Assessment of Students’ Learning Outcome and Competency through a Blend of Knowledge and Practical Ability

Abstract

This study used Schneider's innovative design methodology and practices related
to education to examine the impact of creative pedagogy toward students’ learning
process improvement and outcomes through a blend of knowledge and practical
skills. The research question is centered on whether a blend of knowledge and
practical- ability serve as a fundamental resource for improving students’ learning
outcomes, and a strong catalyst for educational innovation? The study was
grounded on the theoretical framework of learning-oriented assessment (LOA), a
type of students’ learning outcomes (SLO) model. It used assessment data
collected from undergraduates registered at Tecnologico de Monterrey Global
Business School for the investigation. To this end, we applied the Independentsamples Mann-Whitney U test to determine the mean differences between the
students’ average grade and evidence 1 (Knowledge) and 2 (Practical- ability) by
considering two groups of students (virtual vs in-person). Also, Multiple linear
regression (OLS) and Multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to
test whether Knowledge- and Practical- ability factors have an impact or are
associated with final grades of the students, and whether the impact differs by the
two groups. The results show that students require a blend of both knowledge and
practicality to obtain quality learning/outcome.