Student Learning in Higher Education: Where We Are and Paths Forward

This special issue originated from ongoing discussions on how research in the past decade has or has not informed current theories on student learning in higher education. The contributions to this special issue each present a discussion of conceptual and methodological directions with possible connections or suggested dead ends in the major research traditions of the field. The special issue closes with two commentaries in which senior researchers critically discuss the contribution of the special issue regarding the question of where we might theoretically go in the field of student learning in higher education research.     

学习产出视角下高等职业教育学生学习评估探析

高职学生学习产出是指学生经过学习后,其职业知识、职业技能、职业行为及职业道德等方面发生的变化。高职学生学习产出具有职业性、实践性和应用性等特点。以学习产出视角反思当前我国高职学生学习评估现状,需要树立系统化的学习评估理念;学校需要从被评者转变为评估主体和主导者;行业企业和学生需要共同参与以学习产出为核心的学习评估标准制定;学习信息的复杂性和多样性需要采用多元收集方法。     

Student Learning in Higher Education

There has been relatively little systematic experimental investigation of individual differences in student learning. The findings of mainstream laboratory‐based research are of limited value, though they are generally consistent with the results of surveys of student performance. Nevertheless, it has been possible to demonstrate qualitative and commensurable variation among individual students in both the outcome of learning and the process of learning, and in both formal experimental tasks and in normal academic studies. There has been limited success in attempts to manipulate cognitive processing by varying the anticipated form of assessment or by inducing variations in motivational factors. However, there are radical effects of matching the instructional procedures to the subjects’ cognitive approaches. More recent research has demonstrated considerable variation within individual subjects across different learning situations. Current discussion concerns the consistency, variability, and flexibility of individual learners, the identification of causal relationships, the validity of introspective reports and the adequacy of traditional research methodology.     

学生发展：本科教学质量监测评估的新视角

中国高等教育规模经历超常规扩张后,质量成为核心议题。监测评估是国际通行的质量保障方式之一。我国目前的高等教育质量监测评估偏重于资源或投入性指标,对人才培养的过程和人才培养成果的监测尚待进一步完善。文章探讨学生发展理论及其在高等教育评估中的应用,通过专家调查法等研究方法建立了一套基于学生发展的本科教学质量监测评估指标体系。从学生发展的视角,通过增值评价的路径,监测高等教育人才培养的过程和成效。     

Student Learning in Higher Education: a Commentary

This commentary begins by summarizing the five contributions to this special issue and briefly recapping the background to the topic of student learning in higher education. Narrative and systematic reviews are compared, and the relative value of different bibliographic databases in the context of systematic reviews is assessed. The importance of measures of effect size is stressed. The relationship of the five contributions to early research on levels of processing and approaches to learning is discussed, along with the presage–process–product model of student learning and historical discussions that are relevant to the current theoretical discussions. This field has benefited from the development of more robust instrumentation, but researchers must continue to develop new kinds of measure, including online measures of students’ strategy use. Researchers need to consider ways of enhancing the quality of student learning through the use of problem-based curricula and other student-centered approaches. Finally, it is suggested that researchers into student learning need to evaluate whether their concepts, methods, theories, and findings are valid in online environments and to investigate how curricula in higher education can build upon those in secondary education.     

高校学生学习成果测评的历史、现状以及前瞻

以学生学习成果为导向的高校评估在美国和其他国家已经使用了很长一段时间。评估的主要作用包括取得资格认证以及课程设置的提高。本文综述了学生学习成果评估的背景、发展过程以及在评估的实际操作中可能遇到的理论和实践上的挑战,比较了目前高校主要使用的测试工具以及它们的优缺点,指出测评者一定要清楚测量的目的以选择最合适的测量工具,要达到最佳测量效果需要从学校、教师和学生层面注意的问题。     

