HR: 1340h
AN: ED13E-0756    [Abstracts]
TI: ASSESSING CORE COMPETENCIES
AU: * NARAYANAN, M
EM: narayam@muohio.edu
AF: MIAMI UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD, HAMILTON, OH 45011 United States
AB: Catherine Palomba and Trudy Banta offer the following definition of assessment, adapted from one provided by Marches in 1987. Assessment in the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development. (Palomba and Banta 1999). It is widely recognized that sophisticated computing technologies are becoming a key element in today's classroom instructional techniques. Regardless, the Professor must be held responsible for creating an instructional environment in which the technology actually supplements learning outcomes of the students. Almost all academic disciplines have found a niche for computer-based instruction in their respective professional domain. In many cases, it is viewed as an essential and integral part of the educational process. Educational institutions are committing substantial resources to the establishment of dedicated technology-based laboratories, so that they will be able to accommodate and fulfill students' desire to master certain of these specific skills. This type of technology-based instruction may raise some fundamental questions about the core competencies of the student learner. Some of the most important questions are : 1. Is the utilization of these fast high-powered computers and user-friendly software programs creating a totally non-challenging instructional environment for the student learner ? 2. Can technology itself all too easily overshadow the learning outcomes intended ? 3. Are the educational institutions simply training students how to use technology rather than educating them in the appropriate field ? 4. Are we still teaching content-driven courses and analysis oriented subject matter ? 5. Are these sophisticated modern era technologies contributing to a decline in the Critical Thinking Capabilities of the 21st century technology-savvy students ? The author tries to focus on technology as a tool and not on the technology itself. He further argues that students must demonstrate that they have the have the ability to think critically before they make an attempt to use technology in a chosen application-specific environment. The author further argues that training-based instruction has a very narrow focus that puts modern technology at the forefront of the learning enterprise system. The author promotes education-oriented strategies to provide the students with a broader perspective of the subject matter. The author is also of the opinion that students entering the workplace should clearly understand the context in which modern technologies are influencing the productive outcomes of the industrialized world. References : Marchese, T. J. (1987). Third Down, Ten Years to go. AAHE Bulletin, Vol. 40, pages 3-8. Marchese, T. J. (1994). Assessment, Quality and Undergraduate Improvement. Assessment Update, Vol. 6, No. 3. pages 1-14. Montagu, A. S. (2001). High-technology instruction: A framework for teaching computer-based technologies. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 12 (1), 109-128. Palomba, Catherine A. and Banta, Trudy W.(1999). Assessment Essentials :Planning, Implementing and Improving Assessment in Higher Education. San Francisco : Jossey Bass Publishers.
DE: 0999 General or miscellaneous
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting