Research Contract – Learning Gain Research

2. There is growing interest around the world in measuring how much students in HE learn, and the contribution that institutions, courses and particular educational activities make to that learning. While there is in principle a difference between ‘learning gain’ – students’ improvements in skills and knowledge – and ‘value-added’ – the contribution of particular factors (such as the institution attended) to that improvement, the terms are often used interchangeably. While significant research has been undertaken elsewhere in the world, and in schools education in the UK (particularly on value-added), there has to date been comparatively little attention to the issue in UK higher education.