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New System to Measure 'Value' of College Education

时间:2017-04-09 23:31:40

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(单词翻译)

 

Each year, millions of students complete their study programs at the colleges and universities across the United States.

The new graduates receive an official piece of paper from their schools. This paper is known as their degree. It states what kind of program the student completed and what field they studied.

But do all degrees have the same value? And do students from all schools studying the same program do the same amount of work? Do they graduate with the same knowledge and ability?

These are all questions that students, parents, politicians and employers1 may be asking.

These are hard questions to answer. But some are trying to make it easier.

The Association2 of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has developed a system of measuring student learning3. The system might change how educational performance is measured.

It is called the Valid4 Assessment5 of Learning in Undergraduate6 Education, or VALUE.

Terrel Rhodes is a vice7 president for the AAC&U. The organization studies all parts of the American higher education system.

Rhodes says that, in the past, people generally believed a college degree meant that a person had a certain amount of knowledge and understanding.

“Historically, there was little question about the quality of the [knowledge] that the students were receiving through their areas of study,” Rhodes said. But as the economy became more complex, he continued, “More attention was being paid to more scientific approaches in the measurement8 of learning.”

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Education created a report on the American higher education system. The report included changes the system needed to make. It was called “the Spellings Commission,” named for the Secretary of Education at the time, Margaret Spellings.

The report said that colleges and universities needed to make it more clear what graduates actually knew and could do beyond what their degrees said.

The researchers suggested creating several measuring systems, including different standardized9 tests. This would make it easier to show how well individual schools educated their students.

But Rhodes says there are several problems with this method.

For example, a test of multiple-choice questions about a subject can measure how much a student knows about that field. But it does not show how well a student can connect that information to the real world. And, Rhodes says, it fails to show how well a student can think about problems in different ways.

Also, most of the test results are not used to improve student learning. Their main purpose is to inform government officials who provide funding to schools, as well as accrediting10 agencies12.

In addition, the test results might not be correct, Rhodes says. Schools often give students the test near the end of the study programs. Students do not need to do well on these tests to graduate. And schools rarely share the results with students or professors. So students have little reason to try to do their best.

“It [isn’t] connected to getting a job. It isn’t connected to completing a course or getting a grade. And so we said there needs to be an alternative to that,” Rhodes said.

So, in 2008, the Association of American Colleges and Universities began working with professors across the country to create the VALUE system. The system was meant to measure the skills students would need in the professional world. These skills include critical thinking, written communication and problem solving.

The creators of the VALUE system wanted to explore different parts of these skills. They did not want to not simply ask if a student knew the right answer to a given question.

To measure critical thinking, for example, the VALUE system examines how well students can explain issues. It also looks at how well students use evidence to explain their thinking.

The professors created a rubric -- or set of instructions -- for each part of each skill. The rubric measures from one to four. One represents the most basic ability level a college student should have in that skill; four represents the highest ability level.

Schools use the rubric to examine projects and other assignments that students are working on. They do this to see how much certain skills are progressing.

Since 2015, more than 42,000 representatives from more than 4,200 educational organizations have downloaded the VALUE rubrics from the internet.

Rhodes says the AAC&U hopes schools share information from these assessments13 with professors and students. Students would then see how well their own skills are improving. And professors could make changes to their classes.

Natasha Jankowski is director of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes14 Assessment. The organization examines tests and assessment in all levels of education. She says the VALUE system is a good way for schools to measure the success of their students.

In the past, many schools only gave standardized tests because it was expected of them. But the VALUE system clearly explains what a graduate of a given school has the ability to do, she says.

“Now our students are in a position to talk about their education differently … with employers,” she said. “Instead of referring to classes that they took, they can talk about the knowledge and skills that they have in ways that they can demonstrate15.”

