0000000000522983
AUTHOR
Richard J. Shavelson
Conceptual Fundamentals for a Theoretical and Empirical Framework of Positive Learning
We present a short overview of the idea, genesis and developing process of PLATO (Positive Learning in the Age of InformaTiOn) as a new, complex, international, interdisciplinary program aimed at investigating the phenomena of positive and negative learning in the digital age. While the basic idea of PLATO originated in empirical educational research, many other very different disciplines have consequently been incorporated into this program, in order to expand learning research and to offer a comprehensive and multi-perspective explanation of learning in 21st century higher education. We draw upon and critically discuss previous research, highlighting implications for developing a theoreti…
On the complementarity of holistic and analytic approaches to performance assessment scoring.
BACKGROUND A holistic approach to performance assessment recognizes the theoretical complexity of multifaceted critical thinking (CT), a key objective of higher education. However, issues related to reliability, interpretation, and use arise with this approach. AIMS AND METHOD Therefore, we take an analytic approach to scoring students' written responses on a performance assessment. We focus on the complementarity of holistic and analytic approaches and on whether theoretically developed analytical scoring rubrics can produce sub-scores that may measure the 'whole' performance in a holistic assessment. SAMPLE We use data from the Wind Turbines performance assessment, developed in the iPAL p…
The international state of research on measurement of competency in higher education
With the Program for International Student Assessment and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study surveys, competency assessment became an important policy instrument in the school sector; only recently has international competency measurement gained attention in higher education with the Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) feasibility study. As AHELO showed, measurement of competencies in higher education is a complex and multidimensional task, which poses great methodological challenges. These challenges arise out of the high diversity of degree courses, study programs, and institutions of higher education. Nevertheless, we need to address these challeng…
International performance assessment of critical thinking: framework for translation and adaptation
Journal of supernational policies of education, Nr, 13 (2021), S. 62–87
Performance Assessment of Critical Thinking: Conceptualization, Design, and Implementation
Enhancing students’ critical thinking (CT) skills is an essential goal of higher education. This article presents a systematic approach to conceptualizing and measuring CT. CT generally comprises the following mental processes: identifying, evaluating, and analyzing a problem; interpreting information; synthesizing evidence; and reporting a conclusion. We further posit that CT also involves dealing with dilemmas involving ambiguity or conflicts among principles and contradictory information. We argue that performance assessment provides the most realistic—and most credible—approach to measuring CT. From this conceptualization and construct definition, we describe one possible framework for …
Assessment of University Students’ Critical Thinking: Next Generation Performance Assessment
Following employers’ criticisms and recent societal developments, policymakers and educators have called for students to develop a range of generic skills such as critical thinking (“twenty-first c...
International Performance Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (iPAL): Research and Development
Educators and policy makers now recognize how important and necessary it is to assess student learning outcomes (SLOs) in higher education. The question has shifted from whether such outcomes should be measured to how they should be measured. Today SLOs are typically assessed by student self-reports of learning or with multiple-choice and short-answer tests. Each of these methods has its strengths and limitations; each one provides insights into the nature of teaching and learning. An alternative approach is the assessment of performance using “criterion” tasks that are drawn from real-world situations in which students are being educated, both within and across academic or professional dom…