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The first challenge in the development of the UniLOA
was to determine what constructs should be measured
that represented holistic student GLD. Two
approaches were used to determine those constructs.
The first step included an extensive literature
search of existing research that has already defined
overarching constructs. That search included
referencing works in student development including
authors such as Chickering, Astin, Ting, Pascarella,
Bandura, Pajares, Terenzini and Kohlberg, among
others. Domains, factors and variables identified in
that research provided a base from which to generate
hypotheses as to the overarching constructs that
should be measured.
The second step was to gather
information from students, alumni, employers,
academicians and other constituents from across the country, asking them to
answer the question “what attributes and qualities
are represented in a ‘successful’ college student at
graduation?” A combination of individual structured
interview, focus groups and web-based open-ended
surveys allowed the authors to collect statements,
observations and conclusions which were recorded and
later analyzed for thematic discovery.
While seven domains are explored within the
UniLOA, it is important to understand that the
scales are not orthogonal (independent) from one
another. Rather, they are considered oblique
(correlated) with one another, and therefore, have
some degree of overlap as they all, in combination,
contribute to holistic growth, learning and
development.
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