Frameworks for Assessing Learning and Development Outcomes (review)

Agility and Assessment in the Age of COVID‐19: How Fast Can a Community College Dance?

Reviewed by: Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education: Views and Perspectives Cia Verschelden Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education: Views and Perspectives, ed. Peter Hernon and Robert E. Dugan. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. 350 p. $50(ISBN: 1-59158-098-6) In the fall of 2000, the Higher Learning Commission visited our campus on a re-accreditation site visit. The following spring we received their report—we were reaccredited but they would be back for a "focused visit" in 2005 to look at our progress on assessment of student learning. That summer, I took on the task of "capacity building" in an effort to develop a positive and sustainable assessment of student learning culture at a large, public land-grant institution. I have since met with dozens of people to talk about student learning outcomes, assessment criteria and measures, and using assessment results to improve student learning. I found it almost impossible to get through this book! In virtually every chapter, I found myself taking time to highlight interesting or essential parts, make notes in the margins, or notes to myself about what I need to do with this or that section. My notes were comments like: "The Provost must see this ASAP"; "This is exactly the argument that I've been having with Professor __________ in biology for two years"; "Every department head needs this list and this chart tomorrow;" "I told them that's how it's supposed to happen!" This book addresses real issues. It reflects on precisely the kinds of challenges that I and my colleagues from across the country experience every day in our work. I found that many of the articles provided a barometer of sorts for me. I found myself assessing our progress and reflecting on the "opportunities" still ahead. The experts in this volume have described the path that promises to lead eventually to an effective "culture of assessment" at our institutions. In several of the articles, the authors provide progress checklists, which one can use to mark off accomplishments and see very clearly the direction and purpose of the next step. When I started in this work three years ago, I began to create an assessment of student learning handbook for department heads. I included three papers as critical background reading: "Assessment Measures and Methods: Advice from NCA," by Cecilia Lopez (North Central Association Commission on Institutions of Higher Education: Opportunities for Improvement: Advice from Consultant-Evaluators on Programs to Assess Student Learning, March 1996); "Assessment of Student Achievement: Levels of Implementation," from NCA's Handbook of Accreditation, 2nd edition (March 2000); and "Moving from Paperwork to Pedagogy: Channeling Intellectual [End Page 138] Curiosity into a Commitment to Assessment," by Peggy Maki, former director of assessment for the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE Bulletin, May 2002, pp. 3-5). In addition, I highly recommended Mary Huba and Jann Freed's Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2000), itself ahandbook of sorts for faculty who are beginning to develop a "culture of evidence" within their degree programs. Now, in the fall of 2004, I am recommending to the provost that every College Assessment Committee have a copy of Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education. This book offers four things: (1) a review of the mandate for the kind of accountability that is addressed by assessment of student learning processes (Chapter 4, "Institutional Assessment Planning"); (2) a series of very practical and concise "how-to" instructions that reflect what I have seen work (Chapter 5, "Developing an Assessment Plan to Learn about Student Learning"); (3) some models of specific approaches that share with us some of the barriers that were encountered and overcome along the way to effective change (Chapter 9, "Evolving an Assessment of Impact on Pedagogy, Learning, and Library Support of Teaching with Digital Images" and Chapter 10, "Outcomes Assessment in a College Library: An Instructional Case Study"); and (4) a summary of the progress that has been made in colleges and universities across the country so that we have a context in which to evaluate our progress (Chapter 3, "A Decade of Assessing Student Learning: What We Have Learned, and What is Next"). One of the...

