NILOA Newsletters
We send out monthly newsletters about the work we are doing at NILOA. Sign up here to receive these newsletters.
Current issue: May 2012
April 2012
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January 2012Newsletter Archives:
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Lumina Foundation for Education has asked NILOA to examine the various ways colleges and universities are using the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP). The goal of this work is to better understand the utility of the DQP as a framework for assessing and advancing student learning. NILOA’s work is intended to inform future refinements and use of the DQP and related efforts to enhance student learning and institutional effectiveness. Stay tuned for the creation of a DQP corner of our website with a message board for those interested in learning more about and working with the DQP. If your institution is working with the DQP but not currently associated with of one of the Lumina-funded DQP projects, we would love to hear about it. Please e-mail Natasha Jankowski, NILOA Project Manager, at njankow2@illinois.edu.
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AAHE Principles of Good Practice: Aging Nicely |
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A Letter from Pat Hutchings, Peter Ewell, and Trudy Banta |
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Twenty years ago, in 1992, the American Association for Higher Education’s Assessment Forum released its “Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning,” a document developed by twelve prominent scholar-practitioner of the movement. The principles have been widely used, studied, and written about (see for instance Banta, Lund, Black, and Oblander, 1995), and adapted in other documents and statements. Their inclusion on the NILOA website is a welcome addition, for, like good wine, the AAHE Principles have aged quite nicely. Read more… NILOA welcomes any feedback or reflections you may have on the AAHE Principles. Take a moment to share your thoughts by filling out this form. |
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NILOA Updates
Newest NILOA Report Released
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Transparency & Accountability: An Evaluation of the VSA College Portrait Pilot NILOA was invited to evaluate the utility of the student learning outcomes pilot project within the College Portrait of the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA). The findings are presented in this report: Transparency & Accountability: An Evaluation of the VSA College Portrait Pilot, and were used by the VSA to develop a framework for expanding student learning outcomes reporting options for participating institutions. A technical work group of assessment, institutional research, and measurement professionals discussed alternative measures, and the group’s recommendations will be considered for adoption by the VSA Oversight Board during their May 18 meeting. A summary of the newly approved measurement and reporting options will be available on the VSA website homepage by the end of May. To read the NILOA report, click here. |
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The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) at Jacksonville State University is committed to providing “accurate, reliable, and systematic departmental and institutional support in research and assessment” through the use of “cutting-edge technology and a collection of high quality, proven tools and resources that support continuous improvement through meaningful planning, analysis, reporting, and informed decision-making.” Examples of how departments are using assessment to improve JSU's campus are captured in OIRA's newsletter, "Momentum," available each semester. Assessment reports, which include information on a department/program's operational goals, objectives, strategies, methods of assessment/evaluation, and use of results, are all stored in JSU's password-protected PRISM information management system. Communication about various assessment initiatives, creativity in making live data accessible including through a mobile app, and centralization of assessment resources, Jacksonville State University's OIRA is May's Featured Website. Read more…
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News
We collect news items from a variety of sources related to learning outcomes assessment for our website. Listed below are some from the past month:
New Publication from AAC&U
A new report titled, "Linking Diversity and Civic-Minded Practices with Student Outcomes: New Evidence from National Surveys," by Sylvia Hurtado and Linda DeAngelo discusses how diverse, civic-minded learning environments can contribute to positive student outcomes.
Clemson Seeks to Diminish the Sophomore Slump
Clemson's new requirement of emphasizing critical thinking skills during a student's sophomore year is the focus of this article.
No College Left Behind: A guest post
Robert J. Sternberg writes a brief commentary in The Washington Post on the use of standardized tests for accountability purposes in higher education.
At a Community College in Arizona, Interns Survey the Local Economy
This article discusses the use of internships to enhance student learning and also benefit the local community.
Prior learning assessment catches on, quietly
Read Inside Higher Ed's articles on the future of prior learning assessment. Part I provides background on the current efforts of using prior learning assessment primarily for adult learners. Part II explores the efforts in awarding credit for prior learning assessment for "college-level learning" by partnerships between corporate businesses (i.e., Walmart, Starbucks) and for-profit higher education institutions.
