Institutional Learning Outcomes Research Articles

Effect of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutional Learning Outcomes on Job Creation and Innovation in Rwanda: A Case of Kicukiro District

This study aims to investigate the effect of TVET institutional learning outcomes on job creation and innovation in Rwanda, specifically the case of Kicukiro district. The study has three specific objectives which are to assess the TVET learning and training outcomes in Kicukiro district, Rwanda, to identify factors influencing the effectiveness of TVET programs in driving innovation and job creation in Kicukiro district, Rwanda, to evaluate the relationship between TVET learning outcomes and Job creation in Kicukiro district, Rwanda. This research was supported and underpinned by two theoretical frameworks: the human capital theory, by Gry Becker and Theodore Schultz, and the transformation learning theory, developed by Jack Mezirow in 2000. A descriptive survey design for data collection was implied in the study. The respondents were 437 respondents made of 138 TVET trainers, 23 headteachers and 276 TVET graduates from different TVET schools in Kicukiro district, Rwanda. A variety of methods, including simple random and purposive sampling methods were used to choose the study participants. Guided interviews and questionnaires were used to collect date. Specifically, the questionnaires were made for TVET graduates and TVET trainers, while interview guides were designed for school head teachers. Interview guides collected quantitative date which were thematically analyzed. Each item from the questionnaires was analyzed using IBM SPSS 22.0 software. And the data were presented and discussed using tables and figures. The study's findings showed that 78.8% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that TVET programs equipped them with necessary technical skills, while 73.5% combined strongly agreed and agree that problem-solving abilities were enhanced. Findings also revealed that 68.2% of graduates combined strongly agreed and agreed on the relevance of the TVET curriculum to industry needs, though concerns about access to modern technology persisted. Finaly results of the study revealed that 71.2% of graduates strongly agreed that TVET skills contributed to employment, while 68.9% highlighted problem-solving skills as enhancing their job performance and career prospects. Based on the findings, the research recommended Rwanda Polytechnic to update the TVET curriculum to better match industry needs, focusing on technology and entrepreneurship. Strengthening industry partnerships for hands-on experience is crucial, and trainers should seek continuous professional development. Students are encouraged to fully engage in both theoretical and practical learning to boost job readiness and innovation.

The Intersection of Student Assessment and Faculty Learning

The primary aim of institutional learning outcomes assessment is the creation of a culture of assessment where faculty use evidence-based data to validate and improve teaching and learning for the benefit of students. Faculty are key to these processes and yet, they are often woefully disengaged from them. This paper presents findings from an action research project that utilized a collaborative self-study approach to engage faculty in the strategic assessment of institutional learning (SAIL). SAIL is an immersive professional development opportunity that bridged quality assurance with meaningful improvements in the classroom. Findings indicated that cross-disciplinary dialogue about assessment increased faculty awareness of the (mis)alignment between course, program, and institutional learning aims while also identifying and informing potential gaps in curriculum and program design. SAIL is an excellent mechanism to engage faculty in an immersive assessment of student achievement that may then lead to meaningful improvement in teaching and learning.

Correction: Faculty in Action: Researching a Community of Practice Approach to Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment

Correction: Faculty in Action: Researching a Community of Practice Approach to Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment

Faculty in Action: Researching a Community of Practice Approach to Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment

Faculty in Action: Researching a Community of Practice Approach to Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment

Designing a Conceptual Framework to Align Learning Objectives to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Core Competencies: A Narrative Review

Introduction: Early placement of interprofessional education (IPE) in academic curricula may foster foundational learning to shape student attitudes, knowledge, and skills and better prepare practice-ready clinicians for future team-based collaboration. The purpose of this narrative review was to investigate and analyze the current use of IPE in OT and PT higher education. Methods: Three databases, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ERIC, were searched from 2017 to 2022. Inclusion criteria were articles with full text availability, published within the 5 year search time range from the time of the narrative review process, peer reviewed studies, original research, meta-analysis studies, case studies, and review articles. Duplicates were removed, and studies were excluded if related to only clinical or practice-based healthcare delivery, community health service-learning, virtual or telehealth platforms, not applicable to the disciplines of OT and PT, or not available in English. Results: After filtering and screening articles yielded from the literature review, a total of studies (n = 76) provided considerable evidence for contributing to best-practice guidelines in aligning IPE learning with student outcomes and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Core Competencies. Substantial evidence was found, which resulted in the creation of a conceptual framework to advance IPE health science education and to meet discipline-specific IPE accreditation standards for OT and PT education. The resultant proposed IPE Conceptual Framework provides alignment of course learning objectives, accreditation standards, institutional and programmatic learning outcomes, and IPEC Core Competencies to create authentic IPE learning activities. Conclusions: This study provides a current review for IPE in OT and PT education in the United States and can have application abroad. The findings guided development of a conceptual framework for alignment of IPEC Core Competencies, curricular outcomes, and accreditation standards. Follow-up studies are recommended to validate the utilization of the proposed framework, and then subsequent research inquiry to further assess IPE effectiveness.

