Intended as a toolkit for academic administrators, faculty andresearchers to deal effectively with the rapid emergence ofcompetency-based learning models across higher education, thisvolume provides practical advice and proven techniques forimplementing and evaluating these models. Drawing from a recentNational Postsecondary Education Cooperative project that examineddata and policy implications across public and private institutionsas well as an industrial setting, readers will find an inventory ofstrong practices to utilize in evaluating competency-basedinitiatives. Issues discussed include practical concerns ofmeasuring and reporting competency; the critical connectionsbetween the skills employers seek and student preparation for them;the connections between distance education, accrediation, andcompetencies; and the difficult procedure of setting appropriatepassing standards for assessments. With a bibliography oncompetency literature and a framework for creating competencymodels, this volume is an invaluable tool to researchers andpractitioners alike. This is the 110th issue of the Jossey-Bass series NewDirections for Institutional Research.

An argument that choice-based, process-oriented educational assessments are more effective than static assessments of fact retrieval. If a fundamental goal of education is to prepare students to act independently in the world--in other words, to make good choices--an ideal educational assessment would measure how well we are preparing students to do so. Current assessments, however, focus almost exclusively on how much knowledge students have accrued and can retrieve. In Measuring What Matters Most, Daniel Schwartz and Dylan Arena argue that choice should be the interpretive framework within which learning assessments are organized. Digital technologies, they suggest, make this possible; interactive assessments can evaluate students in a context of choosing whether, what, how, and when to learn. Schwartz and Arena view choice not as an instructional ingredient to improve learning but as the outcome of learning. Because assessments shape public perception about what is useful and valued in education, choice-based assessments would provide a powerful lever in this reorientation in how people think about learning. Schwartz and Arena consider both theoretical and practical matters. They provide an anchoring example of a computerized, choice-based assessment, argue that knowledge-based assessments are a mismatch for our educational aims, offer concrete examples of choice-based assessments that reveal what knowledge-based assessments cannot, and analyze the practice of designing assessments. Because high variability leads to innovation, they suggest democratizing assessment design to generate as many instances as possible. Finally, they consider the most difficult aspect of assessment: fairness. Choice-based assessments, they argue, shed helpful light on fairness considerations.

Measuring competencies acquired over the course of higher education is an area of research that largely has been neglected. This deficit can be attributed to the complexity of academic competencies since the variety of institutions, programs, occupational fields and job requirements render it difficult to define and even harder to measure outcomes. Thus, assessing the preconditions for and effects of competency development is a challenge methodologically. In this book, a comprehensive review of the international state of research on modeling and measuring competencies in higher education across several academic disciplines is presented, along with an evaluation of the field’s strengths and weaknesses. Renowned experts share insight into the most important recent research projects and point out controversies and challenges. Competencies are regarded as context-specific dispositions acquired and required to cope successfully with domain-specific situations and tasks. However, the range of these dispositions is controversial. Should only cognitive facets be included or is it important to consider attitudes as well? Insufficient response rates and panel attrition are further challenges, as are the limitations of paper-and-pencil approaches to the complex measurement of higher education outcomes. Thus, this book may serve as a platform for the exchange of research experiences and perspectives and hopefully will instigate improvements in research into higher education.

The need for competency-based education (CBE) in nursing has been recognized for years. CBE provides a way to help ensure that learners are competent at the end of educational endeavors. This book is designed as a resource for nurse educators who are responsible for diverse education programs. Authors Anema and McCoy bring together all the elements of CBE, and provide a road map to develop, implement, and evaluate competency-based approaches to nursing education. The book provides valuable guidelines for developing organizational strategies, new care delivery approaches, and project planning tools. Guidance on performance assessment tools and data collection is also included. Key features: Explains why CBE is needed and how it can help improve current education programs Presents practical guidelines on how to transition to the CBE approach Provides helpful guidance on developing valid and reliable assessments Includes critical information on data collection and the use of data to verify achievement of outcomes Contains practice activities at the end of each chapter to simulate real-life situations

The International Conference on Education, Reflection and Development took place in May 2013 at Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. TThe event was organized by the Educational Sciences Department of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, and brought together participants from various different countries, including Israel, Greece, Turkey, Republic of Moldova, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Romania. The conference gave these scholars the opportuni ...

Higher Education is in a state of ferment. People are seriously discussing whether the medieval ideal of the university as being excellent in all areas makes sense today, given the number of universities that we have in the world. Student fees are changing the orientation of students to the system. The high rate of non repayment of fees in the UK is provoking difficult questions about whether the current system of funding makes sense. There are disputes about the ratio of research to teaching, and further discussions about the international delivery of courses.

Both educators and their students are involved in the process of assessment – all parties are expected to meet and exceed expectations in the face of competing conditions. New practices are being developed to enhance students’ participation, especially in their own assessment, be it though peer-review, reflective assessment, the introduction of new technologies, or other novel solutions. Though widely researched, few have measured these innovations’ effectiveness in terms of satisfaction, perceived learning, or performance improvements. Innovative Practices for Higher Education Assessment and Measurement bridges the gap between political discourse, theoretical approach, and teaching practices in terms of assessment in higher education. Bringing new insights and presenting novel strategies, this publication brings forth a new perception of the importance of assessment and offers a set of successful, innovative practices. This book is ideal for educators, administrators, policy makers, and students of education.

Instructional-Design Theories and Models, Volume IV provides a research-based description of the current state of instructional theory for the learner-centered paradigm of education, as well as a clear indication of how different theories and models interrelate. Significant changes have occurred in learning and instructional theory since the publication of Volume III, including advances in brain-based learning, learning sciences, information technologies, internet-based communication, a concern for customizing the student experience to maximize effectiveness, and scaling instructional environments to maximize efficiency. In order to complement the themes of Volume I (commonality and complementarity among theories of instruction), Volume II (diversity of theories) and Volume III (building a common knowledge base), the theme of Volume IV is shifting the paradigm of instruction from teacher-centered to learner-centered and integrating design theories of instruction, assessment, and curriculum. Chapters in Volume IV are collected into three primary sections: a comprehensive view of the learner-centered paradigm of education and training, elaborations on parts of that view for a variety of K-12 and higher education settings, and theories that address ways to move toward the learner-centered paradigm within the teacher-centered paradigm. Instructional-Design Theories and Models, Volume IV is an essential book for anyone interested in exploring more powerful ways of fostering human learning and development and thinking creatively about ways to best meet the needs of learners in all kinds of learning contexts.

Online education, both by for-profit institutions and within traditional universities, has seen recent tremendous growth and appeal - but online education has many aspects that are not well understood. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Online Education provides a thorough and engaging reference on all aspects of this field, from the theoretical dimensions of teaching online to the technological aspects of implementing online courses—with a central focus on the effective education of students. Key topics explored through over 350 entries include: · Technology used in the online classroom · Institutions that have contributed to the growth of online education · Pedagogical basis and strategies of online education · Effectiveness and assessment · Different types of online education and best practices · The changing role of online education in the global education system

This handbook enables readers to gain a deep understanding of past, current, and forthcoming research and applications in the field of educational technology. Readers develop an in-depth understanding of complex theories, strategies, concepts, and methods underlying the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of educational technologies. Discussing both the current state-of-the-art as well as emerging technologies, the handbook serves as a comprehensive guide for researchers and practitioners working in education and training. This Second Edition features completely revised and updated chapters that reflect the latest developments in the field.