Did Anyone Ask the Students?
Split into two parts, this article presents conversations held with six students about what they value in a college education as well as what they see as the future of higher education. Part I and Part II are included here.
Pennsylvania Community Colleges Adopt National Accountability System
Pennsylvania is the first state to adopt AACC's Voluntary Framework of Accountability which will aid in the collection and reporting of student progress and success measures for its 14 community colleges.
Credit Hour (Still) Rules
This article describes Western Governors University's attempt to link student learning to assessments rather than the standard credit hour.
Stop Telling Students to Study for Exams
In this commentary, the author discusses the need for faculty members to emphasize to students to study for the sake of learning rather than for exams. In addition, the use of formative and summative assessment to assess students' learning is discussed.
Upcoming Conferences and Programs
A number of conferences and workshops on learning outcomes assessment may be found on our online calendar. Those coming up in the next month are listed below:
Proposals Due: June 15 - AGLS Application for the 2012 Exemplary Program Awards
Applications for the 2012 Association for General and Liberal Studies Exemplary Program Award are now being accepted through June 15, 2012. The application and evaluation rubric can be found here. The 2012 Award will recognize institutions using assessment to improve general and liberal education learning. The application asks institutions to describe their collaborative efforts to gather results, use the results to develop systematic learning improvement projects, and then verify those improvements. Questions about the Award or the application process should be directed to: Michael Gress, mgress@vinu.edu.
Events:
May 22-24: 2012 CIC Department and Division Chair Workshops - Promoting Institutional Effectiveness Through Collaboration
The Council of Independent Colleges at The Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC
June 2-6: 2012 Annual Forum
Association for Institutional Research in New Orleans, LA
*Please consider attending NILOA's presentations.
June 2-6: 2012 Institute on General Education and Assessment
Association of American Colleges & Universities at The Hotel at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, MD
June 3-5: AALHE 2nd Annual Conference - The Well-Rounded Assessment Practitioner: Exploring the Skills, Knowledge, and Art of the Assessment Profession in Higher Education
Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE) at Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM
June 5-7: 2012 CIC Department and Division Chair Workshops - Promoting Institutional Effectiveness Through Collaboration
The Council of Independent Colleges at The Benson Hotel in Portland, OR
June 7-9: NASPA Assessment & Persistence Conference
NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education at Hyatt Regency Tampa in Tampa, FL
June 7-8: NEEAN Academic Assessment Summer Institute
New England Educational Assessment Network (NEEAN) at Keene State College, NH
June 11-13: Connecting Student Learning Outcomes to Teaching, Assessment, Curriculum Workshop (3-day workshop)
Alverno College at Milwaukee, WI
June 11-15: Connecting Student Learning Outcomes to Teaching, Assessment, Curriculum Workshop (weeklong workshop)
Alverno College at Milwaukee, WI
June 13-15: ACPA Student Affairs Assessment Institute
American College Personnel Association (ACPA) at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA
June 18: Western New York Assessment Consortium for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Western New York Assessment Consortium for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY
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Current State of Learning Outcomes Assessment Viewpoint NILOA hosted a panel discussion on the current state of assessing student learning outcomes at the January 2012 annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Dr. Eduardo M. Ochoa, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education, was on the panel, but due to illness was unable to participate. In this month’s Viewpoint, Dr. Ochoa graciously shares his thoughts in response to questions posed to each of the panelists. New Resources on NILOA website We have recently added new resources to our Curriculum Mapping, Portfolio, and Rubrics pages. If you are aware of other resources that might be useful, please email njankow2@illinois.edu. |
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The State of Assessment of Learning Outcomes |
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Dr. Eduardo M. Ochoa, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education |
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My sense of assessment of learning outcomes in higher education is framed by what I think is its ultimate purpose and ideal end-state. Ideally, we would have a well-articulated, measurable set of desired educational outcomes associated with all our academic programs. Such measures would exhibit some commonalities in terms of capacities associated with different degree levels, as well as unique aspects by discipline and institutional mission. Student progress toward achieving those capacities would be gauged based on how far and how many of the desired outcomes have been attained using well-established metrics, rather than by seat time or actual hours of work. In such an ideal world, we might not even need the credit-hour rule to distribute Federal student aid! Read more… |