Education acts as a linchpin for human development. It enhances individual earning potential, promotes overall well-being and fuels economic growth. Furthermore, education is a social equaliser and contributes to achieving sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like poverty reduction (Hanushek et al. 2003). Thus, for overall human development, education becomes a crucial factor. However, simply increasing access to education is insufficient; the quality of education, measured by effective learning outcomes, is vital for unlocking these benefits of education in social and human development. Education in India is a multi-dimensional problem to solve. Over the years, through focused efforts, considerable progress has been made in our ability to understand the problem of low levels of learning in India; the efforts made in improving infrastructure, providing teacher training and teacher support, and revamping syllabi have yielded limited results in the absence of robust, effective measures to monitor learning gaps and improvise in a more targeted manner (Muralidharan 2019). This chapter emphasises the importance of focusing on learning outcomes through effective and robust measurements through assessments to monitor and improve the learning levels, year on year, eventually leading to a higher human development index and SDG realisation. This is established through various studies carried out by Educational Initiatives which include Student Learning in the Metros Study by India Today, student learning study by Google, Gunotsav assessments in Gujarat, and the student learning assessment and classroom-based assessments conducted by various states. It highlights the importance of benchmarking studies and how reforming board examinations can shift the goalpost to change how students learn. This chapter emphasises on how learning outcome measurements can be achieved through robust assessment design that is backed by strong pedagogical principles. The assessments that not only provide the learning outcome levels but can also help with understanding learning gaps and existing student misconceptions are important to have as only through the insights like these, further interactions with the students on some of these pedagogical concepts can be taken up and classroom practices can change. Thus, treating assessments not only inform the policies through quantitative data but also provide enough insights on learning gaps that can be addressed at the classroom level to actually bring a positive shift. Along with the research and assessment studies done by Educational Initiatives, this chapter also discusses some very important assessments that have shaped the learning outcome-focused narrative for India. It draws on studies like the Annual Status of Education Report, the National Achievement Survey, the School Education Quality and Support System, and the Programme for International Student Assessment to showcase large-scale assessment initiatives undertaken in India to understand the strengths and shortcomings of these and how India can leverage some of these to track learning outcomes. It is also the right time to think of tech-driven novel assessments that make assessments effective, efficient, and innovative.

Space is a significant factor for teaching and learning (Goodyear & Carvalho, 2019), but it is comparably underexplored in the higher education (Ellis & Goodyear, 2016). Learning spaces have become hybrid in the post-pandemic period in higher education with physical locations having digital extensions and vice versa (Ellis & Goodyear, 2018), which allows more flexible study modes and access to richer study resources. In addition to having material properties which physically promote or prevent student engagement, space is also a social product with relational and structural aspects, which could shape social relationships and moreover, reflect or promote existing inequalities amongst students (Wong, 2024). Space may therefore impact on students’ learning experiences, including within feedback encounters. Feedback is a significant aspect of students’ learning experiences in higher education. It is well acknowledged that feedback is important for students’ learning and graduate outcomes (Hattie & Clarke, 2018). Feedback encounters, such as supervision meeting and placements, could provide valuable feedback opportunities with the characteristics of immediate and frequent dialogues. However, spatial factors could affect these feedback encounters positively and negatively (Gravett, 2022). For example, many students perceive academic office as a scary space to seek feedback (Gravett & Winstone, 2019) while in comparison, online discussion boards are perceived as more flexible and equitable spaces for feedback engagement (Zhou et al., 2023). Since little is known about students’ experiences of feedback spaces and how spatial factors affect feedback, it is important to explore students’ feedback experiences in the hybrid feedback spaces. International students are a cohort for whom feedback spaces are particularly important. They often experience relocation to the new learning spaces in different cultural contexts, and are likely to be unfamiliar with material and social perspectives of the spaces (Dai et al., 2018). Therefore, they might feel disrupted and anxious at the initial stages of their feedback encounters, which could lead to the effectiveness of these valuable feedback. Since international students make great social and economic contributions to Australia, to promote more equitable feedback experiences for those students, it is important to understand their feedback experiences in the feedback spaces, to inform co-design of inclusive and supportive feedback spaces. This poster will offer an overview of preliminary findings of a review study. The review has two research questions: 1. How has space has been incorporated as part of existing feedback models in higher education, across situated, hybrid, and digital learning situations? 2. How do feedback models account for the particular situations of international students? This work has implications for future theoretical and empirical studies about feedback and feedback spaces. This research has the potential to enrich theoretical understandings of feedback and space research in higher education. Findings from this study could also enrich the literature regarding international students and provide practical strategies for supporting international students’ acculturation. In addition, the study could give implications to education institutions about how to create inclusive and supportive hybrid learning environments, which could significantly enhance the student experience and learning outcomes.