Publishing Functioning JD Institutional Learning Outcomes on Legal Research: Why and How?

This article examines the legal-research institutional learning outcomes of 196 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association and proposes improvement to best practices. The suboptimal format and content of legal-research institutional learning outcomes contribute to this deficiency, exacerbated by challenges from the upcoming new bar examination. To improve legal-research institutional learning outcomes, law schools should distinguish legal-research institutional learning outcomes from other institutional learning outcomes, include specific and effective performance criteria, and update learning outcomes periodically. To streamline this process, law schools should draw wisdom from both external benchmarks and the expertise of internal legal-research instructors.

Internal Quality Assurance of Institutional Learning Outcomes: United States Case Study and Implications for Vietnam Higher Education

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are under pressure to provide evidence of student success. In addition to traditional performance indicators such as GPA, grades, and rates of retention, graduation and employment, stakeholders also required institutions to provide evidence of institutional learning outcomes (ILOs). ILOs encompass the knowledge and skills that all students regardless of disciplines from a specific university are expected to demonstrate upon their graduation. This case study examines a complete internal quality assurance (IQA) cycle from a U.S. comprehensive university, including the adaptation of national authentic assessment measures, the use of technology in data analysis, the best practices to communicate assessment results to multiple internal stakeholders to facilitate leadership decision-making, the challenges encountered, and the improvement plans to sustain the procedure. Researchers also make recommendations to Vietnam HEIs that want to adopt IQA of ILOs for both quality improvement and accountability purposes.

Internal quality assurance of institutional learning outcomes: United States case study and implications for Vietnam higher education

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are under pressure to provide evidence of student success. In addition to traditional performance indicators such as GPA, grades, and rates of retention, graduation and employment, stakeholders also required institutions to provide evidence of institutional learning outcomes (ILOs). ILOs encompass the knowledge and skills that all students regardless of disciplines from a specific university are expected to demonstrate upon their graduation. This case study examines a complete internal quality assurance (IQA) cycle from a U.S. comprehensive university, including the adaptation of national authentic assessment measures, the use of technology in data analysis, the best practices to communicate assessment results to multiple internal stakeholders to facilitate leadership decision-making, the challenges encountered, and the improvement plans to sustain the procedure. Researchers also make recommendations to Vietnam HEIs that want to adopt IQA of ILOs for both quality improvement and accountability purposes.

Introducing Weekly Themes to Engage Students in a Microbiology Class.

ABSTRACT Providing variety in course assignments and activities is one way to engage students and promote learning for students from diverse backgrounds and with different learning preferences. I add variety and energy to my upper-division microbiology lecture course through the use of “theme weeks.” Assignments and class activities are designed to correlate with the theme of the week. Themes are chosen that align well with the course content and address institutional or program student learning outcomes. Examples of themes I use in my microbiology course include Art, Relevance to Life, and Analogies. Several theme ideas and examples of assignments and activities are provided in this article. Many of these themes are not discipline-specific and can be integrated into a variety of science courses. Since using theme weeks in my microbiology class, I have observed an increase in student participation and interest in the course.

Redesign and process of reforming an existing undergraduate Nutritional Sciences program

Due to current and upcoming needs in the discipline and accreditation, the Nutritional Sciences faculty at a major university reformed their curriculum using backward design. As part of this process, they developed new learning outcomes that aligned to the institutional learning outcomes and mapped these new outcomes across the major's required courses. Also, they reorganized the existing major's single focus on biomedical nutrition into an academic program with a core curriculum and three concentrations (biomedical and molecular nutrition, global health and nutrition, and public health nutrition). The faculty designed new core and concentration courses and modified existing courses to distribute the essential learning across the major curriculum. Additionally, the committee created two service courses to fill voids in nutrition education for nonmajors. Despite abundant literature on backward and curriculum design, this process produced important learning about how to conduct and implement curriculum reform in a science-based discipline.

Engaging Faculty in Assessment of Institutional Learning Outcomes

Assessment UpdateVolume 32, Issue 3 p. 1-16 Articles Engaging Faculty in Assessment of Institutional Learning Outcomes Judith Canner, Judith CannerSearch for more papers by this authorSarah P. C. Dahlen, Sarah P. C. DahlenSearch for more papers by this authorOndine Gage, Ondine GageSearch for more papers by this authorNelson Graff, Nelson GraffSearch for more papers by this authorShar Gregg, Shar GreggSearch for more papers by this authorDaniel F. Shapiro, Daniel F. ShapiroSearch for more papers by this authorVivian Waldrup Patterson, Vivian Waldrup PattersonSearch for more papers by this authorSwarup E. Wood, Swarup E. WoodSearch for more papers by this author Judith Canner, Judith CannerSearch for more papers by this authorSarah P. C. Dahlen, Sarah P. C. DahlenSearch for more papers by this authorOndine Gage, Ondine GageSearch for more papers by this authorNelson Graff, Nelson GraffSearch for more papers by this authorShar Gregg, Shar GreggSearch for more papers by this authorDaniel F. Shapiro, Daniel F. ShapiroSearch for more papers by this authorVivian Waldrup Patterson, Vivian Waldrup PattersonSearch for more papers by this authorSwarup E. Wood, Swarup E. WoodSearch for more papers by this author First published: 04 June 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/au.30210Citations: 2Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume32, Issue3May/June 2020Pages 1-16 RelatedInformation

Desired Teacher Education Graduate Attributes vis-a-vis Hiring-Related Requirements of Employers

Outcomes-based education (OBE) mandates higher education institutions (HEIs) to identify expectations and formulate institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) or graduate attributes (GAs) which distinguish their products from the rest. These ILOs or GAs are qualities, skills, and understanding which students must develop and possess during their time with the institution and carry and apply as professionals. Among teacher education (TE) graduates, an HEI hopes to see outstanding instructional performance which is crucial to the latter's students' progress. Schools which screen teacher-applicants therefore want to hire and keep those who possess commendable instructional performance and show ideal characteristics. Faced with the challenges of implementing the new TE curriculum approved in 2017, the investigators wanted to know the requirements of school-employers, if these requirements match the newly formed ILOs or GAs of Angeles University Foundation (AUF), and if AUF TE graduates manifest the requirements and the GAs at work. They interviewed top employers of the TE graduates of AUF as respondents through purposive sampling. Employer-participants involved in the hiring process identified qualifications, work-related characteristics, demands and expectations which are classified as knowledge, skills, values and described the TE graduates of AUF. Results show that the hiring-related requirements are aligned with the ILOs or GA of AUF while some are actually manifested by its TE graduates who practice the profession. Results have interesting implications for the training of pre-service teachers, the formation of GA, and the desires of employers especially in the Philippine context.

Assessing Institutional Learning Outcomes: Implications for Vietnam Higher Education Institutions.

Institutional learning outcomes indicate the knowledge and skills that all students regardless of disciplines from a specific university demonstrate. This paper shared experience from a case study to conduct assessment of institutional learning outcomes (general education program) from a U.S. comprehensive university. The paper discussed the achievements it has made for the past two year such as two-year assessment timeline to collect data, use of a national Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubric to assess students’ performance, the use of technology in data analysis, and the best practices to communicate assessment results to multiple stakeholders to facilitate the decision making; the challenges encountered such as technology, faculty interpretation of the VALUE rubric, the participation rate, infrastructure for faculty engagement and reliability of data collection; and improvement plans. Researcher also made some recommendations for Vietnam HEIs to implement the assessment process for both quality improvement and accountability purposes.

Relevance of The National Research Agenda to the Research Initiative of a Higher Education Institution in the Philippines

This study used survey research design to determine the relevance of the National Higher Education Research Agenda (NHERA) to the research initiatives of a specific Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Philippines. It employed universal sampling of faculty and administrative staff as well as students to analyse discrepancy in the perceptions regarding the degree of applicability, importance and urgency of the NHERA to the HEI’s research initiatives. Result of Mann-Whitney U Test revealed no significant difference between the ratings of the employees and students regarding the degree of relevance. This indicates that the respondents were all in agreement with the set of research agenda themes that should be prioritised by the institution. These themes include those related to the program curricular studies; institutional development studies; manpower demand/supply studies; policy-oriented studies on accreditation and quality assurance mechanisms, among others. These are the NHERA themes that need to be given much emphasis in the research agenda and initiatives of the institution as these are all for the sake of achieving their institutional learning outcomes towards developing skilled and competent manpower in the country’s aviation industry.

