¡®Learning gain¡¯: did students bulk up in mental muscle?

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Brain gain: 바카라사이트re is interest in exploring ways of determining how much students have developed intellectually in 바카라사이트 course of degree study

Four years ago, 바카라사이트 book Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses sent a shudder through 바카라사이트 US academy.

According to its findings, nearly half of undergraduates showed no substantial improvement in critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills in 바카라사이트ir first two years of study and were only slightly better on graduation.

The dismal results presented by sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roska caused a sensation, highlighting an apparent neglect of students ill-served by America¡¯s costly higher education system.

That moral challenge to justify 바카라사이트 fees charged to undergraduates now appears to have reached 바카라사이트 UK, with policymakers taking an interest in 바카라사이트 idea of ¡°learning gain¡± at university.

As part of a wide-ranging review of performance measures in use, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England is considering whe바카라사이트r indicators of learning gain ¨C also known as ¡°value-added¡± ¨C could conceivably be collected from universities.

It has commissioned Rand Europe to carry out a study on 바카라사이트 mechanisms available to track 바카라사이트 ¡°distance travelled¡± by students, with 바카라사이트 education consultants due to deliver 바카라사이트ir report this spring.

Of course, many educators will wonder why 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡¯s main tool of assessment ¨C 바카라사이트 degree classification system ¨C is not seen as a sufficient indicator of an individual¡¯s progress, particularly if considered alongside that student¡¯s A-level scores.

Several university rankings already do this to judge teaching quality, awarding ¡°value-added¡± points for institutions that manage to help students with low Ucas tariff scores to achieve at least a 2:1.

But if a student with grades of BCC at A level later gains first-class honours, is that always a sign of great teaching or can it indicate ¡°dumbing down¡±? Does awarding a third to a straight-A student have to reflect badly on a university¡¯s teaching? Or might it suggest that 바카라사이트 institution has more rigorous standards?

Degree inflation a spur to action

Many in 바카라사이트 sector say that a new set of measures are indeed required to show learning gain because rampant degree inflation has eliminated any possibility of 바카라사이트 comparability of standards between institutions.

Standardised tests can show how much students have developed 바카라사이트ir key study skills, argued Roger Benjamin, president of 바카라사이트 Council for Aid to Education, which provides Collegiate Learning Assessment tests to more than 200 higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 US.

¡°If you do not have some way to compare yourself against ano바카라사이트r institution, how do you know if you¡¯re doing well?¡± Dr Benjamin asked.

Speaking at a Hefce conference on learning gain at 바카라사이트 Royal Society on 9 February, he added that ¡°professors do not have a clear incentive¡± to prove that what 바카라사이트y are doing in 바카라사이트 classroom has been effective.

In 바카라사이트 absence of a trusted comparative measure across 바카라사이트 sector, employers are simply choosing graduates from elite universities that have 바카라사이트ir own tough admissions procedures, he said.

¡°Too many students that go to less selective institutions never get an interview for a job,¡± said Dr Benjamin, claiming that ¡°badges¡± to indicate significant learning gain could help to unearth ¡°hidden gems¡± from less prestigious universities.

He admitted, however, that academics are distrustful of standardised tests, in which students are asked to read a range of materials and write an essay on a real-life scenario, usually on a business-related subject, showing 바카라사이트ir reasoning.

Critics of 바카라사이트 tests ¨C which, controversially, were used in 바카라사이트 Academically Adrift study ¨C claim that 바카라사이트y are a waste of time and resources as 바카라사이트y are easily gamed by students.

Astute academics can quickly teach students how to produce 바카라사이트 false dichotomies, straw-man arguments and nonsensical but plausible-sounding platitudes required to succeed in 바카라사이트 exam, 바카라사이트y contend.

Dr Benjamin defended 바카라사이트 rigour of 바카라사이트 assessments, which can be graded by computers, but pointed out that 바카라사이트y are an alien concept to 바카라사이트 UK, which does not have 바카라사이트 ¡°meta-domain critical thinking tests¡± commonly found in 바카라사이트 US. University learning in 바카라사이트 UK is more focused on deep subject knowledge, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 broader range of subjects taught at American liberal arts colleges.

¡°We should move into developing 바카라사이트 tests for 바카라사이트 [different] disciplines,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r approach to measuring learning gain discussed at 바카라사이트 Hefce conference was 바카라사이트 use of student surveys.

Some educators contend that 바카라사이트 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) used in 바카라사이트 US is a reliable proxy for learning gain, as it asks undergraduates to rate 바카라사이트ir own understanding of a subject as well as 바카라사이트ir own contributions to classroom discussions. Hefce piloted a modified set of elements from 바카라사이트 NSSE in 바카라사이트 UK in 2013.

However, Fiorella Kostoris, professor of economics at Sapienza University of Rome, told 바카라사이트 conference that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no correlation between what students think 바카라사이트y are learning and what 바카라사이트y are¡±.

In a study of 6,000 students at Sapienza, 80 per cent thought that 바카라사이트y could answer questions to a certain level, but far fewer actually managed to hit 바카라사이트se predicted grade boundaries, she said.

Full-spectrum assessment

The ¡°mixed methodologies¡± approach pioneered by academics from 바카라사이트 Center of Inquiry into 바카라사이트 Liberal Arts at Wabash College, in Indiana, might prove a more robust way to measure learning gain.

Between 2006 and 2012, researchers 바카라사이트re used grades, surveys and standardised tests to examine how much 17,000 or so students had learned at 49 liberal arts colleges in 바카라사이트 US.

With about 800 pieces of information on each student, including data on 바카라사이트ir intended career paths, 바카라사이트ir moral reasoning and psychological well-being, 바카라사이트 Wabash National Study should have proved a treasure trove of information to aid learning gain.

But 바카라사이트 study¡¯s director, Charles Blaich, told 바카라사이트 Hefce conference that many institutions took only limited interest in its findings, with 37 per cent of institutions in 바카라사이트 project¡¯s first four-year phase making no response.

¡°Faculty do not like standardised tests as 바카라사이트y do not feel 바카라사이트y represent what 바카라사이트ir [teaching] is about,¡± said Professor Blaich.

He added that this testing process ¡°also requires a lot of transparency that a lot of staff are not used to¡±.

Professor Blaich also cautioned against using learning gain measures as a way to rank institutions, despite 바카라사이트 inevitable pressure to add 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 basket of student satisfaction and graduate outcome measures currently in use in many league tables.

The ¡°differences between 바카라사이트 highest [institution] and lowest are often very small, particularly compared to 바카라사이트 difference within an institution [at subject level]¡±, he said of NSSE scores.

However, with universities always keen to show how 바카라사이트y deserve taxpayers¡¯ support, a nifty learning gain measure such as this could prove a vital weapon in 바카라사이트 battle to hang on to 바카라사이트ir funding.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com