Azilawati Jamaludin

Assessing student learning outcomes has been an integral and central component of schools and academic institutions, both as a measure of how well the school is performing and how well individual students are progressing. However, standardised tests might not be able to fully capture holistic aspects of learning such as self-regulatory competencies, motivation and interest. The Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy has been used to examine the quality of learning outcomes. Based on findings from the current study in a STEM-based learning curriculum, a new model, the Structure of Observed Learning and Interest Outcomes (SOLIO) taxonomy, is proposed to capture student interest development as well as learning outcomes for a more holistic assessment of learning.

Interest plays a critical role in learning and development. It is able to compel students toward short term exploration, motivating them toward the pursuit of future goals, as well as leading to the development of knowledge and cognitive abilities. Interest also enables students to rise above perceived restrictions and limitations to achieve their goals. Interest therefore plays a significant role in learning and development. Currently, most of the extant research on interest has been typically done using self-report surveys or by observations, which may be somewhat subjective in nature. This study therefore aims to further deepen our understanding of the value of interest on learning, and more importantly, suggests a novel method of tracing interest development over time. An alternative measure of interest through the use of neuro-physiological markers is suggested, with examples based on two case studies out of a class of 22 students. The Empatica E4 wristband was used to collect electrodermal activity (EDA) data to capture instances of triggered interest during a 10-week curriculum, which were triangulated with behavioral observations. The study found that EDA is a possible measure for recording and tracing interest development in students, providing a more nuanced and objective measure of interest development.