Learning-Oriented Assessment in Higher Education: From Theory to Practice in Developing Vietnamese Students' Competencies
Main Article Content
Abstract
In the context of higher education globalization, learning assessment has become a critical factor determining educational quality. This study analyzes the transition from traditional assessment (Assessment of Learning) to Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) in higher education, focusing on practical implementation for developing Vietnamese students' competencies. Using a systematic review methodology, the research establishes theoretical foundations by clarifying the relationships among three assessment forms: Assessment of Learning (AoL), Assessment for Learning (AfL), and Assessment as Learning (AaL), and their roles within the LOA framework. Results indicate that LOA demonstrates potential for developing students' comprehensive competencies, including metacognitive thinking, self-regulated learning capabilities, and lifelong learning skills. In Vietnam, despite positive policy changes, LOA implementation faces challenges related to awareness, faculty competency, infrastructure, and administrative management. Building upon the theoretical foundation, the study proposes practical solutions for implementing LOA in Vietnamese higher education and recommends specific measures to develop students' comprehensive competencies in the digital era.
Keywords:
Learning-oriented assessment, student competency development, Assessment for Learning, LOA, Vietnamese higher education.
References
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[3] D. Carless, G. Joughin, M. M. C. Mok, Learning‐oriented Assessment: Principles and Practice, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2006, pp. 395-398.
[4] G. Gibbs, How Assessment Frames Student Learning, in: C. Bryan, K. Clegg (Eds.), Innovative Assessment in Higher Education, Routledge, London, 2006, pp. 23-36.
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[6] W. Zeng, F. Huang, L. Yu, S. Chen, Towards a Learning-oriented Assessment to Improve Students' Learning-a Critical Review of Literature, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, Vol. 30, 2018, pp. 211-250.
[7] K. Jalilzadeh, C. Coombe, Assessment of Learning, Assessment for Learning, and Assessment as Learning: Exploring EFL Teachers' Practices and Beliefs, Language Assessment Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2023, pp. 181-199.
[8] I. Fazel, S. Ali, Exploring Learning-oriented Assessment in Online EAP Writing Instruction, British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 53, No. 6, 2022, pp. 1890-1908.
[9] Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Decision on Approval of Education Development Strategy 2011-2020, Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi, 2012 (in Vietnamese).
[10] T. Pham, P. Renshaw, Formative Assessment in Confucian Heritage Culture Classrooms: Activity Theory Analysis of Tensions, Contradictions and Hybrid Practices, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2015, pp. 45-59.
[11] H. Luong, Factors Affecting Assessment Practices of University Lecturers in Vietnam, International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, Vol. 1, No. 4, 2016, pp. 55-60.
[12] M. Earl, Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind: Assessment for Learning, Assessment as Learning, Assessment of Learning, Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, Winnipeg, 2006.
[13] L. Brown, Self-assessment of Learning and Achievement, in: J. D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., Elsevier, 2015, pp. 514-520.
[14] P. Black, D. Wiliam, Classroom Assessment and Pedagogy, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, Vol. 25, No. 6, 2018, pp. 551-575.
[15] D. Carless, D. Salter, M. Yang, J. Lam, Developing Sustainable Feedback Practices, Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2011, pp. 395-407.
[16] A. Derakhshan, F. Ghiasvand, Exploring Learning-oriented Assessment in EAP Writing Classrooms: Teacher and Student Perspectives, Language Testing in Asia, Vol. 13, 2023, pp. 36.
[17] C. Mok, L. Lung, W. Cheng, P. Cheung, L. Nguyen, Self‐assessment in Higher Education: Experience in using a Metacognitive Approach in Five case Studies, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2006, pp. 415-433.
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[19] A. Popandopulo, A. Kudysheva, N. Fominykh, M. Nurgaliyeva, N. Kudarova, Assessment of Students' Metacognitive Skills in the Context of Education 4.0, Frontiers in Education, Vol. 8, 2023, pp. 1182377.
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[21] A. Kolb, Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, 2nd ed., Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, 2014.
[22] D. Carless, Learning-oriented Assessment: Conceptual Basis and Practical Implications, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2007, pp. 57-66.
[23] M. Wakid, H. Sofyan, A. Widowati, A. Zaida Ilma, Learning-oriented Assessment: A Systematic Literature Network Analysis, Cogent Education, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2024, pp. 2366075.
