Learning Outcomes

Yong Zhao, professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas, and Aaron Benavot, professor of Global Education Policy in the School of Education at the State University of New York at Albany, discuss the value of a test the whole world can take with Director of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher.

‘Outcomes’ has become one of the ‘it’ words in how we talk about education. There is outcomes-based assessment, outcomes-based learning, and now the rise of ‘learning outcomes’ with the rise of national and regional qualifications frameworks. Yet, as will be shown here, ‘outcomes’ can have a wide range of meanings that can be used for dramatically different ends. Focusing on ‘learning outcomes’ is neither an educational reform panacea nor a term with a precise, undisputed meaning like one would find a science book. The European Commission notes that, “the move towards learning outcomes is hardly ever challenged in policy discourses, [but] there is vigorous debate in academic literature.” Whatever its challenges, it is an increasingly important international standard for education and labor policy makers and planners.

Our worry about the Taiwanese students' competence, especially the design abilities, to face the challenge of global competition is gradually stronger. One of the attempts for engineering education reform in Taiwan is introducing the concept of outcomes-based curriculum planning in universities. Through a joint research group from the National Central University, and Yuan Ze University, we aimed thus to develop a methodology based on ABET EC-2000 outcomes criteria under a three-year integrated project. The undergraduate course 'Mechanism' is chosen as one of pilot courses to experiment the feasibility of the outcomebased course planning as well as to redesign our current course planning in consistency with the learning outcome and engineering criteria. According to the developed approach, we developed therefore teaching strategies, actions as well as assessment methods based on the course objectives and the corresponded leaning outcomes of students.

Aim: Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) are considered to have an increased risk for wound healing complications. Surgeons may therefore be hesitant to offer elective surgeries, including gender-affirming surgeries (GAS), to EDS patients. At our center, we frequently encountered patients presenting for GAS evaluation with the co-existing diagnosis of EDS. This study aims to establish the prevalence of EDS diagnosis in our GAS patients and compare their post-operative complications to patients without EDS diagnosis. Methods: This is a single-institution retrospective case-control study on all patients who underwent GAS from 2016-2020. Data include EDS diagnosis, demographics, operation, and complications (including minor wound healing issues). Results: Of 1363 patients presenting for GAS, 36 (2.6%) had EDS diagnoses and were matched with 108 control patients. Major complications requiring surgical intervention in the OR occurred in 6 patients (4.2%), (2.8% EDS vs. 5.4% controls; P = 0.63), while 8.3% of EDS and 14% of controls required minor interventions (P = 0.38). The rate of wound healing issues of any severity was 28% in EDS vs. 47% in control groups (P = 0.04). Conclusion: The prevalence of EDS diagnosis in our patient population is 132 times the highest reported prevalence in the general population. Wound healing issues and the need for additional post-operative interventions in the group with EDS diagnosis were not significantly different from the control group. Our findings suggest that patients with a diagnosis of EDS undergoing GAS have comparable outcomes to patients without EDS. Concerns for postoperative complications should not be a barrier to offering GAS to patients presenting with an EDS diagnosis.

Higher education; Australian universities; Canadian universities; corporatisation of universities; educational psychology; SOLO taxonomy; constructive alignment; assessment; outcome-based teaching & learning (OBTL); intended learning outcomes (ILO). Professor John Biggs is a world-famous psychologist and educationist who in 2017, was invested as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "significant service to tertiary education, particularly in the fields of curriculum development and assessment". John Biggs has been actively involved in education for six decades and has been a Professor of both Education and Psychology. Professor Biggs' most groundbreaking and innovative contributions-such as SOLO taxonomy, constructively aligned OBTL (Outcome-based Teaching & Learning), criterion-referenced assessment and students' surface and deep approaches to learning-are all discussed in this wide-ranging interview. Moreover, Biggs discusses his illustrious academic career, his concerns about the corporatisation of universities and his alternative vision of higher education, and also what he refers to, tongue-firmly-in-cheek, as his "constructive but misaligned retirement".

In primary education, digital games give students the opportunity to explore and participate in digital learning environments. Several researchers have found that digital game-based learning in primary education has many benefits. However, studies have also identified certain problems related to the use digital games in learning. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review of empirical studies published between May 2009 and May 2019 focusing on students' learning outcomes and teachers' pedagogical activities in digital game-based learning in primary education. The results indicated that support, guidance, and interaction are the most frequently used pedagogical activities during gameplay sessions in primary education and that teachers' most significant concern with regard to learning outcomes is knowledge acquisition, followed by attitude and motivation, skill outcomes, and behavior change. The findings will be useful for enabling researchers and teachers to integrate effective pedagogical activities into digital game-based learning strategies. Further studies are proposed to explore teachers' competencies in relation to digital learning environments in primary education.

