Assessment of Student Learning: Overview

While we value student learning assessment as a part of fulfilling the requirements of reaccreditation, the primary reason we assess is to continuously improve student learning and the quality of our academic programs. We view assessment as essentially about informed decision-making and, borrowing from Barbara Walvoord, define assessment as "the systematic gathering of information about student learning, using the time, resources, and expertise available, in order to inform decisions about how to improve learning." Within this framework, assessment is comprised of four basic steps:

1. Articulate outcomes for student learning.

2. Gather information about how well students are achieving the outcomes.

3. Evaluate the information and interpret findings.

4. Use the findings for programmatic and curricular improvement.

At the base of our approach to assessment is, of course, student-centered learning. However, we are also motivated by the idea that the assessment process, and information gathered by that process, is actually used by faculty. For us, both assessment's primary purpose of providing information for improving decisions connected to student learning and assessment's process must be structured in ways that ask, how utilizable is assessment for those at the center of student learning-based decisions, the faculty?

One result of asking this questions is beginning--and sustaining--the conversation about assessment by asking faculty about what they are already doing that reflects their commitment to student learning but not calling "assessment". We emphasize the use of existing information, activities, and practice; for example, we oftentimes suggest that programs employ "course-embedded assessment" or focus on existing capstone experiences. But this emphasis is always coupled with a push for a willingness to reexamine what is familiar and to consider new and better methods. A second result of asking the above question is to construct inquiry that is systematic and rigorous but in a positive way that appreciates faculty and programmatic strengths. Instead of an emphasis on negation and criticism, we work to emphasize the search for the best in what people and programs already do and the envisioning of how to build on these strengths. We have found that this necessitates a collaborative, consensual, and participatory approach.

We provide assessment consultation and services to individual faculty, academic programs, departments, and schools and invite faculty and academic administrators to contact us. Call (824-0110) or write Chris Procello, Ph.D. for more information.

Last Updated: 11/3/2009