[24] L. Brown, L. R. Harris, J. Harnett, Teacher Beliefs about Feedback within an Assessment for Learning Environment: Endorsement of Improved Learning over Student Well-being, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 36, 2015, pp. 47-56.
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[26] J. Nicol, D. M. Dick, Formative Assessment and Self-regulated Learning: A model and Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice, Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2006, pp. 199-218.
[27] D. Boud, E. Molloy, Rethinking models of Feedback for Learning: The Challenge of Design, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 38, No. 6, 2013, pp. 698-712.
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[29] M. Keppell, D. Carless, Learning-oriented Assessment: A Technology-based case Study, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2006, pp. 179-191.
[30] F. Tang, K. Chow, Communicating Feedback in Teaching Practice Supervision in a Learning-oriented Field Experience Assessment Framework, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 23, No. 7, 2007, pp. 1066-1085.
[31] M. Ly, Reforms in Assessment Practices in Vietnamese Higher Education: A case Study at a Teacher Training University, Victoria University, Melbourne, 2015.
[32] Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Circular No. 04/2025/TT-BGDĐT on Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education through Competency-Based Approach, Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi, 2025 (in Vietnamese).
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[35] T. Duyen, T. Nghia, Promoting Alternative Assessment in Vietnamese Higher Education: Overcoming Challenges in Language Education, VNUHCM Journal of Science and Technology Development, Vol. 27, 2024, pp. 73-87, https://doi.org/10.32508/stdj.v27iSI.4417.
[36] H. Nguyen, Professional Development for University Lecturers: The case of Assessment Literacy in Vietnam, Higher Education Research and Development, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2020, pp. 670-684.
[37] H. Nguyen, Challenges to Higher Education Reform - A University Management Perspective, in: Education in Vietnam, 2011, pp. 237-258.
[38] P. Anh, Classroom-based Assessment in Vietnam: An Investigation into Teachers' Beliefs and Practices, Presented at Vietnam Language Assessment Symposium 2017, British Council, 2017.
[39] N. Giang, Teachers' Perceptions and Descriptions of Classroom-based Assessment Practices in Vietnam, Presented at Vietnam Language Assessment Symposium 2017, British Council, 2017.
[40] T. Tran, Exploring Alternative Assessment Practices in Vietnamese Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges, Vietnamese Educational Review, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2017, pp. 45-58.
[41] N. Tran, Infrastructure Challenges to Assessment Innovation in Vietnamese Higher Education, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 46, No. 5, 2021, pp. 823-836.
[42] T. Le, Digital Divide and Online Assessment in Higher Education: Challenges and Solutions, Vietnam Journal of Education, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2022, pp. 78-92.
[43] J. Andre, R. Webster, Making Assessment more Authentic in Vietnam, In Leadership and Management in Higher Education in a Globalized World: Innovations and Best Practices, 2018, pp. 14.
[44] H. Le, F. Bouilheres, Authentic Assessment to Prepare Students for Employability Skills, Presented at Leadership and Management in Higher Education: Challenges, Opportunities and Ways Forward, 2017.
[45] V. McCune, D. Hounsell, The Development of Students' Ways of Thinking and Practising in Three Final-year Biology Courses, Higher Education, Vol. 49, No. 3, 2005, pp. 255-289.
[46] N. Thanh, H. Vo, N. Nhat, T. Pham, T. Trung, H. Xuan, Race with the Machines: Assessing the Capability of Generative AI in Solving Authentic Assessments, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 39, No. 5, 2023, pp. 59-81.
[47] T. Pham, R. Gillies, Designing a Culturally Appropriate Format of Formative Peer Assessment for Asian Students: The Case of Vietnamese Teacher Training, in: M. Levy (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, IATED, Madrid, 2010, pp. 7104-7113.
[48] OECD, Synergies for Better Learning: An International Perspective on Evaluation and Assessment, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2013.
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[50] W. Tian, H. D. Le, N. T. Nguyen, Vietnamese University EFL Teachers’ Practices and Literacy in Classroom Assessment: A Sociocultural Perspective, System, Vol. 116, 2023, pp. 103066.
[51] T. T. M. Tran, Vietnam’s Comprehensive Educational Reform: Reflections After a Decade of Implementation (2013-2024), Conhecimento & Diversidade, Vol. 16, No. 44, 2024, pp. 511-537.
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