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NILOA Updates
Newest Occasional Paper Released
NILOA's fourteenth Occasional Paper is now available:
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An Essential Partner: The Librarian’s Role in Student Learning Assessment By Debra Gilchrist and Megan Oakleaf The authors, two leaders in librarianship and assessment, document ways librarians contribute toward campus efforts of student learning assessment. The paper includes a variety of examples of institutions that have developed student learning assessment processes. |
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Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has accumulated a variety of assessment resources on its website. One of the signature initiatives is what is known as Principles of Undergraduate Learning. In addition, IUPUI is active in promoting its work on ePortfolios. For the month of April, IUPUI has been selected as NILOA’s Featured Website in the categories of Communication and Creativity. Read more…
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News
We collect news items from a variety of sources related to learning outcomes assessment for our website. Listed below are some from the past month:
Testing the Teachers
An opinion piece discussing current measurements of student learning. A response to this article in The Chronicle of Higher Ed can be found here.
Culture Change for Learning
In this essay, the authors list four areas needed in higher education reform in order to strengthen its culture of teaching and learning.
Elite Universities' Online Play
Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor are some of the latest institutions to offer open online courses similar to MITx's OpenCourse Ware Initiative.
For Student Success, Stop Debating and Start Improving
Ideas how to improve student success, while still maintaining quality, are the focus of this article.
Me.edu: Debating the Coming Personalization of Higher Ed
At a recent education innovation conference in Arizona, conveners discussed the idea of using data mining to personalize a student's learning experience.
Testing for Better Writers
The uses and effectiveness of writing skills tests for students at both Old Dominion University and Hampden-Sydney College are discussed.
Can Colleges Manufacture Motivation?
This article discusses a paper presented at the American Educational Research Association's Conference which looks at how academic motivation of students can affect their critical thinking.
Innovations in Higher Education? Hah!
This article from the Chronicle discusses change and higher education including the potential of competency-based credentials to impact student learning.
Performance Pay for College Faculty
Contracts of part-time instructors at the City Colleges of Chicago now link their pay to student outcomes.
A College President Speaks to Admitted Students About Price and Value
A video from President Brian Rosenberg on the value of a Macalester College education.
A Future Full of Badges
This commentary discusses the future of badges in which "students will be able to customize learning goals within the larger curricular framework, integrate continuing peer and faculty feedback about their progress toward achieving those goals, and tailor the way badges and the metadata within them are displayed to the outside world."
Update on the Revamping of Teacher-Training Colleges
Updates to the U.S. Department of Education's work on revamping teacher-training programs plan to require states to use reliable and valid measures of student learning to show the added value of these programs. Reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed.
CGS Launches Project to Prepare Future Faculty to Assess Undergraduate Learning
The Council of Graduate Schools begins a 3-year project at 5 institutions to help future faculty (current graduate students) with student learning outcomes assessment.
Trying to Find a Measure for How Well Colleges Do
This article discusses assessments currently used in colleges and universities to help measure their value.
Rules to Measure Quality of Teaching-Training Programs Slowly Take Shape
Revamping teacher-training programs to use reliable measures of student learning are of primary importance in the latest discussions about programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.
New Publication from AAC&U
"Assessing College Student Learning: Evaluating Alternative Models, Using Multiple Methods," by Robert J. Sternberg, Jeremy Penn, Christie Hawkins, and Sally Reed presents information about assessment plans and models in this publication. Institutional case studies are also provided.
Study-Abroad Officials Are Under More Pressure to Prove Their Programs' Value
A short article about the value-added to a student's education through study abroad programs.
