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The challenge to design and assess learning outcomes in higher education
G
J
L
A
M
DOI:10.5944/educxx1.38233.png)
Abstract
En 中文
Establishing learning outcomes and the system for monitoring and assessing their achievement is one of the essential aspects of the planning and organisation of the teaching-learning process, and is also one of the crucial functions of university teaching staff. In addition, it is also a key activity in order to give coherence in higher education to a curriculum design based on constructive alignment. This study presents an analysis and assessment of the descriptions of the following curricular elements in the university Master's degree programmes: learning outcomes and assessment means and instruments. Employing a textual and content analysis, 9419 descriptions of learning outcomes and 6729 descriptions of assessment means and instruments have been analysed, which correspond to the programmes of 89 Master's degrees in the branch of Social Sciences and Law taught in six Spanish universities in different autonomous regions. Textual analysis was carried out with the Xplortext software. For the content analysis, firstly, an ad hoc evaluation instrument (ANVALDOC) was designed and, secondly, a computer tool (CORAMeval) was developed for the implementation and use of the scale. The results show the association between the language used and the university of origin or the field of knowledge in which the degree is contextualised. Likewise, there is a clear difference between universities and fields in terms of the quality of the descriptions of the learning outcomes, assessed in terms of correctness, verifiability, authenticity, or underlying cognitive process. Moreover, these differences are maintained in the correctness and authenticity of the assessment means and instruments.
Keywords:
higher education, learning outcomes
educational assessment
performance assessment
Journal
E
IF:
3
Papers:
395
Citations:
818
