While compliance and improvement are the predominant driving factors for measuring student learning in higher education, a recent survey by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) demonstrates greater emphasis on equity.
Assessment that Matters: Trending Toward Practices That Document Authentic Student Learning presents a national picture regarding the assessment of student learning on college and university campuses. Conducted in the spring and summer of 2017, this third nationwide survey reflects responses from the provosts of 811 regionally accredited, undergraduate degree-granting institutions across the United States.
Co-located at the University of Illinois and Indiana University, NILOA was established in 2008 and conducted the survey in 2009 and 013. NILOA helps institutions explore, develop and implement assessment practices that benefit student learning outcomes. The objective is for institutions of higher learning to strengthen undergraduate education.
NILOA director Dr. Natasha Jankowski said that examining how institutions engage in meaningful analysis of learning provides information that can help educators improve their teaching practices and support of students. The goals of increasing outcomes and advancing equity require insight into authentic learning.
Among the major findings is that a majority of institutions have statements of learning for all undergraduate students, and a growing number have aligned learning throughout the institution. Assessment continues to be driven by both compliance and improvement, with an emphasis on equity.
“Regional accreditation has been a very important driver for engaging in assessment practices,” said Jankowski, noting a constant across all three surveys. “Where we have seen some change is how institutions are going about looking at student learning and what they need to do to accomplish it.”
Jankowski said responses have shown an evolution in institutional thinking to more thoughtfully examining how a college or university can best support faculty and staff in accomplishing their goals. Professional development is highly important, in addition to the realization that learning happens in and out of the classroom and that there needs to consideration of student affairs and other support services.
