CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION the Value of Higher Education Is No

1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The value of higher education is no longer taken for granted. Although the public regards higher education as important, the majority also questions whether it provides students with good value for the money invested. Social science research documents the labor market value of college education— on average, college graduates fare better on a number of dimensions, from avoiding unemployment to having higher paying jobs (Hout 2012)—but questions remain about whether higher education could do more to prepare students to transition into life after college. Policymakers, too, are asking questions about the value of college. In recent years they have subjected higher education to increasing levels of scrutiny and calls for accountability. Although accountability has been part of the state policy conversations since the early 1980s (Ewell 1994), recent trends of rising tuition, the economic challenges brought forth by the Great Recession, low and declining graduation rates, and indications that college students may not be developing crucial 21st-century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving have raised accountability concerns to a new level, including getting the attention of the federal government Student assessments are changing at an unprecedented rate. Our longstanding commitment to evidence-centered design of assessments helps us design and deliver assessments that reflect more closely the work that students and teachers create in the classroom. Better assessments mean better information for us to make meaningful decisions about students, teachers' and schools. I am conducting research topic of assessment trends and students involvement in higher education. This chapter provides brief context of Background of the study, statement of the problem rational of the study, and objectives of the study 1.1 Background of the Study Educational assessment is the systematic process of documenting and using empirical data on the knowledge, skill, attitudes and beliefs to refine programs and 2 improve student learning. Assessment data can be obtained from directly examining student work to assess the achievement of learning outcomes or can be based on data from which one can make inferences about learning. Assessment is often used interchangeably with test, but not limited to tests. Assessment can focus on the individual learner, the learning community (class, workshop, or other organized group of learners), a course, an academic program, the institution, or the educational system as a whole. The word 'assessment' came into use in an educational context after the Second World War(“Educational assessment,” 2019). As a continuous process, assessment establishes measurable and clear student learning outcomes for learning, provisioning a sufficient amount of learning opportunities to achieve these outcomes, implementing a systematic way of gathering, analyzing and interpreting evidence to determine how well student learning matches expectations, and using the collected information to inform improvement in student learning. 1.1.1 Assessment and Constructivism Constructivists view assessment as a process that involves both the instructor and the student. Educators who prefer to use constructivist methods and principles in evaluating student work have several different avenues to choose from that can help enhance the learning experience of students (Holt & Willard-Holt, 2000). Similarities between constructivist and traditional methods of assessment do exist. Even though constructivists continue to research and experiment with more interactive, experience based assessments, the more traditional methods still prevail and are being used in classrooms as the predominant means of assessment. Social constructivism is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning. Social constructivism was developed by post- revolutionary Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky. He was a cognitivist, but rejected the assumption made by cognitivists such as Piaget and Perry that it was possible to separate learning from its social context. He argued that all cognitive functions originate in (and must therefore be explained as products of) social interactions and that learning did not simply comprise the assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge by learners; it was the process by which learners were integrated into a knowledge community Vygotsky (1978, 57). 3 We are following traditional practices of teaching from elementary level to higher level. Still students' demands lecture notes rather than depth interaction in classroom. They avoid group discussion questioning and reading and reflective culture. Instead, they enjoy with copying notes form lecturer. There is very low practice of home assignment. If it is given, only little number of students prepares their assignment properly. Sometimes they intentionally remain absent to the class not summit their presentation. In this context I am going to conduct a research in the topic of assignment trends and students involvement in higher education: A constructivist perspective. 1.2 Statement of problem Assessment is very important factor for judging students learning outcomes. (Tyler,1949) Assessment is the process of comparing performance data with the clearly specified objectives. Thus assessment is considered as the integral part of education system. It is used not only to measure performance standard of students. Moreover to measure the quality of institution, teacher and the curriculum offered to the students also. Assessment is one of the major elements of every curriculum, which is also known as the means of quality control. To improve the quality (“High Stakes Testing | IDEA,” n.d.) High Stake Testing system has been followed in USA since 1983. High-stakes tests are used to determine whether a student passes into the next grade, whether a teacher retains his or her job or receives a bonus, and whether a school receives penalties such as the removal of the principal or the teachers or more comprehensive changes to the school's approach. Tests that are "standardized" are those in which every student receives the same test across school, district, state, or nation. The standard of education depends upon quality and continuous assessment system. In my experience the quality and quantity of education in higher education especially in bachelor level has been gradually decreased. There is very low pass rate of students in Trivhuvan University. (“The Purpose of Higher Education,” 2012) the focus of higher education should be on creating prepared minds in their graduates and government-sponsored research and development in higher education institutions is a great way to enrich the education of future engineers. But in the context of Nepal institutions of higher education are considered as factory of producing unemployed and unqualified human resources. They are achieving low quality knowledge and almost no skill for living national and 4 international level. So, there is a grate problem of quality education in higher education. The major problems of assessment are: students are not taking seriousness to internal assessment, teachers are not taking their responsibility, feedback system is very weak, and there is no provision of adding credits of internal assessment for final examination. Thus, this study focuses on assessment practices in bachelor level, Student's perception on currently used assessment practice, ways of improving quality education and assessment practice. 1.3 Research questions This study is based on the following research questions: 1. What are the existing practices of assignment in higher education? 2. What are the indicators of quality assessment? 3. How much students are interested to participate internal assessment 4. How to improve quality of learning and assessment? 5. What is the existing feedback system? 6. What are the teachers perception regarding assignment? 1.4 Purposes of the Study The general purpose of study is to explore the existing practice of assessment on higher education. Regarding this broad purpose, the following are specific purposes of this study: 1. To find out the existing practices of assessment and feedback system in bachelor level. 2. To find out the students participation and perceptions on current assessment system. In internal assessment. 3. To find out indicators of quality assessment Ways to improve existing assessment practice. 1.5 Rationale of the Study This study is based on the existing practice of assessment in bachelor level. As we know that assessment and its associated feedback are essential to student learning. It is directly related with quality assurance and potential to supports' learning. Well-designed assessment has numerous benefits aside from the obvious one of providing a measure of students' progress. Additionally, it helps students to engage with their learning. 5 This study will be directly beneficial to the students of bachelor level who are taking sincerely or not. There is not only the problem in student side but also teachers are also not taking seriously the matter of assessment in higher education. There are many problems associated with them. This study may help them to make more sincere in this matter. This study is also useful to improve the existing curriculum, assessment policy and practice and feedback system as well. 1.6 Delimitation of the Study Existing assessment practice and students involvement on higher education is a survey type of research.

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