Research issues in evaluating learning pattern development in higher education

This article concludes the special issue of Studies in Educational Evaluation concerned with “Evaluating learning pattern development in higher education” by discussing research issues that have emerged from the previous contributions. The article considers in turn: stability versus variability in learning patterns; old versus new analytic techniques; handling missing observations; measures of effect size; predispositions versus processes; and why it should be so hard to improve the quality of student learning in higher education.

► Learning pattern development implicates diverse topics and diverse instruments.
► A key issue is that of stability versus variability in learning patterns.
► Research on learning patterns demands both old and new analytic techniques.
► Researchers need to handle missing data and to report measures of effect size.
► Students’ conceptions of learning constrain improvements in their learning.