Navigating the Learning Map with Dr. Jarrod Hingston at FoE

August 27, 2023

Contributor: Maroof Ahmed | Editor: Dadi Darmadi

On August 2, 2023, the Faculty of Education (FoE) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) was honored to host a public lecture by Dr. Jarrod Hingston, the Director of School and Early Childhood Education Services at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The topic of discussion was ‘The Learning Progression Concept,’ and it provided valuable insights into the modern approaches to educational assessment and progression.

Dr. Jarrod Hingston is an esteemed academic and a pivotal figure at ACER, an independent, not-for-profit research organization established in 1930. ACER’s mission is to “create and promote research-based knowledge, products, and services that can be used to improve learning across the lifespan”. With a global presence, including an office in Indonesia established in 2015, ACER has been actively collaborating with Indonesian educators for over three decades.

Dr. Hingston emphasized the importance of assessment in the educational journey. He highlighted that good assessment begins with a clear purpose, whether it is for selection, certification, or understanding achievement. A crucial aspect of assessment is its construct, which refers to ‘what students know and can do’. This construct is further divided into definition, structure, content strands/processes, proficiencies, and contexts.

One of the central themes of Dr. Hingston’s lecture was the Progressive Achievement Approach. He explained that while the traditional year-level achievement approach focuses on curriculum expectations, it often fails to acknowledge that learning is cumulative and not confined to specific year levels.

To address this, Dr. Hingston introduced the concept of a ‘progress map,’ which serves as a guide to understanding what skills and concepts a student needs to learn next. This map also allows educators to track a student’s progress over time.

ACER’s approach to this concept is rooted in providing reliable and valid methods to measure attainment at specific points in time and track progress over extended periods. Their Progressive Achievement assessments are designed to provide evidence to support teaching and learning, emphasizing that all students can demonstrate progress.

Dr. Hingston’s lecture was a testament to the evolving nature of education and the need for a more holistic approach to assessment. The Progressive Achievement Approach underscores the importance of understanding each student’s unique learning journey. It shifts the focus from mere year-level achievements to a more comprehensive view of a student’s progress over time.

The lecture was not just an academic discourse but a call to action for educators to adopt a more inclusive and progressive approach to teaching and assessment. It emphasized the importance of evidence-based teaching and the need to support every student in their unique learning journey.

Dr. Jarrod Hingston’s lecture was a valuable addition to the academic discourse at UIII. It provided a fresh perspective on assessment and emphasized the importance of a student-centric approach to education. As we move forward, it is essential to incorporate these insights into our educational practices to ensure that every student gets the best possible learning experience.

source: https://www.uiii.ac.id/news/57405/navigating-the-learning-map-with-dr-jarrod-hingston-at-foe