How CBL Works

A score may tell you how many questions you answer correctly, but they don't tell you how much you know. People can guess and have doubt and still get correct answers.

Confidence-Based Learning (CBL) determines what you actually know and teaches you what you need to know - faster than any other method. It starts with an evaluation of your quality of knowledge. Then it leads you through the learning you need to obtain mastery.

CBL is totally different, so please take a moment to review the directions below.

Question List

When you start a CBL learning module, the first thing you see is a series of questions. But don't worry…CBL is not a test! These questions determine what you already know and what you need to learn. For the best results, answer each question honestly. Don't try to guess – this will only keep you in the course longer.

Learning Center - Current Session Results

After answering the questions, click Submit to go to the Learning Center. This is where you receive feedback and where your personalized learning plan lives. After you submit your answers, you will be directed to the Learning Center where you will see your results. A quick glance shows you how you did on your last assessment:

• Misinformed: Individual is confident about misinformation, and will take actions with negative outcomes. You have answered the question incorrectly, but you were sure that your answer was right.
• Uninformed: Individual possesses neither knowledge nor confidence, and will take no action. You just don’t know the answer to the question and you do not answer the question.
• Doubt: Individual has knowledge of the topic, but a lack of confidence will prevent action. You think you know the answer to the question, but not sure if it is the answer is correct.
• Mastery: Individual is confident about correct information, and will engage in positive behaviors. You have answered the question correctly, and you are sure that your answer was right.

You can also view your progress through the entire module – an important metric since each assessment only displays a subset of the questions in the module.

Learning Center - Current Session Learning Plan

Learn only what you need by digging into the questions and answers

Continue Learning

Before you continue to the next set of questions, it is critical that you follow and study the links provided by your targeted lesson plan. Remember, this is not a test, but a diagnostic tool to determine what you know and what you don’t know. After studying the material from your lesson plan, select Continue. This takes you back to the module, where you may see some of the same questions and some new ones – all randomly generated from a pool of questions. Repeat this process as many times as you need to until you have seen all of the questions and reached the Mastery Goal.

How Your Progress is Measured and Your Mastery is Assured?

Every course of study at McClatchy University is comprised of modules. Each module within a course focuses on a topic and typically contains about 30 to 40 questions. As you take each module within a given course, you will be presented 12 to 15 questions or scenarios from the pool of questions available within the module. This set of questions is called an iteration. Therefore, in order to successfully complete a course, you will need to complete at least 3 or 4 iterations of questions so that you have had the opportunity to view each question within the module.

You need to answer each question correctly at least twice in order to validate your knowledge and mastery, and the second (or latest) time it was presented it must be answered with confidence (“I Am Sure”). Once you do so, you will not see the question again.

If you answer correctly with doubt, that is, responding that you know the correct answer is among several responses, your response with doubt will count towards your mastery of the question if it included the correct answer (towards 1 of the two times needed to master it).

If you answer “I Am Unsure” – you will be presented with the opportunity to review the question and learn the correct answer, and you will then need to answer the question at least twice (and the latest time with confidence) to demonstrate your mastery on that question.

If you answer incorrectly – or guess incorrectly - whether with confidence or with doubt, you will need to review the answer and then answer the question correctly at least three times to demonstrate your mastery.

Therefore, do not “guess” in the “I Am Sure” column - as doing so will increase greatly your time to complete the learning module. If you are not sure of your answer, your best course of action is to answer with doubt or simply that you are unsure so you have the opportunity to learn the correct response.