University education and the assurance of learning

Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne

INSTITUTIONS: This article serves two purposes; one is to congratulate the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Wiswa Warnapala for his vision and well thought out speech published in the Daily News of June 2, 2007 on a new higher education policy for Sri Lanka; and the other is to share my own experiences as a university teacher in North America, which are totally consistent with the views expressed by Dr. Warnapala, notably his observations

How can we convert universities into knowledge institutions? The institutions in the sphere of higher education need to be encouraged to perform an active, creative and innovative role to help the society to change.

In other words, universities should function as development institutions - institutions which promote and encourage development; this means that universities have a development role in a country. Can we say this in respect of the universities in Sri Lanka?

Ironically, North American education authorities are asking the same questions about their universities.

Recently, as a member of graduate faculty of a Montreal University, I attended a seminar on Assurance of Learning (AOL) conducted by two American professors.

The objective of the workshop was for the participants to recognise the importance of assurance of learning and its application in demonstrating student learning.

There is a growing trend in the university educational process in North America towards a shift of focus in evaluating the effectiveness of education.

This shift is from the traditional mode of measuring the success of teaching techniques per se to the level of assurance a university has that the student has learnt what was expected before that student graduates and seeks employment.

Basically, the university attains this objective by using well documented systematic processes to develop, monitor, evaluate and revise the substance and delivery of the curricula of degree programmes and to assess the impact of the curricula on learning.

In turn, this process of evaluation requires the university or faculty concerned to develop a systematic process for curriculum management; a systematic process for assuring learning; and a process to include the university’s stakeholders in the evaluation process.

Major determinants in AOL are communication, ethics, analytical skills, and the ability to use information technology, multiculturalism and reflective thinking.

At its very core, the basic philosophy of AOL is that employers now look for certain qualities in young graduates in addition to the diploma they carry with credentials of knowledge in a specialised area of education.

These are leadership, communication, empathy, teamwork, reflective ability and multiculturalism.

This approach is totally consistent with the principles enunciated by the Minister of Higher Education, in his au fait and well reasoned speech on education and globalisation, referred to at the outset of this article.

Dr. Warnapala argues for the linkage between education and globalisation, which is the opening of barriers and boundaries between countries, and the consequent exposure of the graduate to global culture.

The North American approach in AOL is exactly the same.

To quote Dr. Warnapala:

Today we are living in a new millennium, and the 21st century is the most advanced period in the history of mankind, most advanced period in terms of knowledge as well. In a rapidly changing world dominated and driven by knowledge, we need to give preference to the important objectives of Higher Education.

In other words, the Higher Education institutions must give consideration to both relevance and quality, and it is on this basis that the Higher Education institutions in Sri Lanka can become real partners in the social and economic choices of a society.

The greatest challenge in the 21st century for higher Education is the recognition of relevance. By relevance, we mean the need to adapt to the immediate needs of the job market. This, in other words, means that the universities should produce an employable graduate.

It is very encouraging for Sri Lanka that the vision of the Minister of Higher Education is so proactive and in keeping with the educational policy of the developed world. In fact, AOL’s basic aim is to produce the employable graduate.

The American vision for undergraduate learning goals is to adapt expectations to the school’s mission and cultural circumstances by specifying learning goals and demonstrating achievement of learning goals for key management-specific and or appropriate discipline-specific knowledge and skills that its students achieve in each undergraduate degree programme.

In other words, the bachelor’s or undergraduate level degree programmes must provide sufficient time, coverage, student efforts and student-faculty interaction to assure that the learning goals are accomplished.

At the master’s level, the Faculty should adapt expectations to the university mission and cultural circumstances, and specify learning goals and demonstrates master’s level achievement of learning goals for key management specific knowledge and skills in each master’s level general management programme.

The AOL approach ensures that there are general management learning goals that are calculated to ensure that the graduate fits into an employment situation well and performs well in the workforce.

General management learning goals are: leadership in organisational situations; application of knowledge in novel circumstances; and adaptation and innovation to solve problems, cope with unanticipated events and manage unpredictable environment.

The master’s degree programme must also, as in the bachelor’s programme, provide sufficient time, coverage, student efforts and student-faculty interaction to assure that the learning goals are accomplished. In addition to the abovementioned general management learning goals, the successful master’s graduate should be capable of critical analysis and questioning of knowledge claims.

At the doctoral level, students must demonstrate the ability to create knowledge through original research in their areas of specialisation.

Doctoral programmes must include: acquisition of advanced knowledge in specialisation; development of advanced theoretical and practical skills; specialisation in managerial and organisational contexts; preparation for teaching; and dissertation demonstrating integration and original work. AOL involves assessment by the faculty, which is essentially an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning.

Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programmes undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development.

It involves making the expectations of faculty explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain and improve performance.

Above all, assessment can help focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education. For each programme, the faculty must define learning goals both conceptual and operational.

It must also demonstrate that students meet the learning goals. If assessment demonstrates that learning goals are not being met, the faculty should make demonstrable efforts to eliminate the discrepancy.

AOL is also a process that collects data about student learning through direct measures and uses that data to identify areas where improvement is needed.

Assessment has three key activities: articulating learning goals and objectives for each programme; assessing students’ learning in a systematic and direct manner; and applying results to improve student learning.

In his speech, Dr. Warnapala focuses on the relevance of the university as a tool of the 21st Century.

That relevance lies in the importance of the learning goals which must essentially be the product of faculty reflection on the skills, attitudes and knowledge that they expect students to gather as a result of learning from the university.

These factors are the foundation on which AOL is based.

The above discussion centered on what assessment is.

It is also important to clarify what assessment is not.

Assessment is not collecting data from students to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Assessment is not demonstrating that student learning improves as a result of specific instruction or experiences gathered throughout a programme.

Above all, assessment is not about setting goals for students to reach.

Now that we have discussed as to what assessment in AOL is we come to the all important question: How do we assess?

Many North American universities use Bloom’s Taxonomy, which is a very effective tool for developing learning objectives.

Bloom’s Taxonomy classifies forms and levels of learning and identifies three learning domains: cognitive which involves knowledge and intellectual skills; Affective - which involves values and attitudes; and Psycho-motor which involves motor skills.

Levels in each domain are sequential.

Cognitive or knowledge based learning involves the ability to recall or recognise facts, procedures, patterns or concepts and the development of intellectual abilities and skills. Affective learning is concerned with emotions and feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasm and motivation and psychomotor abilities involve physical movement, coordination and motor skills.

During my post doctoral work at McGill University, I was involved in applying my doctoral research in aviation law to serve as a management tool.

This was essentially a cognitive and affective exercise which later secured for me a senior management position in the United Nations.

In my own sphere of teaching, which involves aviation business and contract law and aeropolitics, I am required to use Bloom’s Taxonomy to develop learning goals that would enable students to use multi-disciplinary approaches to identify, analyse, problem solve and make recommendations within business situations, while at the same time acquire a thorough knowledge of core concepts within the aviation political and business environment.

Students will develop an awareness of global and multicultural business issues and practices and be able to learn and use information technologies to improve business practices.

Above all, they would be able to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to a range of audiences in business.

Another dimension of the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy is its enabling quality of helping students with their team building skills and collaborative behaviours in the accomplishment of group tasks.

It also enables students to recognise and analyse ethical dilemmas and propose resolutions for practical business solutions.

The overall end result is that the graduate is able to adapt to new situations and become self-directed learners.

In other words, AOL could well develop the quintessentially employable graduate, and, as Dr. Warnapala says very correctly, that is what the universities of the 21st Century must produce a well rounded intellectual with knowledge, affective skills and psychomotor skills.

(The author is Coordinator, Air Transport Programmes at the International Civil Aviation Organization and also Professor of Aeropolitics, Law and Policy at Concordia University, Montreal.)