21st-century-skills
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- PaperJournal of Learning Analytics15 Mar 2026
Assessing 21st Century Competencies
Mónica Hernández-Campos, Isabel Hilliger, Francisco-José García-Peñalvo
This study examines how curriculum analytics tools support the direct assessment of learning outcomes aligned with 21st-century competencies in higher education. Through a two-case study design involving interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, and document analysis, the researchers found that these tools generate actionable insights that guide faculty toward more authentic and reflective teaching practices. The findings provide empirical evidence for integrating curriculum analytics into continuous improvement processes.
Original abstract
The growing emphasis on competency-based education (CBE) has heightened the need for clearly defined metrics and robust assessment frameworks to evaluate 21st-century competencies. Curriculum analytics (CA) provides a promising avenue for assessing learning outcomes (LOs) and informing continuous improvement in higher education. However, challenges persist in differentiating academic performance from actual LO development and in translating assessment data into meaningful program-level actions. This study examines how CA tools support the direct assessment of LOs and contribute to continuous improvement processes in higher education. Using a two-case study design, we analyzed CA implementation in two universities through interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, and institutional document analysis. Data triangulation identified 18 themes, nine of which reached full consensus among the three researchers. Findings indicate that CA tools effectively support the assessment of LOs aligned with 21st-century competencies by generating actionable insights that guide faculty toward more authentic and reflective teaching practices. The study contributes to the LA field by providing empirical evidence of how CA tools can bridge assessment and pedagogical improvement, offering both theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners.