Testing a variety of methods
We have evaluated a variety of methods for the measurement of learning gain:
- Student attainment data;
- The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+);
- The UK Engagement Survey (UKES);
- The Student Wellbeing Survey (WBS).
Academic staff have engaged with student attainment data through seminars, four Teaching and Learning workshops and our Curriculum Framework conference in January 2018.
Institutional engagement
Academic staff have been able to compare student attainment across different programmes and between student cohorts within programmes. Some Schools have run focus groups to explore possible links between the data and pedagogical practices. One School probed individual module attainment to explain the patterns in their degree course: “This patterning has possibly been caused mainly by dissertation marks (worth 40 credits at Part 3) being arguably lower than they should be… We are therefore planning to introduce additional ‘dissertation preparation’ sessions… We hope that this will improve student performance in the dissertation.”.
The attainment data encourages reflection and internal discussion in Schools on how learning gain can be measured and the value of such information.
Contact Amanda Callaghan (a.callaghan@reading.ac.uk) or Charlotte Ellis (charlotte.ellis@reading.ac.uk) to find out more about the Learning Gain project.