Cross-national comparability of assessment in higher education

Abstract

The last three decades have seen an increase in researchers' interest in international comparative assessments of educational outcomes, particularly at the level of secondary schools. Achieving cross-national comparability is the main methodological challenge in the design of such studies. Cross-national comparability of test scores implies that the measure operates similarly across all the participating countries, regardless of their linguistic and cultural differences. The process of achieving cross-national comparability in higher education is more complicated due to specific features of higher education. This article explores the modern understanding of cross-national comparability of student assessment results and the possible ways of achieving it. It analyzes the specific aspects of higher education that complicate standardized measurement of educational outcomes and trivial achievement of cross-national comparability. The process of designing and conducting the Study of Undergraduate Performance-an international comparative research project aimed to assess and compare higher engineering education across nations-is described as an example of overcoming those challenges.