A Qualitative Student Evaluation of Group Learning in Higher Education

The importance of group learning has increased significantly in higher education in the past two decades (Houldsworth and Mathews, 2000 Houldsworth, C. and Mathews, B. P. 2000. “Teaching Group Process Skills to MBA Students: A Short Workshop”. Education + Training, 42(1): 40–53.  [Google Scholar]). The primary focus of this study is to explore the feelings and experience of students regarding group work and group assessment in higher education. The study is exploratory based on a qualitative focus group approach. Interestingly, students felt that group work is a significant method to foster the development of critical thinking through discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas. Students consider “poor communication” and “poor attendance at group meetings” as the main challenges they face when working within a group. Also, students identified “dedicated assignment seminars” as the most effective tool, which could be used to enhance the effectiveness of group work. This study reinforces the findings of previous research into group work suggesting that the experience is a generally positive one for students. Results are discussed in the context of current theoretical and empirical work on group‐based learning, education implications and areas for further research are discussed.     

Research and Training in Higher Education: The State of the Art

The author presents a tour d'horizon of the field of higher education studies, including research on higher education, citing the relevant publication series and journals dealing with the subject, the strongest institutions, worldwide, offering university level studies in the field, and the antecedents of the endeavour. It is growing in importance as higher education institutions and systems expand, diversify, and become increasingly complex, requiring more and better insights regarding themselves for various purposes. The field needs to more fully tap findings in parallel interdisciplinary fields and to publicize the results of private institutional endeavours such as institutional research. A very glowing prognosis for higher education studies is given.     

大学生就读经验:评价高等教育质量的一个新视角

实现高等教育质量主体与评估范式的转移是我国高等教育进入评估时代的应有之举。大学生是质量的主体,将大学生就读经验作为高等教育质量的重要监控依据并将其整合到高等教育评估活动中去,对实现高等教育质量评估目的有重要的意义。范式的转移对高校提出了新的质量要求,为我们评价高等教育质量提供了新视角,为高教研究拓展了新方向。     

Learning in Workplace Simulations in Vocational Education: a Student Perspective

In vocational education, workplace simulations (WPS) have been implemented to ensure a better connection between the educational setting and the labour market. Moreover, WPS are supposed to motivate students and promote self-directed learning. So far, however, not much is known about the way students experience these WPS. The aim of the present exploratory case study was to investigate students’ perceptions and preparedness for WPS and explore what factors they perceive to be relevant for their learning in these simulations. Forty students from three different pre-vocational secondary schools participated. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted and thematic analysis was used to examine the qualitative data. The results revealed that authentic WPS can increase student motivation and engagement. Learner characteristics regarded as relevant in WPS were motivation, responsibility, independence and discipline. For students, the presence and guidance of the teacher played an essential role in their working and learning effectively. They felt limited in making choices to direct their own learning. Assessment criteria were not transparent enough for students. Concluding, we found that students perceived factors closely related to self-regulated and self-directed learning to be relevant for their learning; however, these learning activities and processes have not yet been sufficiently promoted and supported in the investigated vocational schools. The study highlights design dilemmas for vocational practice and offers indications in how to match both learning environmental characteristics and teacher support tailored to learners’ needs.     

关于高校音乐艺术教育的思考

音乐是一种由音响构成的听觉艺术，它是开启人类智慧宝库的一把钥匙；音乐形象是音乐的艺术形象，在音乐艺术教育中是一个关键因素，必须注重发挥它在艺术教育中的作用。同时，要注意把艺术教育的目标定位干熏陶学生高尚情操，培养学生思维能力、创造能力，促进综合素质的提高上来。     

大学生参与度评价:高教质量评估的新视角——美国“全国学生参与度调查”的解析

美国"全国学生参与度调查"(NSSE)是一项在全国范围内调查四年制本科学生对有效学习活动投入程度的年度研究.该调查通过对"学生投入到有效学习活动中的时间与精力"以及"高校在多大程度上促进学生更好地参与"这两大因素的分析来评价学生的学习效度和高等院校的质量.NSSE调查注重学生真实的学习经验,关注高校的教学能力,是一项真正基于学生学习和高校教学的院校评价方式.     

