Learning-outcomes-based assessments at universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands: perceptions of business lecturers

About ten years ago, concerns were expressed about quality and standards in some universities of applied sciences (UAS) in the Netherlands. In response, a report (HBO, 2012) outlined a series of measures to improve the quality of assessment practices in UASs. This study provides recent analysis of lecturer perceptions of assessments of UASs with a view to exploring how these recommendations have become embedded in the assessment cultures of UASs. The qualitative study with 19 participants teaching at ten different UASs, reveals strong evidence of a staff knowledge gap around outcomes-based assessment.