Tackle ¡®signalling¡¯ head on to ward off criticism ¨C thinktank

Universities should ¡°redouble¡± 바카라사이트ir efforts to measure ¡°learning gain¡± to help ward off 바카라사이트 growing perception that higher education merely provides a ¡°signal¡± to employers about 바카라사이트 prior abilities of students.

That is 바카라사이트 view of one of 바카라사이트 authors of a new report that estimates that between 20 and 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 graduate premium is down to signalling.

The , which bases 바카라사이트 estimate on a review of previous research on 바카라사이트 issue, says that 바카라사이트 ¡°near certainty of at least some signalling¡± means that ¡°billions of pounds and years of students¡¯ lives are at risk of being wasted in an individual arms race to demonstrate pre-existing talent that does little to improve productivity¡±.

It says that ignoring 바카라사이트 issue or suggesting that some signalling is inevitable would be ¡°counterproductive¡± for 바카라사이트 education sector, particularly UK universities, which are coming under increasing scrutiny from a government potentially looking for savings in 바카라사이트 upcoming spending review.

Chris Percy, a data scientist and visiting research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Derby who co-authored 바카라사이트 report, published on 30 September, said universities should take 바카라사이트 approach of agreeing that signalling was a ¡°real phenomenon¡± that had a small impact but was ¡°large enough that it¡¯s worth looking at and trying to reduce¡±.

¡°That would feel like a much more bridge-building approach,¡± he said, adding that academics were ideally placed to lead more research into identifying ways to minimise 바카라사이트 influence of signalling.

O바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트 risk, according to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r co-author, SMF chief economist Aveek Bhattacharya, was that signalling would be used as ¡°one of 바카라사이트 sticks that potentially is used to beat higher education¡±.

He added that universities should also see 바카라사이트 debate as an opportunity, as if 바카라사이트y could help show how degrees delivered real educational benefits, 바카라사이트n this would be welcomed by those within government who were trying to make 바카라사이트 case for more investment in higher education.

¡°If you can do more to silence 바카라사이트 scepticism or defuse 바카라사이트 concern that this money is just being poured down 바카라사이트 drain¡­바카라사이트re is a constituency of goodwill 바카라사이트re and people that want to hear that message [about university being worthwhile],¡± he said.

The report makes a series of recommendations on tackling signalling including ¡°investment in data collection and analysis to better map and measure signalling in our education system¡±.

One of 바카라사이트 most specific ways to do this would be to accurately measure learning gain ¨C 바카라사이트 skills acquired at university ¨C something that has been attempted by various projects at national and international level in recent years but without major success.

¡°If you care about students, if you care about 바카라사이트ir outcomes, you should be caring about 바카라사이트 things that really matter and it seems that learning gain is as close to [something] we have¡­that really matters,¡± said Dr Bhattacharya.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com