Dr. Maggie Zhao, Director of T&LEMU, Ms. Jenny Huen, a former colleague, and Ms. Yvonne Chan, Senior Research and Analysis Officer of T&LEMU, have recently published an article about measuring longitudinal gains in student learning in Research in Higher Education, a leading international journal on higher education. The article can be accessed at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11162-016-9441-z.

In the study, a novel approach is proposed to measure longitudinal gains in student learning, and this approach yields a more sensitive and accurate measure of learning gains. The study provides methodological contributions in the measurement of change in higher education through an example of outcome assessment using student surveys, the Student Learning Experience Questionnaire (SLEQ). It puts forward an advantageous approach and illustrates the use of rigorous measurement to quantify longitudinal gains in student learning. This proposed methodology can be readily generalised to a broader higher education context.

An accurate measurement of change in student learning outcomes is crucial for informing stakeholders and improving the quality of higher education. With our commitment to quality, we hope that our work not only contributes to the higher education research community, but also generates insights to inform practice and promotes research-informed and evidence-based supports for teaching and learning.