In the light of implementing outcomes-based education (OBE) in the Philippines, this study describes quantitatively and qualitatively how the forty-seven college mathematics educators of twenty-two tertiary education institutions in Isabela, Philippines understand and implement outcomes-based assessment (OBA). Mixed methods of research were utilized through a triangulation of true-false test, essay, interview, and document review to exhaust and draw out their knowledge, attitudes, and experiences toward OBA. Percent, mean, and content analysis were utilized to analyze the data. Findings revealed that more than half of the educators find it difficult to distinguish the features of OBA. Some cannot yet get away with traditional non-OBA practices such as permanently recorded and graded scores and attendance, and utilizing mostly pen-and-paper tests. Identified impediments to their implementation of OBA include their non-OBA-oriented beliefs, attitudes and understanding, and the institutional policies to quantitative markings. Hence, revisiting the theories and principles of OBE and OBA, regular trainings on these topics, and shifting to qualitative assessment using rubrics are essential measures for OBA to work effectively with educators in ascertaining that every student transforms according to the stipulated goals of their respective institutions.

Cet ouvrage propose une analyse des processus qui ont conduit, en septembre 2014, à l’obligation pour tous les établissements d’enseignement supérieur belges francophones de définir des acquis d’apprentissage pour chacun de leurs programmes. Les acquis d’apprentissage ont été importés par l’intermédiaire de divers instruments d’action publique construits soit par la Commission européenne, soit dans le cadre du processus de Bologne.

Les acquis d’apprentissage sont analysés comme un élément technique de description des programmes qui permet la coexistence relativement pacifique entre des visions différentes et parfois opposées du rôle que doit jouer l’enseignement supérieur dans la société. Parce qu’ils promeuvent tous l’usage des acquis d’apprentissage, les différents acteurs qui soutiennent ces différentes visions (Commission européenne, autorités publiques belges francophones, autorités académiques, pédagogues) nouent une alliance objective qui les renforce mutuellement. Ils participent ainsi tous à resserrer le dispositif européen de l’enseignement supérieur

Etkileşim terimi, yüzyüze eğitim ortamlarının yanı sıra günümüzde çevrimiçi öğrenme ortamlarının tasarımında sıklıkla duyulmaktadır. Çevrimiçi araçlar farklı etkileşim türlerini barındırmaktadır. Etkileşim üzerine kuramsal çerçeveyi özetlemek, öğrenme ortamları tasarlanırken hangi etkileşim türü için hangi çevrimiçi araçların kullanılması gerektiği bu makalenin amaçlarından biridir. Ayrıca çalışmada, etkileşim ile öğrenme çıktılarının ilişkisi, etkileşim ile öğrenen güdülenmesi, memnuniyet ve algı ilişkileri üzerine durulmaktadır. Kuramsal anlamda yeterince bilinen etkileşimin uygulama boyutu, uzaktan eğitim bağlamında tartışılmıştır.

Within the higher education context capstone units can be viewed as a significant means of assuring intended learning outcomes for programs. They provide students with the opportunity to consolidate and apply prior and new disciplinary learning, as well as employability skills and graduate attributes. This paper describes the first stage of an initiative in a regional, Australian university to develop a capstone quality review framework that can be applied across disciplines. A deductive, thematic analysis of relevant literature, guides and institutional strategic documents using a constant comparison method was used to develop a collectively-agreed upon set of capstone quality domains and related criteria. These would enable reviewers to assess whether capstone curricula were fit-for-purpose. Capstone domains and criteria were validated and revised using a multi-stage, moderated review of 10 capstone units. This validation process affirmed that to avoid issues with reviewer inter-rater reliability, future use of our Framework should emphasise calibrating reviewer interpretation to ensure greater levels of shared understanding of underlying concepts. It further suggested the desirability of incorporating aspects of teacher self-assessment, teacher feedback and student results. Provided these findings are accounted for, we conclude that the proposed capstone review domains and criteria could be used for quality review and enhancement, or capstone benchmarking processes, regardless of discipline area.

Anatomical knowledge is requisite for effective physical therapy (PT) practice. Cadaver dissection is a popular teaching method employed in PT anatomy courses. Limited time in the laboratory requires effective dissection instructions. Several limitations of a printed, non-discipline specific dissection guide have been identified by students and instructors in anatomy curricula. The objective of this project was to evaluate the effect of using a digital, PT specific dissection guide on examination performance and student satisfaction. A digital guide was developed that incorporated improvements based on observations of student experiences using a printed guide. The digital guide covered two lower extremity regional dissections and was distributed for use during the summer 2017 course. Enhancements included clarification of dissection procedures, formative quizzes, image galleries, embedded videos, and a glossary of terms. Students used a printed guide for all other dissections in the course. The percentage of correct answers from practical examinations was calculated and compared between summer of 2015 (print) and 2017 (digital) courses. A survey consisting of nineteen five-point Likert items was distributed. The percentage of correct answers was significantly higher for the digital guide (91.7 ± 7.11%) compared with the print guide (84.2 ± 9.51%, P < 0.0001). On the survey, the median item rating was strongly agree for two, agree for fifteen, and neither agree or disagree for two. These results suggest that developing a curriculum specific, digital guide was effective in improving student knowledge and satisfaction. These results encourage development of additional content specific guides in a digital format.

As new higher education programs emerge to prepare students for being part of a well-equipped workforce to meet the challenges of our times, and established programs revise their curricula, clear program learning outcomes (PLOs) are required. The process of curriculum (or program) assessment serves to test whether programs are effective in facilitating their PLOs. The objective of our systematic review was to identify best practices in curriculum assessment. We examined peer-reviewed literature from 1995 to 2019. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was applied to collect evidence, reduce bias, and synthesize evidence. We screened 535 abstracts and conducted full-text screening of 43 publications of which 20 were selected for final extraction. We found that the number of articles providing empiric evidence about effective curriculum assessment is low. We identified promising practices based on the frequency of their mention and their assessment by the authors. These practices include an assessment plan; assessment implementation through a faculty committee; using both, direct and indirect assessment indicators (for example, student performance in specific assignments and student exit or alumni interviews); and an ongoing reevaluation of PLOs. Our findings sustain the development of an adaptable curriculum assessment procedure for higher education.

This study is designed to examine the composite and relative effects of educational input, process variables and learning outcomes on quality of secondary school education among selected employers of labour in south west, Nigeria. Descriptive research design of correlational type was employed to investigate the relationship that exists between the educational input, process variables and learning outcomes on quality of secondary school education among the selected employers of labour in south west, Nigeria. 518 employers of labour in south west, Nigeria were used for the study with 323 males and 195 females. Primary data were collected from the concerned individuals using questionnaire tagged “Perception of Employers’ of Labour on input, process variables and learning outcomes on quality of secondary school education in Nigeria”. This instrument was divided into five sections viz the demographic, input, processing, product and quality of secondary school education sections, all together has a test-re-test reliability coefficient of 0.71. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the three research questions that were raised at 0.05 levels of significances. The result revealed significant composite effect and relative contributions with curriculum as the most potent predictor (β = 0.544; t= 7.692; p< 0.05), followed by teachers quality (β = 0.531, t=12.767, p<0.05) followed by school friendly environment (β = 0.445, t= 5.696, p<0.05) followed by evaluation of learners (β = 0.405, t= 3.924, p<0.05), followed by learners support (β = 0.107, t= 1.987, p<0.05) and learners’ discipline (β = 0.176, t= 2.369, p<0.05). Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that parents should see to the education need of their children early enough. Also, that teachers’ quality should be looked into on issues of teaching-learning; curriculum implementation, learners support and learners discipline. Also, that curriculum should be prepared so as to make it relevant to individuals, cooperate existence and at large for national development.

An assessment of student learning outcomes provides teachers with indicators of students’ learning-related strengths and weaknesses. These outcomes also provide information on learning levels that students need to attain to achieve targeted educational objectives. Further, identified relationships among learning-related strengths and weaknesses provide information on student achievement levels. Recommendations offered here address the importance of assessing student learning outcomes and using AMLO in improving student learning outcomes in the future.

