Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that the curriculum and knowledge in higher education (HE) are especially visible through (and often constructed by) assessment practices. If this is the case, it matters greatly what perspectives and theoretical tools are brought to bear on the task of understanding these practices. Having briefly set out three perspectives on assessment in HE (the technical, humanist and interactionist), this paper introduces a ‘learning cultures’ perspective, drawing upon the work of Bourdieu, developed as part of a recent research project on English Further Education. The application of this perspective in HE is introduced through a vignette outlining a recent assessment episode and notes on how it may be explored. The paper argues that whilst some contemporary work on HE assessment incorporates elements of a cultural perspective, there are potential practical benefits to a more thoroughgoing adoption of a ‘learning cultures’ approach.
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Notes
‘Constructive alignment’ is Biggs’s term for a system for achieving an optimum alignment or integration between the main components (the learning environment, activities, assessment and learning outcomes) of a teaching and learning situation (e.g. Biggs 2003). Its implications are both radical and positive in situations where teachers have the opportunity to reshape the main components. Arguably, the scope for achieving constructive alignment in higher education diminishes as there is growth in centralized specification of one sort or another. See Cuthbert (2002) for an argument about its limitations as a model in the face of complexity and reduced opportunities for classically rational action.
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I am most grateful to the two anonymous referees whose comments helped a great deal in the further development and strengthening this paper.
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James, D. Investigating the curriculum through assessment practice in higher education: the value of a ‘learning cultures’ approach. High Educ 67, 155–169 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9652-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9652-6