Why Research Universities Must Change
This article discusses how research universities, despite their complexity and culture, change through the years but still need to pay attention to the quality of student learning.
Upcoming Conferences and Programs
A number of conferences and workshops on learning outcomes assessment may be found on our online calendar. Those coming up in the next month are listed below:
May 15-17: 2012 CIC Department and Division Chair Workshops - Promoting Institutional Effectiveness Through Collaboration
The Council of Independent Colleges at the Providence Biltmore in Providence, RI
May 16: Ninth Annual Student Affairs Research Symposium - Getting to Nine: Moving Toward Data-Informed Decisions
University of Michigan Division of Student Affairs at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI
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What is Satisfactory Performance? Continuing our discussion on rubrics, this month's Viewpoint by Patricia (Pat) DeWitt offers differing purposes for utilizing rubrics and setting levels of satisfactory performance. To read more, look below. Featured Website Criteria Revision The criteria for selection of a NILOA Featured Website are updated and include a new category – Centralized Assessment Repository. Good work in this category is represented by websites that store or provide links in a central location to assessment information related to one or more of the NILOA Transparency Framework's six components. Click here to see the revised criteria. |
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2012 CHEA Award Winners The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) annually recognizes colleges and universities doing exemplary work in using the results of student learning outcomes assessment. Congratulations to the 2012 CHEA Award Winners - Georgia Institute of Technology, Rio Salado College, and University of California, Merced. To read more about the award and institutions, click here. American Association of Higher Education's Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning Please take a moment to refresh yourself on the various principles of assessment, including those published by AAHE, by clicking here. An overview of the development of AAHE's Principles and their continuing relevance today by Pat Hutchings will be forthcoming in a future NILOA newsletter. |
ViewpointWhat is Satisfactory Performance? Measuring Students and Measuring Programs with Rubrics Dr. Patricia Dewitt, Assistant Vice President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, Shorter University Some assessment experts strongly recommend that a desired level of achievement be stated when measuring student performance on stated student learning outcomes. According to Nichols, the criteria should be stated in quantitative terms, as this example illustrates: “Eighty percent of those taking the CPA exam each year…will pass three of four parts of the exam” (Nichols, 1989, p. 178). In the era of rubrics, this can easily be translated to “Eighty percent of students…will score at least ‘satisfactory’ on three of the four rubric rows.” But why eighty percent? Read more. . .
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Western Washington University does an excellent job publicly reporting its assessment activities on campus. Not only are assessment plans accessible for each department but Program and Course Assessment Handbooks are available to highlight tools and techniques for writing assessment plans for program and course improvement. Home to both the Dialogue and Praxis publications, Western Washington University’s Assessment Office provides resources for both internal and external audiences in the area of assessment. Western Washington University is NILOA's Featured Website in the categories of Communication and Creativity. Read more… |
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News
We present news items from a variety of sources related to learning outcomes assessment on our website. Listed below are some from the past month:
New Article on Learning Outcomes Published
A recent article titled, "The Learning Outcomes Race: The Value of Self-Report Gains in Large Research Universities," written by John Aubrey Douglass, Gregg Thomson, and Chun-Mei Zhao, focuses on the results obtained from the University of California’s Undergraduate Experience Survey (Student Experience in the Research University Survey: SERU-S). The authors conclude ". . . designed properly, student surveys offer a valuable and more nuanced alternative in understanding and identifying learning outcomes in the broad tapestry of higher education institutions." The article's full text can be downloaded here.
Recommended for You
This article describes a new aid in increasing course/degree completion - Degree Compass, software designed and used by Austin Peay State University, which is being used to predict future grades of students in courses before they even enroll in this course.
Trying To Assess Learning Gives Colleges Their Own Text Anxiety
This article provides thoughts of those at colleges and universities using the Collegiate Learning Assessment and its effect on the accountability movement.
Assessing Online Learning: Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities
A special report in Faculty Focus on assessing online learning.
Doubling Down on Degrees
As part of Indiana's performance based funding plan through the Indiana Higher Education Commission, Indiana's public colleges and universities are tasked with finding and using assessments to appropriately track their students learning.
Learning Centers Had Little Impact
This brief article discusses the successes and failures of the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) initiative which ran from 2005 to 2010 and was financed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
The Connected College: Digital Artifacts and Tools to Support Learning Outcomes
Michael Vieira discusses the "idea of developing digital artifacts and toolkits that support common learning outcomes" in this article.
College Completion Special Report
This special report contains articles discussing college completion data and how their use affects higher education institutions.
New Issue of Assessment Update Now Available
The latest issue of Assessment Update: Progress, Trends and Practice in Higher Education for January/February 2012 is now available. Two feature articles of special interest are "Getting SMART with Assessment: ACTION Steps to Institutional Effectiveness," written by Eric Daffron & Sandra Jordan and "Expectations for Assessment Reports: A Descriptive Analysis," written by Keston Fulcher, Matthew Swain, and Chris Orem. In addition, Trudy Banta and Gary Pike offer thoughts on assessment in the field.
Do College Completion Rates Really Measure Quality?
Seven scholars in higher education discuss the relationship between "quality" and college completion rates.
Badge-Based Learning Competition Names Winners
Winners of the first Badges for Lifelong Learning Competition, judged on the "effectiveness of their assessment process and the likelihood that their badges will be accepted by institutions and employers", were announced.
Assessments of Prior Learning for Community Colleges Now Under Scrutiny
Articles in both The Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed discuss new research on how assessments of prior learning, in this case ACCUPLACER and COMPASS, are not as reliable a predictor of future academic success as previously thought for community college students.
New Accreditation System Will Require Medical Residents to Show Skills and Traits
Changes to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education include the creation of program specific learning outcomes and the regular assessment of medical residents on the designated desired skills and behaviors.
Panel on Research Universities Sees Need for Fundamental Changes
New techniques for teaching, which include "flipping" and making classes more "interactive", in the hopes of improving student learning, was one of many discussions at the recent National Academies conference at Rice University.
Don't Lecture Me: Rethinking How College Students Learn
This article urges professors to consider teaching techniques to improve student learning, such as peer instruction.
Raising the Bar
This article discusses changes in Teacher Education Programs through a commission formed by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Of particular focus is the Teacher Performance Assessment, "a subject area-specific, performance-based assessment for pre-service teacher candidates, centered on student learning."
What’s On the Horizon in Higher Education
The increasing role of technology to improve student learning in higher education institutions is the focus of this article.
Searching for the Holy Grail of Learning Outcomes
This blog provides an in-depth commentary about the strengths and challenges of the CLA as well as the Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) program in trying to find the "holy grail" for assessing learning outcomes globally.
Re-Engineering Engineering Education to Retain Students
Recommendations for improving the pedagogy of engineering professors, which may result in the retention of students, are offered.
Taking Some of the Guesswork Out of the Value-of-College Question
This article provides an overview of Virginia's public database, to be launched in April 2012, which will contain data about median earnings over a six-year period for college graduates in the state of Virginia.
Position Announcement:
Research Analyst Position Open at the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium at Wabash College
The Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) at Wabash College invites applications for the position of Research Analyst. The Research Analyst will work with the HEDS Director to develop and implement the consortium’s data collection, analysis, and reporting strategy. Candidates should have a Master's degree in an applicable discipline with a doctorate preferred, excellent data analytic, written communication, and oral communication skills and an interest in working flexibly as a member of a team that is reinventing itself to improve its support of the institutional effectiveness of consortium members. Strong quantitative and research skills, including appropriate experience with statistical software and Microsoft Excel are required to qualify. For more information about this position and how to apply, please visit the Wabash College web site at www.wabash.edu/employment.
