Assessing student learning outcomes of higher education

Student learning outcomes are an important part of the value higher education offers, as the outcomes indicate students’ academic preparedness and readiness for the increasingly complex demands of the modern workforce. An explicit focus on learning outcomes helps institutions provide a clear roadmap to student success. In this chapter, I review (a) the definition of student learning outcomes and how it has evolved as higher education seeks a stronger connection with workforce requirements, (b) the assessment of learning outcomes and methodological challenges, and (c) institutional efforts to promote student learning outcomes. As students’ education-to-workforce transition becomes increasingly nonlinear, institutions are compelled to offer flexible educational pathways that maintain academic rigour. A focus on learning outcomes allows institutions to document learning and make data-driven decisions as they prepare students for a smooth education-to-career transition.