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

accrediting - v. saying that something is good enough to be gien credit11

alternative - adj. offering or expressing a choice

approach - v. to begin to deal with or think about ?

assessment - n. the act of assessing16 something?

certain - adj. used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe?

degree - n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university?

grade - n. a number or letter that indicates how a student performed in a class or on a test?

graduate - n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university?

rubric - n. an explanation or a set of instructions at the beginning of a book, a test, etc.?

standardized - v. to change things so that they are similar and consistent17 and agree with rules about what is proper and acceptable18?


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1 employers c4ca8e40822542cf2630923de480b818     
雇主( employer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
  • The onus is on employers to follow health and safety laws. 雇主有义务遵行健康安全法。
2 association 6O1yp     
n.联盟,协会,社团;交往,联合;联想
参考例句:
  • Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
  • I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。
3 learning wpSzFe     
n.学问,学识,学习;动词learn的现在分词
参考例句:
  • When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时,常会从车上掉下来。
  • Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。
4 valid eiCwm     
adj.有确实根据的;有效的;正当的,合法的
参考例句:
  • His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
  • Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗?
5 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
6 undergraduate vUczO     
n.大学生,大学肆业生
参考例句:
  • Mr. Stone spent his undergraduate days in Columbia University,majoring in economics.斯通先生在哥伦比亚大学度过了他四年的大学生活,主修经济学。
  • During this time,they are called undergraduate students.在此期间,他们被称为大学本科生。
7 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
8 measurement xC6xu     
n.测量,衡量;(量得的)尺寸,大小
参考例句:
  • I can find the size of something by means of measurement.我可以用测量法求得某物的体积。
  • He has made an accurate measurement of my garden.他准确地丈量了我的花园。
9 standardized 8hHzgs     
adj.标准化的
参考例句:
  • We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
  • The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。
10 accrediting 850dc737a4fc84ea4d535e3e4e36d490     
v.相信( accredit的现在分词 );委托;委任;把…归结于
参考例句:
  • One accrediting agency is the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 有一个资信鉴定机构是为了高等教育的。 来自互联网
  • One accrediting agency is Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 高等教育授权委员会就是这样一个授权机构。 来自互联网
11 credit pOGzH     
n.信用,荣誉,贷款,学分;v.归功于,赞颂,信任
参考例句:
  • I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
  • He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉,我们做不讨好的工作。
12 agencies 0e418dcec84ec1fd8f830787bb2c3325     
n.代理( agency的名词复数 );服务机构;(政府的)专门机构;代理(或经销)业务(或关系)
参考例句:
  • There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 assessments 7d0657785d6e5832f8576c61c78262ef     
n.评估( assessment的名词复数 );评价;(应偿付金额的)估定;(为征税对财产所作的)估价
参考例句:
  • He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明,约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评;而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句
14 outcomes ada150cea270ef5267b5ef2ff2366846     
结果( outcome的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The two scenarios provide illustrations of consistent set of outcomes for range of possible policies. 这两个方案说明某一套可能采取的政策将会产生的一系列后果。
  • We analyzed all the possible outcomes of your mission, Commander. 我们分析过所有可能的结果,指挥官。
15 demonstrate VwWxp     
vt.论证,证明;示范;显示;vi.示威游行
参考例句:
  • Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
  • How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢?
16 assessing 13559dc1aee639c72a18cfdd24d8ea46     
v.评定( assess的现在分词 );估价;对(财产、收入等)进行估价(作为征税根据);确定(损害赔偿金、税款、罚款等)的金额
参考例句:
  • I then made some groundless remarks, assessing the situation over-optimistically. 我当时放了空炮,对形势作出了过于乐观的分析。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • In choosing a partner we are subconsciously assessing their evolutionary fitness to be a mother of children or father provider and protector. 在选择伴侣的时候,我们会在潜意识里衡量对方将来是否会是称职的母亲或者父亲,是否会是合格的一家之主。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 consistent hYwyU     
adj.坚持的,一贯的,一致的,符合的
参考例句:
  • He has been a consistent friend to the Chinese people.他是中国人民始终如一的朋友。
  • His action is always consistent with his words.他始终言行一致。
18 acceptable NIByZ     
adj.可接受的,合意的,受欢迎的
参考例句:
  • The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
  • Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

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