Upcoming Conferences and Programs
A number of conferences and workshops on learning outcomes assessment may be found on our online calendar. Those coming up in the next month are listed below:
March 30: NEEAN Dialogues on Business, Math and Sciences
New England Educational Assessment Network (NEEAN) at UMass-Amherst
March 30: Innovative Educators Webinar - Staying Smart: Strategies For Moving Forward With Assessment
http://www.innovativeeducators.org/product_p/388.htm
March 30-April 3: NCA Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference: Quality in Higher Education
Higher Learning Commission at Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL
April 1-3: RosEvaluation Conference 2012: Assessment for Program and Institutional Accreditation
On the campus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN
*NILOA's Staci Provezis is the keynote speaker.
April 12: A Day at Alverno College Seminar
Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI
April 12-14: 2012 CIC Department and Division Chair Workshops - Promoting Institutional Effectiveness Through Collaboration
The Council of Independent Colleges in Indianapolis, IN
April 18-20: WASC Academic Resource Conference - What's Next? Scenarios for Higher Education
Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities at Hilton Orange County in Costa Mesa, CA
April 19-21: 2012 ABET Symposium
ABET in St. Louis, MO
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Rubrics are being used more often as institutions attempt to assess the essential learning outcomes promulgated by the AAC&U Liberal Education and America's Promise and Lumina's Degree Qualifications Profile. This month's Viewpoint by Thomas P. Judd, Carles Secolsky and Clayton Allen considers the issues of criteria and inter- and intra-rater reliability when using rubrics to assess student learning. |
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This month's new Example of Good Assessment Practice features North Carolina A&T State University. Read below to find out how this institution is creating a culture of inquiry around student learning outcomes assessment. |
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NILOA is among the 27 higher education organizations endorsing the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability's "Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability." The guidelines challenge colleges and universities to use appropriate assessment approaches to demonstrate whether students are learning what their institution claims. It asks colleges to take responsibility for assessing and improving student learning - to set clear goals for student achievement, regularly gather and use evidence that measures performance against those goals, report evidence of student learning, and continuously work to improve results. It was released at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. in January 2012. Articles in both The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed highlight this publication. For a viewable copy of "Committing to Quality," click here. |
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Being Confident about Results from Rubrics |
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Thomas P. Judd, Charles Secolsky & Clayton Allen |
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Using rubrics to assess student learning is more and more common, and their use is almost certainly going to increase, as the AAC&U essential learning outcomes become better known and the Lumina Degree Qualifications Profile gains traction. Both outcomes frameworks require something more than what available standardized instruments measure. This is one reason the AAC&U VALUE rubrics are receiving attention. But here’s the dilemma. Read more… |
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NILOA Updates
Another Example of Good Assessment Practice Now Available
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North Carolina A&T State University: A Culture of Inquiry To better understand what “good work” looks like related to assessment, data-informed improvement, and transparency at the institutional level, NILOA offers a web page with Examples of Good Assessment Practice on our site. This month we encourage you to read about how North Carolina A&T State University is using assessment data to effect changes in teaching and learning. |
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Oregon State University |
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News
We collect news items from a variety of sources related to learning outcomes assessment for our website. Listed below are some from the past month:
New Issue of Peer Review Now Available
The use of AAC&U's VALUE Rubrics to assess student learning at colleges and universities around the nation is the central focus of this issue.
MITx Opens Enrollment for First Interactive Online Course
MITx's first OpenCourseWare course, 6.002x: Circuits and Electronics, opened today. Students, in hopes of earning credentials, will have their assignments and activities evaluated by machines. Articles in both The Chronicle of Higher Ed and Inside Higher Ed briefly discuss this initiative.
Tuning and Lumina's Degree Qualifications Profile
The American Historical Association is teaming up with Lumina to help define learning outcomes for history graduates at the associate, bachelor, and graduate degree levels. Coverage of this effort can be found in both The Chronicle of Higher Ed and Inside Higher Education.
'We're Losing Our Minds'
Read Lederman's interview with Richard P. Keeling and Richard H. Hersh, authors of We're Losing Our Minds, about a term they call "higher learning."
