Moving Ahead with Learning Assessment

Make Decisions, Set Goals, and Improve Learning

Been there. Got the t-shirt.

No, it’s not the most mature of responses, but is that how most of your faculty and staff feel about assessment?

Or is the response even less, shall we say, enthusiastic

Your assessments can be a lot more than a nuisance or necessary evil.

When all your constituents see and understand that you actually use your assessments to make decisions, set goals, and improve learning, then your constituents might not be so dismissive.

In fact, putting assessments to use is one of the best ways to overcome resistance and garner support for a process that can lack campus-wide champions.

The information-dense 90-minute seminar on CD will help you review your assessment efforts to identify what has worked, what hasn’t, and what you can do to get better results next time.

Presenter Linda Suskie is a passionate national higher education assessment expert and a vice president of the college and university accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education. She is also the author of Assessment of Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide.

After viewing Moving Ahead with Learning Assessment, you will be able to:

Simplify assessment strategies to improve efficacy of results and keep assessments sustainable;
Use reflective writing and records of behaviors to assess “fuzzy” and “sticky” goals;
Consider the costs and benefits of assessment activities;
Sync assessments to minimize the burden and maximize efficiency;
Review how assessments are used to inform decisions and make improvements;
Identify opportunities to apply more of the assessment data you already collect;
Identify and eliminate assessments that do not produce information useful to making improvements or informing decisions;
Identify audiences for assessment results and determine the needs of each; and
Understand the requirements of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunities Act regarding learning assessment.

Your assessments are a powerful tool, not a burdensome requirement.

They generate valuable information about what works and what doesn’t at your school. Using that information to make decisions—about everything from curriculum and campus services to vision statements and goal setting to budgeting and development—substantiates your assessment program’s value.

Who will benefit from this seminar?

Chief academic officers
Deans
Assistant/associate provosts or vice presidents for academic affairs
Assessment coordinators/directors
Assessment committee members
Institutional research directors
Student development staff
Academic administrators
Faculty governance leaders
Department chairs

Don’t let your assessments bog you down.

Use them to propel you toward your goals. It might sound like a sea change in attitude and application, but it really isn’t that hard when your assessments are meaningful and you actually use the results.

Includes a Discussion Guide for Facilitators

Viewing a Magna Online Seminar on CD as a team can help your school harness the power of assessments to make campus-wide improvements in learning, programs, and services. This seminar includes a Discussion Guide for Facilitators. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for generating productive discussions and thoughtful reflection. You’ll also get guidelines for continuing the conversation after the seminar, tailoring and implementing the strategies discussed, and creating a feedback loop for sharing best practices and challenges.

Expand your assessment library

Purchase three of more or Linda’s assessment seminars and save 10%!