The Measurement of Student Learning Outcomes in a Holistic Learning Environment
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Within the field of education there have always been questions regarding the current state of the education system, seeking to identify the ways in which the education field and the course offerings to students could be improved (Bowe, Ball, & Gold, 2017; Eisner, 2017; Ellis, 2014). One of the more recent trends toward the improvement of the education offered to students is a shift toward the implementation of a holistic educational experience (Armstrong, Hustvedt, LeHew, Anderson, & Connell, 2016; Han, 2014; Lauricella & MacAskill, 2015). The holistic education movement is based around the idea that in order for a student to be well-rounded in his or her education, he or she must experience all aspects of that education equally, focusing on the total growth and development of the student (Armstrong et al., 2016; Han, 2014; Lauricella & MacAskill, 2015).
While such a practice has indeed garnered additional attention in the field of scholarly research in recent years, and while the goal of striving toward the best education possible is indeed a noble one, worthy of further attention and consideration, the question of how the application of such a theory of education affects the measurement of student learning outcomes is one that is little considered (Bhushan, 2015; Mahdavinia & Shoja, 2013; Suhid, Jusoh, Bakar, & Mamat, 2014). In order to explore this topic in greater detail, the purpose of this mixed methodology descriptive study was to explore the measurement of student learning outcomes in an education environment, toward the nurturing of holistic, entrepreneurial, and balanced graduates. Through the combination of knowledge, practical skills, social skills and responsibility, ethics and values, communication, problem-solving skills, information management, and entrepreneurship, it became possible to identify some of the most effective measurements of student learning within the context of a specific entrepreneurial school implementing the holistic education experience.
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