MITs New Free Courses May Threaten (and Improve) the Traditional Model, Programs Leader Says
This article provides an overview of an interview with L. Rafael Reif, MIT's provost, and Anant Agarwal, director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, about the MITx OpenCourseWare Initiative.
New Issue of Liberal Education Explores What's Wrong with the Completion Agenda
Program-level assessment and developing liberal education outcomes are discussed in the latest issue of AAC&U's, Liberal Education.
AAC&U's Bringing Theory to Practice February 2012 Newsletter Available
Read AAC&U's latest edition of Bringing Theory to Practice which highlights SUNY Cortland's assessment process.
White House Unveils Draft College Scorecard
A brief article describing President Obama's new "College Scorecard" which will hopefully help higher education institutions be more accountable and transparent about their costs (see more information about the Scorecard here).
Adventures in Wonderland: Massive Online Courses Not a Game Changing Innovation
An update to MITx's OpenCourse Ware Initiative.
Harvard Conference Seeks to Jolt University Teaching
This article describes how without the experience of teaching in a college classroom, many graduate students, or future faculty members, will not have the opportunity to understand how students learn.
Stanford Remakes Curriculum, Following Trend to Focus on Critical Thinking vs. Disciplinary Content
This brief article highlights Stanford's revisions to its undergraduate curriculum which focuses on the critical thinking skills of its students.
'Adrift' in Adulthood: Students Who Struggled in College Find Life Harsher After Graduation
"Documenting Uncertain Times: Postgraduate Transitions of the Academically Adrift Cohort" a report written by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa as a follow-up to Academically Adrift was released at AAC&U's meeting this week.
An Academic Expletive
This article provides an overview of one of the discussions at AAC&U's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., at which deans and administrators voiced their views about assessment, or the measurement of student learning, on their campuses.
Beware: Alternative Certification Is Coming
This article discusses the collaboration between StraighterLine, the Education Testing Service (ETS) and the Council on Aid to Education's (CAE) efforts in trying to measure learning of credentialing courses.
MIT Mints a Valuable New Form of Academic Currency
Questions arise in this article as to how learning will be assessed in MIT's Open Learning Initiative.
Online Course Provider, StraighterLine, to Offer Critical-Thinking Tests to Students
This article discusses one response that a company, StraighterLine, plans to use to possibly validate 'badges' (see an earlier article about badges here).
Metacognition and Student Learning
Using formative assessment to help understand students' metacognition in the classroom is the main feature of this commentary.
February 15: Application deadline for Assessment Leadership Academy (runs from March 2012 through January 2013)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
February 29: Call for Proposals due for AALHE 2nd Annual Conference - The Well-Rounded Assessment Practitioner: Exploring the Skills, Knowledge, and Art of the Assessment Profession in Higher Education
Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE) at Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM
March 1: Association for General and Liberal Studies Application Materials Available
March 23: Call for Programs deadline for NASPA Assessment & Persistence Conference
NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education at Hyatt Regency Tampa in Tampa, FL
Events:
February 19-21: 12th Annual Texas A&M Assessment Conference
Texas A&M University in College Station, TX
*NILOA's George Kuh will keynote this meeting.
