Abstract: A university and college education is focused on learning, isn't it? Looking at the credentials we offer—our degrees, diplomas, and transcripts—the answer is not so clear.
Students at a university or college should take intellectual risks, challenge opinions, and experience diversity. Our credentials however, focus primarily on completing requirements and reporting courses, majors, and grades. What is left out is what and how students learned, and the skills and competencies students acquired within and beyond the classroom.
By highlighting grades, we indicate to students that grades are what is valued. Ask a student what their GPA is, he or she will tell you. Ask a student what transferable skills they developed in their political science class, chances are you will get a blank stare. No wonder the media, legislators, and parents are raising concerns about the value of a degree—students know their grades but have difficulty in articulating the underlying value of their education.
If we want a university and college education to focus on its purpose—learning—then we need to reframe the way we highlight outcomes. Across the nation and abroad, educational leaders have begun the process of helping students define the value and purpose of their degrees. Specifically, institutions should help students navigate and construct their unique experience and provide innovative ways to help students both reflect on and articulate the range of experiences, knowledge, and competencies that constitute their education. We highlight our University of California San Diego's Engaged Learning Tools as a model that has provided an integrated and expansive way to document the student experience.