The long-term effect of a degree on graduate lives

This article considers the long-term effect of a degree on graduate lives. By following-up a degree course which has used active-learning methods with in a modular course for over 20 years, we provide a prototype for evaluatin g the lifelong learning generated by modern day teaching methods. While we concur with other researchers that there are communal benefits from a degre e, we also conclude that there is a huge variation in the long-term effects of a course on a relatively homogeneous group of students. The variation c omes from four main sources: (i) individual student backgrounds; (ii) diffe rent reconstructions of the same academic experience; (iii) the different p ersonal circumstances while at college; and (iv) the effects of individual careers after graduation (which in turn leads to further individual reconst ructions). These findings have three major implications for higher educatio n policy: (i) evaluation can benefit by changing its major focus from indiv idual courses to the whole college experience; (ii) there is value in looki ng at the long-term impact of that college experience; and (iii) all teachi ng and evaluation should respect the huge differences between individuals o n the same course. These findings challenge any teaching method, course com parison or policy implication which treats students as a homogeneous group.