In this paper, the author discusses assessment of student learning in light of evolving accreditation standards. The author describes the Indiana Model—a comprehensive approach that includes: (a) a Course-Learning Objectives (CLO) classification system to organize and analyze the total array of course learning objectives addressed in a curriculum, (b) a direct Assessment of Student Learning system to demonstrate student learning outcomes, and (c) an indirect Assessment of Student Learning system to provide for the perspectives of consumers and other stakeholders. When integrated, the three systems may be used for curriculum analysis and development, assessment of student learning, and program evaluation—particularly in terms of student learning outcomes. The proposed integrated approach to student learning assessment addresses both university and professional accreditation standards.

Higher education system of the country plays a very important role in education of the nation. This research study was designed and aimed to investigate into the implementation barriers to quality standards in the higher education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study was exploratory and qualitative in its essence through which extensive review of the literature was done. A computer based software ATLAS.ti was used for data analysis. Research model was developed to know the relationship and impact of dependent and independent variables i.e. Governmental Planning, Organizational and Human Resources on the implementation of the Quality Standards in higher education of Saudi Arabia. The study found that government, organizational and human factors significantly affect the implementation of quality standards in higher education of Saudi Arabia, therefore, government is required to regularly monitor and assess the quality standards execution round the years in order to streamline the governmental planning, organizational dimensions to support the effective implementation of quality standards in higher education. Keywords: Higher Education, Quality Indicators, Quality Assurance, Quality Standards, Implementation Barriers, Government, Organization and Human Resources. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-28-01 Publication date :October 31 st 2019

This thesis is on motivating students in learning. It is anchored on a macro-theory of human motivation – the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). In recent years, mindfulness has been integrated into the SDT framework. This thesis attempts to extend extant research on the SDT and thus to contribute to theory-building by integrating the SDT and mindfulness in social-emotional learning. In Study 1, the researcher developed and validated an instrument for the measurement of mindfulness – attentional and attitudinal components, in children and adolescents. Participants for this study were 717 students, Mage = 12.25 years old, SD = .91, 48.12% females. Exploratory factor analysis conducted on the data collected suggested a four-factor solution to the instrument. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor solution which measured nuanced aspects of mindfulness. The four factors were labelled “attention and awareness”, “self-acceptance”, “curiosity”, and “openness to negative emotions”, with “attention and awareness” being the attentional component and “self-acceptance”, “curiosity”, and “openness to negative emotions” being the attitudinal components. In Study 2 (N = 958 students, Mage = 13.28 years old, SD = 1.06, 58.04% female), the researcher evaluated a hypothesised model in an attempt to explain the mechanisms through which mindfulness influences basic psychological needs satisfaction, motivational regulatory outcomes (autonomous and controlled regulations), emotional regulatory outcomes (self-control, stress-management, conditional goal-setting) and cognitive regulatory outcomes (use of organisational skills) in learning. Regression analyses showed that attention and awareness significantly predicted basic psychological needs satisfaction, autonomous regulation, self-control, stress-management and use of organisational skills in learning, but not controlled regulation and conditional goal-setting. The relationships between the attitudinal components of mindfulness and the social-emotional learning outcomes were complex. In general, the attitudinal components of mindfulness, in particular, self-acceptance and curiosity predicted the emotional and cognitive regulatory outcomes above and beyond the prediction made by attentional and awareness. Additionally, basic psychological needs satisfaction and autonomous regulation mediated the relationships between mindfulness (attention and attitudinal components) and the emotional and cognitive regulatory outcomes in learning. In Study 3 (N = 119 students, Mage = 13.03 years old, SD = 1.01, 55.46% female), using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the researcher evaluated the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention programme (.b programme) on students’ motivational, emotional and cognitive regulatory outcomes in learning. Mixed ANOVA analyses suggested that mindfulness practices hold potential for nurturing motivational, emotional and cognitive regulatory outcomes in learning. Qualitative data from the students provided more insight into the mechanisms on how mindfulness practices could promote more favourable motivational, emotional and cognitive regulatory outcomes in learning. The implications of the thesis are discussed in the context of social-emotional learning in Singapore school settings.