Filipino students' scores and performances in international tests such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicate the country's performance in Science, Mathematics, and reading which is linked to the level of students' critical thinking. Interrelated to this, the National Achievement Test found that pupils in Gingoog City Division are quite poorly whose learning outcomes are influenced by its schooling: rural and urban. The Philippines is a country that is composed of many multigrade schools as an alternative to monograde schools. With this, researchers disclose the level of critical thinking as learning outcomes of Grade 6 students in multigrade and monograde classes and figure out if multigrade education is a factor to consider. The study used a causal-comparative design of research and cluster sampling, consisting of four multigrade Grade 6 classes with 44 total respondents and two monograde schools with 46 total respondents in the same district of Gingoog City. For the analysis of data, frequency and percentage were utilized to measure the students' reading critical thinking in multigrade and monograde classes respectively, and Mann-Whitney test was performed to determine the significant difference between the critical thinking levels of both groups. Findings revealed that there is no significant difference in students' achievement between multigrade and monograde courses. In terms of critical thinking, students in the monograde classroom performed fairly better than the students in the monograde classroom despite of the same quality of instruction. Multigrade education has no impact on critical thinking outcomes. Thus, it is recommended that multigrade implementation be continued as a viable learning alternative to the standard monograde classroom.

Learning infrastructure is a key base for effective teaching and learning in schools. The infrastructure forms a very important component in ensuring successful education. The purpose of the study was to evaluate quality implications of learning infrastructure on secondary education in a County in Kenya. The objective of the study was to explore the quality implications of learning infrastructure on secondary education. The study employed the Production Function Theory. The study adopted sequential explanatory design that was employed within mixed methods approach. The target population constituted of 334 principals, 334 senior teachers and 9 education officers. The sample size constituted of 181 principals 181 senior teachers selected through stratified random sampling technique and 9 education officers selected by saturated sampling technique. Instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview schedule. Reliability was determined by piloting through the split-half method. The reliability index for the instrument was 0.826. Quantitative data for the study was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. On the concern about educational facilities; library had the highest Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (PMCC) of (r = .832, p=.001), this was followed by a correlation of .800 for laboratory. This shows that they had a positive association in the model of educational facilities. Further; there were also positive correlations of .730, .716 and .715 for administration offices and water,

In the light of implementing outcomes-based education (OBE) in the Philippines, this study describes quantitatively and qualitatively how the forty-seven college mathematics educators of twenty-two tertiary education institutions in Isabela, Philippines understand and implement outcomes-based assessment (OBA). Mixed methods of research were utilized through a triangulation of true-false test, essay, interview, and document review to exhaust and draw out their knowledge, attitudes, and experiences toward OBA. Percent, mean, and content analysis were utilized to analyze the data. Findings revealed that more than half of the educators find it difficult to distinguish the features of OBA. Some cannot yet get away with traditional non-OBA practices such as permanently recorded and graded scores and attendance, and utilizing mostly pen-and-paper tests. Identified impediments to their implementation of OBA include their non-OBA-oriented beliefs, attitudes and understanding, and the institutional policies to quantitative markings. Hence, revisiting the theories and principles of OBE and OBA, regular trainings on these topics, and shifting to qualitative assessment using rubrics are essential measures for OBA to work effectively with educators in ascertaining that every student transforms according to the stipulated goals of their respective institutions.

This research was conducted with an aim to examine the relationship of time management with the physical education learning outcomes in high-school students of both genders, aged 17.60±0.89 (Mean±SD). The data of Time management from respondents were taken using the Time Management Questionnaire (Alay & Kocak, 2002). Data on learning outcomes were taken from the learning value of Physical Education students in the first semester of the school year 2018/2019. The results of the descriptive test indicates that the time management of students was classified as fair (62.71%) and their learning outcomes were also good (83.05%), while the results of the Pearson test showed a significant relationship between time management with physical education learning outcomes (0.314) Thus, educators can train students to develop time management skills by arranging plans before doing, determining and setting work priorities, being responsible for work time and priorities, and avoiding unfavorable activities.

This study aims to illuminate the phenomenon of learning outcomes. Although a wide range of studies in education have examined the phenomenon in various ways, few have investigated how scholars themselves conceive of it. To provide insight into this issue, the paper explores the following questions: How is the term “learning outcome” defined? By whom? When? Where? The investigation is based on a document analysis of a selection of 33 scholarly written documents in which the concept is discussed. Findings indicate that there is a dominant established definition of the term learning outcome. However, a wide range of alternative definitions are also identified. These assert that learning outcomes involve more than what can be described in pre-specified and measurable terms.

