Sova Intro to Direct Assessment Competency-Based Education (DA-CBE)

Video

Sova helps higher education leaders take on big, complex change. One of its current focuses is Direct Assessment Competency-Based Education (DA-CBE), a model that builds college around what students learn instead of how long they sit in class. Sova teamed up with Lemonly on an animated explainer video to help faculty, administrators, state leaders, and students across California’s public higher education system understand the framework and get excited about it.

The video opens in a traditional classroom, where every student moves at the same pace whether they’ve already mastered the material or need more time. Then it asks a simple question: What if education were built around the student? From there, it shows how DA-CBE meets learners where they are. Students start from what they already know, get backing from specialized support teams, and earn credentials on a path that fits their lives, whether they’re working parents, adult learners, or experienced workers.

Clever transitions carry viewers from one scene to the next, and a cast of expressive characters puts a face on every kind of learner. A bright, fresh color palette keeps the vibe youthful and engaging, so a policy framework comes across with plenty of personality.

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In a traditional classroom, time is everything. Courses run on a fixed schedule, and every student moves through the same material at the same pace.

Some students might already understand core concepts. Others may need more time to build a strong foundation. But the schedule is the same for everyone, and some students will sit through material they already know while others fall behind.

Traditional education was built around the calendar. But what if education were built around the student?

That’s the idea behind Direct Assessment Competency-Based Education, or DA-CBE.

DA-CBE starts with understanding what students know and what they still need to learn. If they are familiar with the material, they move through it faster. If they need more time on a new skill, they get it — without the stress of a countdown clock.

In DA-CBE, learners are never on their own. Specialized teams design, teach, and support — and today's tools give all of them a clearer picture of each student's progress, so the right help arrives at the right time.

That kind of personalization and flexibility matters, especially for today's learners. Like the working parent who can fit coursework around their schedule, the adult learner who doesn't have to repeat what they already know, or the worker who has spent time building skills and can finally get a credential that makes that experience visible. Learning happens in many places, not just classrooms, and every student deserves a path that fits their life.

DA-CBE was built for students who are ready to prove they can do the work. It understands and values their experience while helping them build portable, lasting skills for jobs today and wherever their careers take them next.

Through it all, the goal of DA-CBE isn't to earn a grade. It's to demonstrate learning.

Learn more at sova.org/dacbe.

Presentation (add-on)

The conversation doesn’t have to stop when the credits roll, so we also designed a five-slide presentation add-on that recaps the video’s key points. It covers the limits of the traditional model, DA-CBE’s core features (direct assessment, self-paced progression, and credit for prior learning), and how personalized support teams keep learners moving forward. It uses the same illustrations and color palette as the video, so Sova can take the story straight into stakeholder meetings.