Most students who enroll in a competency-based education (CBE) program start out excited, motivated, and ready to learn. For too many students, that enthusiasm starts to wane a few weeks into the course. This is bad news for students and the enrolling institution. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Lack of engagement is a serious issue. Disengaged, discouraged students are more likely to drop out than their enthusiastic and engaged peers. Students may drop out of a CBE program for several reasons, including the actual learning experience. Students may become discouraged and quit if learning materials are too difficult to understand or poorly presented. Students may become disinterested and quit if learning activities are dull or uninspiring. Students may become frustrated and quit if they believe they’re wasting time on material they already know or view as irrelevant. While students may become disengaged for reasons that are beyond the control of the educational institution, course designers can strive to create engaging courses that discourage student drop out. An engaging CBE learning experience [...]