five inaugural programs for Jayhawk Flex scheduled for launch in Fall 2025.  In addition to the conference, Neal and I were able to attend a Taylor Swift concert while in Singapore.

How will this conference impact the work of C3Be?

This was C3Be/AAI’s second meeting with the SIT. I anticipate that we’ll continue to collaborate with them on CBE-related projects in the future. Dr. May Lim Sok Mui, Assistant Provost and Associate Professor at SIT, will be at KU in April to participate in a CBE Efficacy Convening. We look forward to hosting her and a small group of other researchers to advance CBE research.