Engaging students with higher order learning (or not): insights into academic practice

Assessment is recognised in the literature as a driver of student learning; framing how they engage in and prioritise their learning. With this growing recognition, a plethora of literature has emerged about how to improve student experiences of assessment in universities. While the development of higher order skills of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and creation are espoused in the literature of good assessment practice, how well represented are they in the teaching and learning practice of academics? This paper reports on the environmental scan undertaken as part of a wider study into the use of technologies to support assessment of higher order learning at an Australian university. The scan surveyed 133 academic staff to canvass the scope of the learning outcomes being addressed and how they were being assessed. The initial findings from the scan indicate a predominance of lower order learning outcomes, raising questions about academics’ understanding of: ● The processes underpinning higher order learning ● The design of learning outcomes to include a focus on higher order learning ● The development of assessment strategies to support higher order learning The challenge for academics in engaging students more actively in their learning lies in addressing the predominance of lower order and the paucity of higher order outcomes at all levels, from first year to post-graduate level.