The Comparative Study and Development of Teaching Competency Standards in Higher Education Level Between Faculty Members and Senior Students Among 6 ASEAN Universities Under MOU.

This chapter presents some of the methods and approaches that are used in the assessment of student outcomes in 3-D virtual learning environments. Distance learning or eLearning that includes the 3-D virtual learning environments have been increasing dramatically because of the rise in demand by students. Because of this advent in eLearning, assessment of the outcomes is crucial when measuring student learning. In addition to the measurement of student learning, the instructional designers will need assessment of student learning as a means to upgrade the 3-D virtual learning environments and maintain the relevancy of the content for students. Much of the research on measurement of outcomes is based on anecdotal evidence provided by students. A comprehensive examination of assessment of the 3-D virtual learning environment becomes paramount, so educators will have a better idea how to carefully assess outcomes of student learning.

This research was the result of research entitled Learning Physics in senior high school by Using the Cooperative Model Type STAD (Study: at SMAN 1 Tapen Bondowoso). The purpose of this research was to know the effect of using STAD on students' motivation in learning physic and to know wheter or not there was an effect of using STAD on the result of students' learning outcome in learning physic at senior high school. The population of nthis research was the tenth grade students of SMAN 1 Tapen Bondowoso. The design of this research was quasi experimental research post test only control design. The data was collected through students' motivation and students' learning outcomes by using questionnaire, observation, interviews and documentation. Based on the statistical results, it was known that the meann score of students' nmotivation and learning outcome in experimental class was better than the students' in the control class. It can be concluded that there was an effect nof using cooperative learning model STAD on the students' motivation and learning outcome in learning physics at SMAN 1 Tapen Bondowoso. n Keywords : cooperatif type STAD model, students' motivation, student's learning outcome

This study aims to improve the students’ activities and learning outcomes of Civics (PKn) subject by using the Cooperative learning model Group Investigation (GI) type, therefore learning is not only focused on teacher-centered but more emphasis on student activity. The study was designed as a classroom action research; with the research subjects were XI grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Muaro Jambi academic year 2017/2018 with 30 total number of students. This research was carried out in 2 cycles. Each published cycle, namely: (1) Planning, (2) Action, (3) Observation, and (4) Reflection. Data was taken using written tests, assessment sheets consisting of teacher activity observation sheets, active student observation sheets, and evaluation results. The results of the study show that indicators of success can be achieved in cycle 2, both from observing the activities of teachers in lesson preparation, observing student activities in attending lessons, and evaluating student learning outcomes. Students give positive responses to learning that are proven by students’ happiness in the classroom and students’undertsanding toward the lesson. This can be seen on the improvement of learning outcomes and supporting groups that are getting better. The conclusion was that the GI type cooperative learning model could improve students’ learning activities and outcomes in class XI of SMA Negeri 1 Muaro Jambi. The students are more enthusiastic in learning Civic (PKn), and become more active students in learning. The atmosphere of the investigation class encourages students to discuss and deepen their way of thinking by finding various alternative thoughts. The application of the GI type cooperative learning model can improve learning outcomes in class. This can be seen from the results of evaluations that show an improvement on students’ learning outcomes from 42.85% or 12 people (in the first cycle) to 92.86% or 26 people (in the second cycle). For the next researchers, it is suggested that the GI type cooperative learning model can be applied in teaching and learning activities in other high schools, so students can achieve maximum learning outcomes. The supervision program, empowering the MGMP, writing scientific journals, conducting research, taking part in an internship program and collaborating with colleagues.

