Beyond the Transaction

At a recent conference, a panelist made a comment that stopped me in my tracks: Education is often just a series of inputs and outputs—the outputs we measure with assessments. That statement lingered with me. The notion that learning has been reduced to a mechanistic, transactional process—where we input instruction, measure the output, and repeat—captures a growing problem in higher education. In our pursuit of efficiency and accountability, we've embraced measurability so thoroughly that we risk stripping education of its deeper purpose.

The Danger of Transactional Learning

We are drawn to tangible outputs—grades, test scores. But when these become the primary focus, we condition students to view learning as a series of hoops to jump through rather than a transformative experience. They begin asking, "What do I need to do to get an A?" instead of "How can I engage deeply with this material (or some variation of this question)?" Learning becomes a game of compliance, where success depends on external validation rather than genuine intellectual curiosity.

In disciplines like the arts, this approach is particularly damaging. The most meaningful learning happens in the struggle—when students wrestle with ideas, revise their work, and sit with ambiguity. Yet rigid assessment structures leave little room for this struggle. The system rewards polished outcomes over the messy, iterative process that leads to real growth.

Why Process Matters

When we focus on process over product, we invite students to take intellectual risks. We give them permission to fail, refine, and try again. This shift fosters intrinsic motivation—the joy of discovery becomes the reward, not just the grade at the end. It also builds resilience and adaptability, qualities essential for life beyond the classroom. The ability to navigate complexity, think creatively, and persist through challenges isn't developed through standardized testing—it's cultivated through working through difficult problems.

Shifting the Focus

So how do we get there? How do we reclaim learning as an experience rather than a transaction?

• Use formative assessments—portfolios, reflective writing, and creative projects capture student growth in ways a single test cannot.

• Encourage revision and iteration—let students refine their work rather than pursuing perfection on the first attempt.

• Promote open-ended inquiry—value the process of exploration as much as the final answer.

When we emphasize how students learn—not just what they produce—we create an education system that fosters creativity, resilience, and deep engagement. And ultimately, isn't that what education is supposed to be about?