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Chapter 16 - Measuring Student Character: Modernizing Predictors of Academic Success

from Part III - Assessments Used in Higher Education Admissions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2020

By
Nathan Kuncel ,
Khue Tran  and
Shu Han (Charlene) Zhang
Edited by
María Elena Oliveri  and
Cathy Wendler
María Elena Oliveri
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
Cathy Wendler
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
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Summary

This chapter describes noncognitive assessments that measure skills and traits such as leadership, moral character, empathy, social consciousness, and civic responsibility that may be used in admissions decisions. The traditional measures of noncognitive factors, such as letters of recommendation, as well as more modern tools such as situational judgment tests and biodata, are described, and existing research, possible sources of bias, and concerns related to their use reviewed. Recommendations for using practice for the various assessments are discussed.

Keywords

noncognitive assessmentspredictive validityfairnesstraditional measures of noncognitive skillsmodern measures of noncognitive skills
Type
Chapter
Information
Higher Education Admissions Practices
An International Perspective
 , pp. 276 - 302
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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