February 23-25: General Education and Assessment: New Contexts, New Cultures
Association for American Colleges & Universities in New Orleans, LA
February 27-29: Using Assessment to Improve and Account for Student Learning
Academic Impressions in Newport Beach, CA
February 29: LEAP Day 2012
Association of American Colleges & Universities and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at UW-Whitewater
March 10-13: ACE 94th Annual Meeting: Ahead of the Curve
American Council on Education in Los Angeles, CA
March 12-14: Connections 2012 - Making Meaning of Assessment through Collaboration
Virginia Tech and WEAVE, at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg, VA
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We also encourage you to read this month’s Viewpoint titled “What Assessment Personnel Need to Know About IRBs,” by Dr. Curtis Naser. Look below to read more. |
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Be sure to check out our newest addition to the NILOA website – Institutional Assessment Models. This page features examples of institutional approaches to communicating assessment activities on websites. We will continue to add more institutions, so if you believe yours should be included on one of our pages (e.g., Framework in the Field, Effective Communication Strategies, Institutional Assessment Models, Innovative Accreditation Practices), contact Natasha Jankowski at njankow2@illinois.edu. |
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Hope you find the January newsletter informative! |
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Viewpoint |
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Curtis R. Naser, Ph.D. |
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Because assessment projects across all disciplines are now employing systematic research methods that include access to students’ confidential data and artifacts, faculty need to be cognizant of our obligation to protect human subjects in our research. Beyond simple compliance, we want to be respectful of students and to be sure we are acting ethically. By the same token, it is easy to misunderstand the policies and procedures of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). What is the proper role of IRBs in student learning assessment? Read more… |
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NILOA Updates
Thirteenth Occasional Paper Released
NILOA's thirteenth occasional paper is now available:
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From Denial to Acceptance: The Stages of Assessment By Margaret A. Miller
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Truman State University, which has been involved in assessment since 1972, has done an excellent job in building a comprehensive general assessment process. A major undertaking showcasing its assessment results has been its Assessment Almanac, an annual, three-volume online publication. One of Truman State’s most well-developed assessment programs is the Truman Portfolio, also featured on the Assessment home page. Included on this page are a Frequently Asked Questions list for faculty, students and staff, a link to its current strategic plan, and a Glossary of Assessment Terms. For the month of January, Truman State University has been selected as NILOA’s featured website in the category of Communication. Read more…
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News
We collect news items from a variety of sources related to learning outcomes assessment for our website. Listed below are some from the past month:
NILOA Book Chapter in Recently Published Book
Check out Charles Secolsky & D. Brian Denison's (2011) edited book, Handbook on Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation in Higher Education, which features a chapter written by NILOA's Staci Provezis and Natasha Jankowski titled, "Presenting Learning Outcomes Assessment Results to Foster Use."
'Badges' Earned Online Pose Challenge to Traditional College Diplomas
This article discusses how badges through online learning courses are being used to help build resumes and thereby threatening traditional college programs and degrees.
Technology Is at Least 3 Years Away From Improving Student Success
In this brief commentary from the recent Higher Ed Tech Summit, technology executives share their thoughts about how program data that could improve graduation rates and learnign would not be available for at least three years.
Assessment Update Now Available
The latest issue of Assessment Update: Progress, Trends and Practice in Higher Education for November/December 2011 is now available. A couple of featured articles include, "My Own Worst Enemy: Five Ways My Best Intentions Impair Assessment." written by Jeremy D. Penn and "Repairing a Broken Assessment System," written by Christie Hill Magoulias. In addition, Gary Pike takes a look at The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Surveys.
Let’s Improve Learning. OK, but How?
Read Robert Connor's commentary regarding current discussions on improving student learning.
Overhaul of Accreditation Not Likely
An update about the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) recommendations.
Upcoming Conferences and Programs
A number of conferences and workshops on learning outcomes assessment are listed on our online calendar, and we have selected the most recent to list below:
January 25-28: AAC&U 2012 Annual Meeting
Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.
*Please consider attending NILOA's panel presentations.
February 2-4: MSI Student Learning Outcomes Institute
Southern Education Foundation at the Grand Hyatt, Atlanta, GA
*NILOA's Gianina Baker will moderate a session.
February 8: Proposals due for Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education Conference
February 10-11: Accreditation Institute
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges in Anaheim, CA
February 15: Application deadline for Assessment Leadership Academy (runs from March 2012 through January 2013)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
February 19-21: 12th Annual Texas A&M Assessment Conference
Texas A&M University in College Station, TX
*NILOA's George Kuh will keynote this meeting.
February 23-25: General Education and Assessment: New Contexts, New Cultures
Association for American Colleges & Universities in New Orleans, LA
February 27-29: Using Assessment to Improve and Account for Student Learning
Academic Impressions in Newport Beach, CA
February 29: LEAP Day 2012
Association of American Colleges & Universities and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at UW-Whitewater