How Territorium's E-Proficiency Profile supports continuous improvement in higher education.

Addressing the Study Skills Gap: A Solution for Educational Institutions If your institution is facing challenges with student retention, completion rates, or first-year engagement, the root cause often isn't ability—it's foundational study skills. The challenges we're solving: → High dropout rates linked to poor time management and academic overwhelm → Students unable to translate effort into measurable results → Lack of resilience when facing setbacks → Inconsistent academic writing and research standards Our Study Skills Deep Dive course provides: ✓ Evidence-based learning techniques that improve retention ✓ Practical time management and prioritization strategies ✓ Academic writing, referencing, and integrity modules ✓ Mindset training that builds resilience and growth orientation ✓ Real-world connection between studies and career goals This comprehensive 8-module program goes beyond surface-level tips to create lasting behavioral change—helping students become self-directed learners who complete coursework successfully and stay engaged longer. Ideal for: RTOs seeking to improve student outcomes and retention Universities addressing skills gaps in first-year cohorts Education providers looking for white-label learning solutions Better student outcomes lead to improved completion rates and enhanced institutional reputation. Interested in discussing partnership opportunities or institutional licensing? 📩 Send me a message or learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gFshuSck #VocationalEducation #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #RTO #EducationalInstitutions #StudySkills #StudentRetention #AcademicSupport #EducationSolutions #LearningAndDevelopment #StudentEngagement #EducationPartnership #AcademicExcellence #EducationLeadership

Addressing the Study Skills Gap: A Solution for Educational Institutions If your institution is facing challenges with student retention, completion rates, or first-year engagement, the root cause often isn't ability—it's foundational study skills. The challenges we're solving: → High dropout rates linked to poor time management and academic overwhelm → Students unable to translate effort into measurable results → Lack of resilience when facing setbacks → Inconsistent academic writing and research standards Our Study Skills Deep Dive course provides: ✓ Evidence-based learning techniques that improve retention ✓ Practical time management and prioritization strategies ✓ Academic writing, referencing, and integrity modules ✓ Mindset training that builds resilience and growth orientation ✓ Real-world connection between studies and career goals This comprehensive 8-module program goes beyond surface-level tips to create lasting behavioral change—helping students become self-directed learners who complete coursework successfully and stay engaged longer. Ideal for: RTOs seeking to improve student outcomes and retention Universities addressing skills gaps in first-year cohorts Education providers looking for white-label learning solutions Better student outcomes lead to improved completion rates and enhanced institutional reputation. Interested in discussing partnership opportunities or institutional licensing? 📩 Send me a message or learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g9sNUt3U #VocationalEducation #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #RTO #EducationalInstitutions #StudySkills #StudentRetention #AcademicSupport #EducationSolutions #LearningAndDevelopment #StudentEngagement #EducationPartnership #AcademicExcellence #EducationLeadership

Blog: In today’s data-rich academic environments, assessment is no longer a rearview mirror — it’s a strategic compass for academic growth. Educational program assessment has evolved far beyond periodic reviews. It’s now central to: 🔶 Shaping institutional strategy 🔶 Guiding resource allocation 🔶 Maintaining program relevance 🔶 Enabling proactive decision-making In our latest post, “The Evolution of Educational Program Assessment in Data-Rich Academic Environments,” we explore how institutions are: 🔶 Transitioning from anecdotal, sporadic evaluation to continuous, evidence-based practices 🔶 Leveraging program performance metrics (retention, graduation, faculty productivity) as signals of institutional vitality 🔶 Applying academic program analytics to anticipate challenges and identify opportunities 🔶 Integrating market & program analytics to align offerings with labor trends and student demand 🔶 Embedding assessment into governance, fostering faculty engagement, and institutionalizing a culture of continuous improvement When assessment is embedded, transparent, and tied to strategy, it becomes an engine for resilience rather than a compliance burden. How has your institution changed its approach to program assessment? Read the blog article here: https://lnkd.in/e3AKBBu5 #HigherEd #EducationStrategy #ProgramAssessment #Analytics #DataDrivenLeadership #InstitutionalEffectiveness #AcademicInnovation

Blog: In today’s data-rich academic environments, assessment is no longer a rearview mirror — it’s a strategic compass for academic growth. Educational program assessment has evolved far beyond periodic reviews. It’s now central to: 🔶 Shaping institutional strategy 🔶 Guiding resource allocation 🔶 Maintaining program relevance 🔶 Enabling proactive decision-making In our latest post, “The Evolution of Educational Program Assessment in Data-Rich Academic Environments,” we explore how institutions are: 🔶 Transitioning from anecdotal, sporadic evaluation to continuous, evidence-based practices 🔶 Leveraging program performance metrics (retention, graduation, faculty productivity) as signals of institutional vitality 🔶 Applying academic program analytics to anticipate challenges and identify opportunities 🔶 Integrating market & program analytics to align offerings with labor trends and student demand 🔶 Embedding assessment into governance, fostering faculty engagement, and institutionalizing a culture of continuous improvement When assessment is embedded, transparent, and tied to strategy, it becomes an engine for resilience rather than a compliance burden. How has your institution changed its approach to program assessment? Read the blog article here: https://lnkd.in/em547zNu #HigherEd #EducationStrategy #ProgramAssessment #Analytics #DataDrivenLeadership #InstitutionalEffectiveness #AcademicInnovation

“Skills such as problem-solving, effective communication and curiosity are not ancillary to learning; they are driving forces.” In her essay, Brooke Stafford-Brizard, Carnegie’s SVP for Innovation & Impact, underscores that these skills are not “extras" and need to be cultivated. And they emerge most powerfully when students are engaged in rigorous academic learning—writing essays, collaborating on STEM projects, iterating based on critical feedback. By reframing the debate, she calls for schools to embrace an integrated model that shows how deeply intertwined academic knowledge and durable skills are. Read more and share: https://lnkd.in/euVhffct

The perceived shift in college education from teaching how to think (critical thinking, reasoning, analysis) to what to specifically think about (specific content, facts, and conclusions) is a complex trend driven by several interconnected factors. The ideal of education, particularly in its earlier forms, was focused on developing the whole, well-rounded citizen capable of reflective thought and logical defense of their beliefs. This aligns with the "how to think" approach. 1. The Rise of the Professional and Vocational. A major driver has been the increasing vocational and professionalization of higher education. Job Market Demands: As college became an expected entry point into the middle-class workforce, the emphasis shifted to making graduates "job-ready." Employers often want applicants with specific, industry-relevant knowledge and certifications, leading institutions to focus more on detailed, concrete content over abstract critical reasoning. The "Career Factory" Narrative: Universities have increasingly been seen as a means to a specific, high-paying career rather than a journey of intellectual discovery. 2. Standardized Testing and Assessment Culture The focus on measurable outcomes has also played a part. Easier Assessment: It is often easier to test a student's knowledge of specific content (e.g., dates, formulas, definitions, established theories) than to objectively measure the depth of their critical thinking. Accountability Measures: Institutions face pressure to demonstrate quantifiable success, often leading to a curriculum structure. 3. Curriculum Fragmentation and Specialization Deep Specialization: While specialization is necessary for professional expertise, it can lead to a focus on narrow, technical facts and theories within a specific field, sometimes at the expense of broader, interdisciplinary critical analysis. Content Overload: The sheer volume of information available in any given field pressures instructors to cover a vast amount of material, which can result in a reliance on lectures and memorization rather than slower, more intensive critical inquiry. The Persistent Ideal of Critical Thinking It is important to note that the ideal of teaching "how to think"is still a widely stated goal of higher education. However, its implementation can be uneven. Critical Thinking as Subject-Specific: Modern pedagogical thought often suggests that critical thinking shouldn't be a separate, abstract course, but must be infused into the subject matter. When taught well, the goal is for students to learn to think like a historian, a scientist, or an economist. When taught poorly, it can devolve into simply memorizing the established facts of the field. The tension between these two goals preparing students for a job with specific skills and preparing them for life with transferable reasoning abilities —is an ongoing debate in modern college education.

Following the publication of our exam feedback paper earlier this year Naomi Winstone and I have written a more practically focused article asking, 'What if our exam systems are designed to block feedback rather than deliver it? In this Times Higher Education piece, we argue that the exam feedback gap isn’t about time or tools; it’s about design. We’ve normalised systems where students get grades but little insight into how to improve. So how do we fix that? Three shifts: 1️⃣ Make feedback unavoidable, not optional; embed reflection (e.g. post-exam wrappers) into the process. 2️⃣ Use class time for feedback, not just post-mortems; turn exam results into learning conversations. 3️⃣ Share responsibility. Feedback works best when students co-analyse where their thinking went off-track. We can do this without overloading educators or budgets. It’s about small structural tweaks that make learning visible again. 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-Vqn2B7 How is feedback built into your exams, or is it still an afterthought?

Take a look at this Times Higher Education piece from Naomi Winstone of the Surrey Institute of Education and Dr Edd Pitt (University of Kent) on promoting feedback from exams.

Excited to share a new paper Pearson just launched with Digital Promise! It dives into how districts across the country are tackling a big challenge: how to measure future-ready skills like collaboration, communication, and creative thinking—skills that matter deeply but aren’t easily measured. The paper highlights strategies from 16 districts that are making assessments more authentic, student-centered, and connected to real learning. If you're thinking about Portraits of a Graduate or reimagining assessment, this is worth a read. https://lnkd.in/giPt4v2W https://lnkd.in/gwg9aNtJ Thank you Katie Wilczak for leading this for our Pearson School Assessment team and Kyle Dunbar and Kelly Mills for your ongoing partnership. CC: Amy Reilly Lorri Jensen Tim Marks Sonja Tosh Miranda Pasturczak Shandrea Hardeman, M.Ed Megan Golsby Zac Henrich Laine Bradshaw Tracey Hembry Susan Lottridge Andrew Messenger Lisa M. Hathaway, Ed.S. (she/her) Traci Meineke Llana Williams, Ed.D. Brittany Martin Cynthia Galindo Pagan Elizabeth Hanna Sarah Pitts

Check out a new paper by Pearson and Digital Promise reflecting the great work of districts implementing instructional and assessment practices to improve future-ready skills. I had the pleasure of joining district leaders with Katie Wilczak, Trent Workman. Megan Golsby, Kelly Mills, Kyle Dunbar, Nicolas Mireles and saw the passion and commitment they have for making sure students are prepared. Improving student critical-thinking, problem solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration isn't just an adult goal for kids. OECD - OCDE recently published a great piece that includes student survey data about the importance students place on these skills as they manage their own learning. Both of these resources are worth a read! https://lnkd.in/g_5P9kWB #assessment #assessmentforlearning #employability #futureready #durableskills