The Initial Impact of the Anatomical Society Gross Anatomy Core Syllabus for Medicine in the United Kingdom: Student and Teacher Perspectives.

"What do students studying medicine need to know" is an important question for curriculum planners, anatomy educators and students. The Core Regional Anatomy Syllabus (CRAS), published by the Anatomical Society in 2016, contains 156 learning outcomes (LOs) and has informed "what needs to be known." This project explored how CRAS had impacted undergraduate anatomy and anatomists in the United Kingdom. A cross-sectional study was designed in two phases. Phase 1, involved a survey of students in clinical years (N = 164). Phase 2 included a survey of anatomist's views (n = 50) and focus groups of anatomy educators (N = 16). The students' perspective showed that specific regions of CRAS are deemed less relevant. These were also the body areas where students perceived their anatomical knowledge to be more deficient. Only 46% (n = 75) of students estimated that they knew over 50% (n = 78) of the LOs. Phase two revealed that all anatomists were aware of the syllabus and 48% (n = 24) had checked the CRAS against their own institutional LOs. Anatomists had shared CRAS with colleagues 64% (n = 32) and students at 34% (n = 17), respectively. Forty-six percent (n = 23) of anatomists reported having changed their teaching in some way because of CRAS. The focus groups generated four key themes: "support for CRAS," "standardization and validation," "professional identity," and "limitations and leverage." Overall CRAS has been well received and is establishing itself within the anatomical community as the new standard for anatomy teaching for medical students.

Beyond Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic: A Brief Case for Considering Values‐Based Institutional Learning Outcomes

Beyond Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic: A Brief Case for Considering Values‐Based Institutional Learning Outcomes

Promoting residential renewable energy via peer-to-peer learning

ABSTRACTPeer-to-peer learning is gaining increasing attention in nonformal community-based environmental education. This article evaluates a novel modification of a concept for peer-to-peer learning about residential energy solutions (Open Homes). We organized collective “Energy Walks” visiting several homes with novel energy solutions and engaging people beyond those with a serious renovation project. We evaluated the intervention in terms of individual, network-centric, and institutional learning outcomes. Learning outcomes were observed on all these levels. We argue that this form of peer-to-peer learning builds capacity for sustainable action in the community by supporting discussion and reflection, rather than merely social learning as modeling.

Kicking ASSessment: Using Information Fluency Assessment to Expand Librarian Roles, Engage in High-Impact Practices, and Create Sustained Contact with Online Learners

ABSTRACTIowa Wesleyan University (IW) has historically struggled with both assessment and supporting online students. Newly-appointed librarians and an impending re-accreditation visit prompted an increase in involvement and presence with assessment. In an attempt to expand the library's influence on campus, librarians took on a nontraditional role in the institutional implementation of LiveText, an assessment software. Librarians at IW have played an active and integral role in not only the initial roll-out of this software, but also in training and continuing support for students and faculty. Because of its importance to institutional learning outcomes, information fluency (IF) is being recognized as a high-impact practice across disciplines, and based on the results of this case study, librarians will pursue the creation of a required online IF course for online learners.

The Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Australia

Since 2009 there has been increased interest in Australian universities’ ability to demonstrate that their students have acquired knowledge and skills as specified by them in the form of graduate attributes or institutional learning outcomes. This paper describes research undertaken in Australia to identify a comprehensive set of generalized learning outcomes for undergraduate study and a set of criterion-based standards to assist in grading of achievement of those outcomes. It was discovered that although Australian universities document institutional- and course-based learning outcomes for their programs, they generally do not assess students at this level. Instead, the majority of assessment of learning outcomes is at the subject level, and frequently these outcomes do not align well with the course- or institutional-based outcomes that have also been specified. In spite of this, it appears possible to identify generalized assessment tasks for subjects and use constructive alignment between subjects, course curriculum, and chosen course-based learning outcomes, which could be used to reliably measure course outcomes and compare results between universities. These developments are framed in terms of the assessment transparency framework, which provides insight into the current “as-is” situation as well as an indication of what is needed to move learning outcomes assessment toward a fully implemented “ideal” across the higher education sector.

Leadership Assessment from an Institutional Approach.

This chapter provides information about linking undergraduates' leadership development assessment to institutional student learning outcomes illustrated by a case example at the University of Minnesota.