ABSTRACT
Evidence 2 Kirschner et al (1997) set out the case for a study environment in higher education where there is a development of academic and professional competence. They formulate competence to mean that knowledge and skills have been acquired to a sufficient minimum standard. Biggs (1999) emphasizes the importance of a focus on ‘how well’ students know, as much as ‘what’ they know. Specifying learning objectives in advance of their attainment does not preclude other desirable but unforeseen outcomes. Prosser and Trigwell (1998) also argue for the quality of learning outcomes, which they equate with ‘ways of understanding’. Students should be able to see relations between elements of their understanding, and that these relationships can be applied in new ways in novel situations. Students need to be drawn into the educational process so that they can understand how they can use the directives to their greatest advantage.