John Dewey an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reforms in one of his works stated that; "learning isn't just learning, but learning the meaning and 'essence' of things (living)… learning should lead to change, because whenever there is no change, then there is no learning"meaning without change learning has not taken place.

Diverse entities, such as disciplinary-based accreditors, academic affairs associations, and student affairs professional organizations, promote student learning outcomes. This study identified eight themes among outcomes required by 25 disciplinary accreditors who are members of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The purpose of this study is to find out how the application of discussion methods to improve the activity and learning outcomes of students in learning history of class X in SMA PGRI 2 Palangka Raya, the advantages and constraints of discussion methods in learning history. This type of research is a classroom action research (Classroom Action Research). This study was conducted in two cycles, each cycle consisting of 4 stages i.e planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data collection techniques in this study are observation, interviews, and tests. Validity used in this research is triangulation method and source triangulation. This research uses qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. The results of the research can be summarized as follows: 1) The implementation of discussion method can improve the activity and learning outcomes of class X in SMA PGRI 2 Palangka Raya students in learning history. Before the action of the class X average activity is 36.16%. In cycle I mean the percentage of student activity indicator is 79,46% increase in cycle II equal to 9,38% become 88,84%. The average value of the class in the first cycle is pretest 48.18 has an increase in posttest of 26.32 to 74.5. The average value of the class in the second cycle of pretest 46.82 experienced increase in posttest of 33.72 to 80.54. 2) The advantages of the discussion method in learning history i.e students more active and learning history more fun. Constraint discussion method in learning history is student not yet familiar with this method and not enough time to discuss.

The world continues to be a dynamically changing place and the changes over the centuries have and would continue to challenge the teaching and learning process. Meanwhile a nation's vitality and commitment to economic development anchors on its Education strategy, the quality of schooling, and lifelong learning experience it provides the citizen amongst other vital developmental catalyst. Quality of education appear to have been south bound in recent years in Nigeria thereby challenging the substance of quality manpower development necessary for the development of the country. The purpose of the commentary essay is to highlight perceived gaps in the functionality of the educational system, specifically at the higher education level, to meet the developmental needs of Nigeria. The commentary focuses on the pivotal issues that underlie the disconnection including; curricula content and design concerns, pedagogic delivery methods, poor conditions of service for faculty, loss of self-esteem and dignity of teachers, poor education spend by government, strikes by teachers and students, and inadequate infrastructural and institutional support. The commentary suggest that finance is fundamental to quality education and requires urgent and concerted attention by society in view of government lack of capacity to continue to solely fund higher education, and specific recommendations are made.

The ECTS Users’ Guide offers guidelines for implementing ECTS and links to useful supporting documents. Following the request from Bologna Ministers in Bucharest (Bucharest Communiqué, 2012), the ECTS Users’ Guide of 2009 has been revised, in order to strengthen the ‘meaningful implementation of learning outcomes’ in the EHEA. The Guide takes forward the objective of Ministers to ‘call on institutions to further link study credits with both learning outcomes and student workload and to include the attainment of learning outcomes in assessment procedures’.

European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has been in construction for a bit more than a decade. This paper aims to explore this process as well as the communication of cultural and arts management degree programmes through outcome-based education vocabulary as something flagshipped by the EU. It also aims to engage into critical discussions about learning outcomes and experiential learning process. The theoretical framework of the paper is mainly based on constructivist education paradigm and, to a lesser extent, on connectivism; David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains are applied in the analysis. 23 degree programmes of ENCATC members are approached through the degree profiles provided on their websites: learning outcomes, profiles of the graduates, and other informative texts. We are questioning the connections between the learning process, learning outcomes and profiles of the graduates, and giving practical suggestions for the programmes administrators to make the information on the degree more clear and holistic, both for the students and for potential employers.

Keywords: European Higher Education Area (EHEA), cultural and arts management, learning outcomes, experiential learning, profiles of the graduates

"Learning outcomes have now been around for a long time and are still widely thought to be the ultimate in student-centred education.  In this article we argue that the learning outcome has become an increasingly muddled concept to which too much attention is often paid, and often not by students at all.

The paper takes a brief overview of the original intentions of the learning outcome in the context of the changes in higher education that were occuring during the early 1990s in the UK and are still developing across Europe.  It goes on to discuss the issues with the use of the learning outcome and proposes a way forward that once again brings the focus back to the student and the concept of the development of a genuine 'learning community'.

