Opportunities for Improvement: Advice from Consultant-Evaluators on Programs To Assess Student Learning.

This report includes comments and recommendations from a group of consultant-evaluators at the North Central Accreditation Commission (NCA), assessing different student learning evaluation techniques utilized by 440 higher education institutions, including 162 two-year colleges. Recommendations include linking the assessment of student learning with other institutional effectiveness evaluations. Faculty participation in evaluation efforts is viewed as a necessity by NCA consultants. The hiring of an assessment administrator is also recommended in the report. The report offers methodology and measurement suggestions for assessing student learning, including subject matter preand post-tests, random sampling of classes to ensure reliability and validity, national standardized tests, student exit interviews, alumni surveys, employer surveys, transfer rates, and job placement data. NCA consultants report that institutions may assess students' cognitive, behavioral, and/or affective learning. The report provides a list of the traits present in higher education institutions with strong commitment and support for assessing student learning; for example, strong governing board support, campus-wide data collection office and system, and many published reports of student learning assessments. A list of traits present at institutions with weak commitment and support is also provided in the report. (MKF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Opportunities for Improvement: Advice from Consultant-Evaluators on Programs to Assess Student Learning U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. o Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Cecilia L. Lopez Associate Director North Central Accreditation Commission on Institutions of Higher Education PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY