Performance-based Assessments in Higher Education

Research group PAHE (Performance-based Assessments in Higher Education) examines what kind of competence higher education produces and how it can be reliably assessed. The group develops and utilizes assessment methods that measure students’ performance in a holistic and authentic way. For example, the group has carried out the KAPPAS research projects that have assessed the level of higher education students’ generic skills in Finland, focusing especially on critical thinking and argumentation skills.

The starting point of the research group is that competence is not only knowledge, but also includes practical skills and motivation, i.e. the desire to apply one’s competence. The group is united by the goal of developing higher education through research so that it supports students’ learning and competence development. In addition, the research carried out by the group provides higher education institutions and the higher education system with valuable information on what kind of competence higher education actually produces.