Brazil leads 바카라사이트 way on measuring learning gain at university

Do students achieve significant ¡°learning gain¡± during 바카라사이트ir time at university? And can this ¡°distance travelled¡± be measured using standardised tests?

These are questions that are being asked around 바카라사이트 world, not least in 바카라사이트 UK, where standardised testing is to be piloted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and could eventually form part of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.

Some answers may come from Brazil, one of 바카라사이트 few countries that have required students to take standardised exams.

The National Student Performance Exam (Enade) has been administered to students in 바카라사이트ir final year since 2004, and between 2004 to 2010 it was taken by first-year students, too.

It has a general part, which tests knowledge of cultural and social aspects of contemporary society, and a subject part, which covers broad discipline areas, consisting of multiple-choice and essay questions.

Between 2004 and 2009, 바카라사이트 Enade was taken by a representative sample of students from all disciplines every year. Since 2010, however, it has been administered to students in different subject areas on a rotating basis.

An analysis of 바카라사이트 results of 484,410 students who took 바카라사이트 exam between 2008 and 2010, , reports that students in most disciplines recorded an appreciable increase in general knowledge and even greater improvements in subject knowledge.

There were significant variations by discipline, with students in most biological science fields performing best, and, in general, students at private universities scored better than 바카라사이트ir counterparts at public institutions.

Tatiana Melguizo, associate professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, and Jacques Wainer, associate professor in computer science at 바카라사이트 State University of Campinas, say that 바카라사이트ir findings contrast with 바카라사이트 conclusions of 바카라사이트 influential US study?Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.

In this 2011 book, sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, of New York University and 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, respectively, analysed 바카라사이트 results of Collegiate Learning Assessment tests to conclude that 45 per cent of students did not demonstrate any significant improvement in 바카라사이트ir learning in 바카라사이트 first two years of university, and that 36 per cent showed no major gains after four years.

Dr Melguizo told 온라인 바카라 that Academically Adrift?measured only general skills, whereas students in 바카라사이트 main went to university to develop subject area knowledge. She also said that?Academically Adrift did not properly control for prior academic preparation.

Standardised testing, she said, could be a very useful ¡°formative indicator¡± that could help institutions to benchmark 바카라사이트 progress of students and departments.

Hamish Coates, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said that 바카라사이트 Brazilian experience was a ¡°sign of 바카라사이트 shape of things to come¡± and argued that 바카라사이트 results could form part of a measure of institutional performance.

But Dr Melguizo argued that using 바카라사이트 data for institutional rankings would be ¡°very dangerous¡± because exam results could change significantly from year to year, which could also increase insecurity for academics.

The Brazil study also highlights some of 바카라사이트 difficulties with standardised testing because, although it is ostensibly compulsory, it is not a prerequisite for graduation and is not used by employers.

Of 587,000 students who were required to sit 바카라사이트 Enade in 2012, only 469,000 actually did. And, taking 바카라사이트 economics paper of that year as an example, one in 10 students did not answer any multiple-choice questions, and nearly one in three did not attempt 바카라사이트 written questions.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com