How Near-Peer Tutoring Supports Progress in Fully Online, Self-Paced Learning: Evidence from a Competency-Based Community College

Near-peer tutoring is well-established as an effective academic support strategy in traditional, term-based education; however, its role in fully flexible, self-paced models remains largely unexplored. Competency-based education (CBE) allows students to progress once mastery is demonstrated, often removing deadlines and fixed pacing altogether. While this flexibility empowers learners, it also heightens the demands of persistence and self-regulation. This study examined the association between voluntary near-peer tutoring participation and mastery rates in a fully online, deadline-free CBE program. Using institutional data from 1,344 students enrolled in Calbright College’s Data Analysis program, we assessed the extent to which participation in virtual near-peer tutoring was associated with the number of competencies mastered. Negative binomial regression models with a log exposure offset for active enrollment days estimated mastery rates (modules mastered per active day) while adjusting for prior engagement and multiple-program interest. Students who attended tutoring at least once during the first half of 2025 had approximately double the mastery rate (IRR = 2.01, p < 0.001) compared with those who did not. Although the observational design precludes causal claims, these findings are consistent with co-regulatory theory and the broader evidence base linking peer tutoring to improved academic outcomes in higher education. Implications for institutions operating flexible online programs are discussed.