New project will compare student learning

I found this article in the The Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 5, 2010 that I thought was really interesting.

A new study is being conducted to assess and compare what students around the world are learning. The study, called the Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes is a project of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

It appears that learning outcomes are becoming a central focus worldwide. The study will focus on developing learning measures. At least six nations will participate in the feasibility study. The online assessment will aim to measure skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and practical application of theory.

It was interesting to read how the study will not only focus on what students have learned but measure how they learned. The intent of the study is also to offier faculty members, students, and governments "a more balanced" way of measuring educational quality across different countries.

The study will hope to provide much needed reliable data to organizations. The first phase of the project will involve determining which common factors exist.

I think this project is important in that we may see how skills are measured across diverse institutions, languages and cultures. The comparision of these organizations will be valuable to everyone.