The paper was first presented at the 6th annual European Quality Assurance Forum in Antwerp, 2011.  "

Scholars, educators, policy makers and management in higher education institutions (HEIs) often see entrepreneurship education (EE) as a structural force capable of generating long-term socio-economic changes through developing creative, pro-active, flexible, wise, i.e. entrepreneurial, individuals. Entrepreneurship graduates are expected not only to become more competent in founding own enterprises, but also to become more employable and be entrepreneurial employees as a result of EE. Alongside high bets on the outcomes, academic interest in EE has expanded exponentially with an increasing number of modules in HEIs, widespread diffusion into all levels of the education system. Increase in EE is occurring in conjunction with an ongoing shift towards more experiential learning. However, the question of pay-offs from these initiatives remains open.
This dissertation addresses two major gaps of contemporary EE research: firstly, the lack of comparative studies on different forms of EE, such as traditional and experiential, which would test the widely accepted assertion that experiential EE is more effective in generating the desired outcomes in learners; secondly, the lack of evidence of how objective expressions of entrepreneurial behaviour in self- or paid employment are dependent upon entrepreneurship-specific competences that EE can develop. In bridging these gaps, the dissertation proposes and tests the novel integrative framework for evaluating the learning and objective outcomes of EE.
The study focuses on two post-transition economies: Estonia and Latvia. I conducted interviews with 16 entrepreneurship educators at eight local higher education institutions to diagnose the prevailing form of EE. Then I surveyed 559 imminent and recent Bachelor business graduates who were taught by the interviewed educators. I examined cognitive, skill-based and affective outcomes as the focal learning outcomes of EE, and analysed objective outcomes through measuring nascent intrapreneurship, early-stage entrepreneurial activity and employability of graduates. I used content analysis, structural equation modelling, analysis of co-variance, multiple linear and binary logistic regressions when working with the data.
The findings of the study question the common assumptions dominating in EE literature. The analysis indicated that experiential EE does not necessarily lead to higher levels of learning outcomes – in some cases even being associated with adverse effects. Affective outcomes acted as a consistent predictor of graduate employability, early-stage entrepreneurial activity as well as increasing the propensity of graduates to engage into nascent intrapreneurship. However, none of the objective outcomes showed the dependency upon cognitive and skill-based learning outcomes. Finally, in terms of the objective outcomes, it did not matter significantly whether graduates studied entrepreneurship traditionally or experientially in Estonia, and the attendance of more experiential EE even tended to be less beneficial in Latvia.
The discussion of the results advances our understanding of why experiential EE might not work as expected. I appraise the findings from the viewpoint of entrepreneurship pedagogy, external factors affecting the development of local EE as well as other dimensions pertaining to EE design, delivery and the transfer of learning in the two countries. The dissertation concludes with practical implications of the results for designing EE courses and suggestions for further evaluation studies.

The current debate in academia about K12 learning outcomes is on standardized testing, but the actual discussions have nothing to do with learning outcomes, although the two are linked. The discussion is more about the appropriate use of data garnered from standardized tests. On the one hand, some parents and educators agree that standardized testing helps to hold teachers and school administrators accountable for what is taught, and what students learn. There is much consensus that standardized tests should be supported by pre-established standards and instructional perspectives that provide teachers with directions for what to teach, and when to teach certain topics. Yet others view standardized tests as only assessing the general knowledge and performance of students, and not their overall growth. There is a belief among some educators that the practice does not accurately represent a total assessment of the typical student abilities and behaviors. Despite its immense values to education, there are certain abilities that standardized tests cannot measure, including such things as leadership, honesty, integrity, motivation, creativity, critical thinking and much more.

Standardized testing addresses one very important issue, that is, educators should be able to develop learning outcomes that are not only measurable, but achievable; and realistically aligned with the class or course requirements. Learning outcomes are specific objectives for any form of testing, and should to be related to what students should know, understand, and be able to demonstrate after a particularly learning experience. Learning outcomes must be unambiguous, with comprehensible goals for students; and it should be developed with the appropriate “action verbs” in describing expected learning objectives with the aim that each outcomes defined should be achievable and eventually measurable. The description of learning outcomes is reinforcement for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

The basic theme for the paper is to introduce very role of the Information and communication technology in providing quality education. This will include the need for ICT in education sector and various types of tools and techniques of ICT commonly used in education sector. On the other hand, the paper also describes the advantages to learn with ICT and focuses mainly on various issues and challenges that come across in integrating ICT in school education. This paper focuses on teaching and learning with information and communications technology (ICT) across a range of subjects, drawing on the research of the Interactive Education.

