Phenomenography: A methodological approach for assessing student learning in student affairs

Abstract

In this paper, Melissa Rands and Ann Gansemer-Topf introduce the reader to a methodological approach, phenomenography, which can be used to document learning in student affairs. Phenomenography explores the variation in how different people conceive of learning experiences. By exploring this variation, student affairs professionals can design assessments that identify learners whose conceptions are more or less comprehensive, to ultimately evaluate a program’s or intervention’s effectiveness and tailor programs to address students’ learning needs. This brief introduction explores the approach’s origins in educational psychology as well as the conceptual foundations of phenomenography as applicable to other disciplines such as student affairs. A detailed description of the rigor of phenomenographic methods, including data collection and analysis, will be discussed. Examples of how phenomenographic research could be utilized in assessment in student affairs illustrate the methodological aspects of the approach and its application. The authors argue a phenomenological approach adds to outcomes-based assessment work by suggesting that meaningful student learning assessments must capture student thinking as well as performance.