American higher education needs a major reframing of student learning
outcomes assessment
Dynamic changes are underway in American higher education. New
providers, emerging technologies, cost concerns, student debt, and
nagging doubts about quality all call out the need for institutions to
show evidence of student learning. From scholars at the National
Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), Using Evidence of
Student Learning to Improve Higher Education presents a reframed
conception and approach to student learning outcomes assessment. The
authors explain why it is counterproductive to view collecting and using
evidence of student accomplishment as primarily a compliance activity.
Today's circumstances demand a fresh and more strategic approach to the
processes by which evidence about student learning is obtained and used
to inform efforts to improve teaching, learning, and decision-making.
Whether you're in the classroom, an administrative office, or on an
assessment committee, data about what students know and are able to do
are critical for guiding changes that are needed in institutional
policies and practices to improve student learning and success.
Use this book to:
- Understand how and why student learning outcomes assessment can
enhance student accomplishment and increase institutional
effectiveness
- Shift the view of assessment from being externally driven to
internally motivated
- Learn how assessment results can help inform decision-making
- Use assessment data to manage change and improve student success
Gauging student learning is necessary if institutions are to prepare
students to meet the 21st century needs of employers and live
an economically independent, civically responsible life. For assessment
professionals and educational leaders, Using Evidence of Student
Learning to Improve Higher Education offers both a compelling rationale
and practical advice for making student learning outcomes assessment
more effective and efficient.