Background: This study is grounded in the limited use of instructional media in classroom instruction, which contributes to low student interest in learning, reduced motivation, and suboptimal academic outcomes at the elementary school level. Objective: The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of instructional media use on students’ learning interest and learning outcomes at SD Negeri Kaliputih. Method: This study employed a quantitative field research design using a survey method. The population consisted of 174 students, with a sample of 63 students from grades 1 to 6 selected for analysis. Data were collected through questionnaires and documentation and analysed using multiple linear regression, preceded by prerequisite tests including normality, linearity, and F-tests. Result: The findings indicate a statistically significant effect of instructional media and learning interest on student learning outcomes, with a combined contribution of 41.9%. In comparison, the remaining 58.1% is influenced by other factors not examined in this study. Conclusion: The effective use of instructional media plays a vital role in enhancing student engagement and academic achievement. Contribution: This research contributes empirical evidence supporting the integration of instructional media as a strategic approach to improve elementary learning processes and outcomes.

The learning process carried out at school is expected to be able to increase the learning activities and learning outcomes of students. Student biology learning outcomes and activities at SMAN 1 Koto XI Tarusan are still not satisfactory. The methods and strategies used so far have not been able to improve students' learning activities and outcomes. One of the efforts to increase the activities and learning outcomes of students is through STAD type cooperative learning and the internet as a source of teaching materials. This research was conducted in the even semester of Academic Year 2011/2012 in Class X.7 of SMAN 1 Koto XI Tarusan. This research was conducted in two cycles, each cycle consisting of four stages: planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. The research data were obtained through observation sheets and learning outcomes tests given at the end of the cycle. The results of the analysis of the data cycle I and cycle II showed an increase in student learning activities and learning outcomes. Student learning activities have increased by 8%, and student learning outcomes have increased by 10%. It can be concluded that the use of STAD cooperative learning types and the internet as a source of teaching materials can increase the activity and learning outcomes of students in class X.7 of SMAN 1 Koto XI Tarusan.

This quantitative study examines the influence of innovative pedagogical approaches (IPA) on enhancing student critical thinking (SCT) and student learning outcomes (SLO) in higher education, with an emphasis on the mediating role of inclusive leadership(IL). Using a sample of 321 students from public and private universities in Pakistan, the research reveals that methods such as problem-based learning, flipped classrooms, and interactive teaching significantly boost academic performance and cultivate critical thinking skills. The findings indicate that innovative pedagogical approaches positively and significantly impact student critical thinking (β = 0.536, t = 6.539, p < 0.001) and learning outcomes (β = 0.551, t = 12.725, p < 0.001). Additionally, inclusive leadership mediates the relationship between innovative teaching methods and both student critical thinking (β = 0.331, t = 3.833, p < 0.001) and learning outcomes (β = 0.405, t = 8.662, p < 0.001). Data were collected using survey questionnaires adapted from established studies on inclusive leadership, innovative pedagogical approaches, student critical thinking, and learning outcomes. These results highlight the essential role of inclusive leadership in enhancing the efficacy of innovative pedagogies by creating a supportive and diverse learning environment. The study suggests that implementing active learning strategies and integrating technology in the classroom, along with inclusive leadership practices, can significantly improve student engagement, critical thinking, and overall academic performance. This research offers valuable insights for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance teaching and learning experiences in higher education.

Visual literacy is essential for 21st century learners. Across the higher education curriculum, students are being asked to use and produce images and visual media in their academic work, and they must be prepared to do so. The Association of College and Research Libraries has published the Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education , which, for the first time, outline specific visual literacy learning outcomes. These Standards present new opportunities for libraries to expand their role in student learning through standards-based teaching and assessment, and to contribute to campus-wide collaborative efforts to develop students' skills and critical thinking with regard to visual materials.