Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve Higher Education

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.

American higher education needs a major reframing of student learning outcomes assessmentDynamic 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 successGauging 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.

Preface ixAcknowledgments xviiAbout the Authors xix1. From Compliance to Ownership: Why and How Colleges and Universities Assess Student Learning 1Stanley O. Ikenberry and George D. KuhPart One What Works? Finding and Using Evidence2. Evidence of Student Learning: What Counts and What Matters for Improvement 27Pat Hutchings, Jillian Kinzie, and George D. Kuh3. Fostering Greater Use of Assessment Results: Principles for Effective Practice 51Jillian Kinzie, Pat Hutchings, and Natasha A. Jankowski4. Making Assessment Consequential: Organizing to Yield Results 73Jillian Kinzie and Natasha A. JankowskiPart Two Who Cares? Engaging Key Stakeholders5. Faculty and Students: Assessment at the Intersection of Teaching and Learning 95Timothy Reese Cain and Pat Hutchings6. Leadership in Making Assessment Matter 117Peter T. Ewell and Stanley O. Ikenberry7. Accreditation as Opportunity: Serving Two Purposes with Assessment 146Peter T. Ewell and Natasha A. Jankowski8. The Bigger Picture: Student Learning Outcomes Assessment and External Entities 160Jillian Kinzie, Stanley O. Ikenberry, and Peter T. EwellPart Three What Now? Focusing Assessment on Learning9. Assessment and Initiative Fatigue: Keeping the Focus on Learning 183George D. Kuh and Pat Hutchings10. From Compliance Reporting to Effective Communication: Assessment and Transparency 201Natasha A. Jankowski and Timothy Reese Cain11. Making Assessment Matter 220George D. Kuh, Stanley O. Ikenberry, Natasha A. Jankowski, Timothy Reese Cain, Peter T. Ewell, Pat Hutchings, and Jillian KinzieReferences 237Appendix A: NILOA National Advisory Panel 261Appendix B: NILOA Staff, 2008 to 2014 263Index 265