Learning to be an Art Educator: Student Teachers’ Attitudes to Art and Art Education

Visual Art educators are keenly aware of the significant contribution art can make to the growth and development of young children as it provides unique opportunities for personal expression and creativity. However, while it is acknowledged that art contributes to the development of the whole child, the link between thought and practice is often tenuous. Hence the question needs to be asked, what do student teachers really think about art and art education. This longitudinal study aimed at an exploration of student teachers prior experiences, existing knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and interest in the visual arts. One hundred and ten B.Ed. (Primary) students enrolled in two compulsory Visual Arts Education units of study were surveyed in March 1999 and then in October 2001 to ascertain how they interpreted the term visual arts; how this related to visual arts education (if, in fact it did); where they would position visual arts amongst the other five key learning areas of the primary curriculum; and ultimately how they felt about the prospect of teaching visual arts in a primary school context. The findings of the research revealed a number of significant differences between the initial data (March 1999) and the final data (October 2001).     

对当前高校美术教育模式的反思

从我国高校美术教育实施的现状来看,教育对学生自身完善、全面发展以及学生的主体意识重视不够,本文认为高校美术教育必须回归主题,即回归到教育本体上来,必须重视构建底蕴丰厚的人文环境;加强教育过程中的情感教育环节;重视人格培养在教育中的作用。     

高校精品课程网络资源的可学习性研究

从软件工程中软件测评的一个重要指标--可学习性的视角,探索高校精品课程网络资源的建设与评价新维度;依据可学习性评估指标,对高校现有12863门各级精品课程采用计算机辅助分层抽样方式进行可学习性评估.结果发现,精品课程网络资源虽然在界面设计、导航的直观性、链接的有效性等方面基本满足学习需求,但却不能保证学习者顺利使用资源并在过程中感到一定的愉快感或者满足感,这直接影响学习效率和效果.通过可学习性分析与评估可以为新一轮高校精品课程及网络资源建设、应用与评估提供依据和参考指标.     

Methodological Issues in Questionnaire-Based Research on Student Learning in Higher Education

Students' scores on questionnaires concerning their approaches to studying in higher education exhibit reasonable stability over time, moderate convergent validity with their scores on other questionnaires, and reasonable levels of discriminating power and criterion-related validity. Nevertheless, the internal consistency of the constituent scales and the construct validity of these instruments are variable, their content validity within contemporary higher education is open to question, and their wording may need to be revised when they are used with students from different social or cultural groups. Future research should investigate the possibility of response bias in such instruments and the validity of self-reports concerning study behavior.     

大学生自我报告的学习结果和学校满意度的关系研究

根据对某高校322名本科毕业生的问卷调查的数据,建构高阶因子结构方程模型,以考察大学生自我报告的学习结果和学校满意度之间的关系。分析结果表明,满意度与学习结果之间存在显著的正相关,且认知和非认知学习结果与教学满意度之间的相关度高于它们与教学环境满意度的相关度。通过进一步的方差分析发现,按教学水平满意度和教学环境满意度分别进行分组,不同满意程度的学生自我报告学习结果的差异表现不同,满意度的不同方面与学习结果各方面存在不同程度相互影响。因此,将学生满意度和学习结果调查与高校教学管理有机结合具有重要意义。     

美国“学生学习成果评估”研究评析

1980年代评估运动以来,随着学生学习成果评估在美国高等教育领域的开展,学界对这一质量保障方式的理论研究也日益丰富。研究内容主要包括学生学习成果评估相关概念的界定、学生学习成果评估的历史演进、学生学习成果评估的运行机制、学生学习成果评估的理念之争等四个方面。美国现有的学生学习成果评估研究的成果可谓卷帙浩繁,但相关理论探讨和实践摸索依旧在路上。这一方面说明学生学习成果评估正走向专业化、科学化,另一方面也说明学生学习成果评估实践为理论研究提供了丰富的研究资源。