Teaching & Learning

Alliance to Launch Competency-Based Master's in Online Ed

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 10/26/17

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is teaming with a private partner to launch a competency-based master's of education in online teaching program.

The new program will consist of training modules and three to six graduate-level micro-credential programs that can be combined to earn a full master's degree in education with a focus on online and blended learning in elementary and secondary education. The self-paced program will also feature projects set in real-world contexts.

The university is teaming up with online and blended learning provider K12 and will offer the courses to the company's teachers and those of its partner school, before eventually making the program available to others.

"SNHU works with companies and community organizations in a variety of fields to provide pathways to education for employees," said Paul LeBlanc, president, SNHU, in a prepared statement. "We look forward to working with K12 to better study the best practices of their teachers to meet the needs of today's students and educators in the online learning environment."

"The partnership will begin," according to a news release, "with an in-depth research component to identify best practices in online education and inform program development."

"This alliance will be rooted in research," said Stuart Udell, K12 CEO, in a prepared statement. "The program brings to bear the best-in-class resources of both organizations to create performance benchmarks, deliver teacher training and map out career pathways for current and future generations of online educators."