The Quest for Increased Learning: Systematically Aligning and Assessing Learning Outcomes

Faculty at large research universities are generally more focused on research than on careful assessment of student learning. When faced with the task of assessing student learning, faculty initially have little interest and view the effort as only valuable to satisfy accreditors or other external pressures. Researchers at a large US based university have worked for over a decade to improve faculty motivation for creating and using learning outcomes. During this decade the researchers have examined which factors are most important in helping faculty understand and own this process. Most U.S. colleges and universities are being asked to: 1) publish expected learning outcomes for each of their programs, 2) provide evidence that the expected learning outcomes are realized by students, and 3) demonstrate how such data collection and analyses leads to continuous improvement of student learning, the curriculum, and the university. This is a significant challenge, especially for large schools with many students. This paper illustrates 1) obstacles and challenges, 2) innovative strategies—some technological—employed to address the obstacles and challenges, and 3) current and future strategies for improved success. Institutional, college-wide, discipline-specific, and individual faculty perspectives to a systems approach of bridging assessment, learning outcomes, and accreditation will be presented. The importance of student involvement and public scrutiny throughout the process is highlighted.