The more problematic areas of skill development and competence in graduate capabilities were in the higher order skills of inquiry/research, creativity and problem solving and collaborative teamwork.
Higher order skills include analysis, synthesis, and evaluation and require mastery of previous levels, such as applying routine rules to familiar or novel problems (McDavitt, 1993).
This challenges future research to identify under which conditions learning activities based on mobile serious games can promote the development of higher order skills.
"That doesn't just mean that basic skills are not being taught well enough, but that we're not delivering in the higher order skills of literacy and numeracy either".
In the most recent five years, the research was focused on improving learners' performance in science, especially social science, and in natural scenarios outside of the classroom, but less emphasis was put on developing learners' skills and higher order skills.
In their meta-analysis, Wouters and Van Oostendorp (2013) show how instructors, acting in a facilitating and supporting role, can foster learning, particularly in selecting and discussing new information and where higher order skills are involved in the learning outcomes.
Although the students in this study used the commenting feature of blogs effectively for the purpose of praising and encouraging their peers, and giving hints and tips for solving problems, they did not coach each other on higher order skills.
Until high-stakes assessments begin to reflect these priorities, higher order skills will continue to get short shrift in schools.
Well-constructed MCQs should be considered a satisfactory replacement for MEQs if the MEQs cannot be designed to adequately test higher order skills.
It should also ensure that higher order skills including leadership, communication, clinical decision-making, data management, quality improvement, and ethical practices are addressed.