This paper also describes how teams of teachers have developed ways of embedding information and communication technology (ICT) into everyday classroom practices to enhance learning. The focus is on integrating ICT with teaching–learning process across a range of subjects: English, history, geography, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music and science. The lag in the creative thinking and intuitive knowledge construction is emphasized and it is somewhere seen that this is exacerbated by the use of ICT in the classroom. The impact of ICT on students’ minds in relation to out-of-school uses of ICT tools and resources has been discussed.

Application of learning from attending graduate school is a good manifestation of the
immediate utilization of the acquired knowledge and skills to the work assignment. This study aimed to
determine the academic performance and application level of acquired learning outcomes from MBA Courses
towards the attainment of personal growth. Descriptive type of research was utilized in the study. Results
revealed that the currently enrolled MBA students have an academic performance rating of average with high
application of MBA courses in achieving personal growth in terms of measuring their competence as well as
application in their workplace specifically in utilizing the acquired learning from International Business
Management and Entrepreneurship in Global Perspective. High application levels of acquired learning and
student outcomes from the MBA courses were achieved specifically in building relationships to support group
effectiveness. There is a possibility that the level of application of learning and student outcomes could influence
the personal growth of the MBA students in terms of competence.

National and transnational qualifications frameworks are an increasingly present feature of the education and training landscape. The United Kingdom can be regarded as one of the pioneers of qualifications frameworks, with partial frameworks appearing from the mid‐1980s onwards. However, approaches in England if not in the whole of the UK have remained fragmented compared with the best examples from other countries. The recently‐introduced Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) introduces partial innovations particularly in enabling credit for smaller achievements and allowing employers and practitioner communities to contribute content into the framework. However, the framework is largely limited to vocational qualifications outside of universities; it is not particularly well integrated with the higher education, professional, and at present, school sectors; and it lacks responsiveness to innovations in qualification design. The QCF has been described as a ‘strong’ or regulated framework, although a more apposite term might be ‘brittle.’

Creating a learning environment in which students learn more effectively remains the great challenge from decades; different approaches are proposed, for example, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Question Answering System and chatbot. All these approaches used natural language to achieve that goal. A comparison of these systems viz-a-viz student learning outcome and behavior is of eminent importance. To achieve this goal a chatbot system with knowledge base for Object-Oriented Programming Languages is developed and deployed. Case study was made to assess and evaluate the chatbot system for student learning methodology. Learning outcomes and Memory retention have been measured for the developed system. Comparisons were made between the results obtained using Google search engine and our chatbot system. The results indicate that learning through Chabot have a significant impact on memory retention and Learning outcomes of the students.

There is widespread consensus that internships provide great opportunities for engineering students to develop diverse knowledge and competencies. Yet, compared to learning in the classroom, learning in the workplace is less predictable. This study aims to address the research question "What are engineering students' perceived learning outcomes from their internship experience?" by using a qualitative approach to pinpoint commonalities and differences in students' perceived learning outcomes. Content analysis and constant comparative analysis were used to analyze interview data collected from ten engineering students in Hong Kong. Four categories of learning outcomes were revealed: knowledge, academic-related generic competencies, non-technical generic competencies and technical competencies. Our findings are contrary to the literature indicating that most engineering interns perceived the development of technical competencies (e.g. information technology (I.T.) skills) and non-technical generic competencies (e.g. teamwork skills and positive attitudes). Diversity in engineering students' perceived learning outcomes of internship was subsequently illustrated by a provisional framework. The findings help pave the way for constructive alignment in internship course design such that identification of students' perceived learning outcomes will facilitate the setting of realistic and clear intended learning outcomes.

The paper (in Slovak language) addresses the issue of the need to define student-oriented outcomes from the educational process at the university, specifically the expected learning outcomes defined in the course information sheets. Clear formulations of expected outcomes are one of the first pieces of information not only for domestic but also for foreign students, who often come into contact for the first time with the culture of education in foreign universities. They decide on their participation in a given course on the basis of this information about the expected outcomes.
When formulating the outcomes, the authors recommend to follow the Bloom's taxonomy.
Keywords: learning outcomes, university, students, course information sheet, Bloom’s taxonomy