Resources for Assessing Student Learning
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, like all regional accreditation agencies, requires the assessment and documentation of student learning outcomes as a condition of accreditation. Some institutions began systematically assessing student learning even before this was an accreditation requirement, recognizing its usefulness for institutional progress. Now, nearly every educational institution in the United States is engaged in this process, and a wealth of resources has been developed, many of which are available on the Internet. Here are some recommended sources of information.
General Resources
North Carolina State University's Office of Planning and Analysis has put together a comprehensive list of internet resources; it is updated regularly:
www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm
The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) offers many resources, including a toolkit of information on common assessment tools with portfolios and curriculum maps:
In this article published in Inside Higher Education, David Scobey, executive dean of The New School for Public Engagement, reflects on the history and purposes of learning assessment and suggests a number of useful ways to assess learning in the humanities:
www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/03/19/scobey
Resources for Program-Level Assessment
Many institutions have created assessment handbooks. The handbook developed by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst comprehensively discusses the steps of program assessment (PDF)
Most academic professional associations provide learning assessment resources, which can be located through Internet searches. A few examples are:
Political Science
www.apsanet.org/content_13026.cfm
Psychology
www.apa.org/ed/governance/bea/assessment-cyberguide-v2.pdf
Sociology
www.asanet.org/teaching/apap/apap%20pdf/Assessment%20Final%20Copy%202005.pdf
Resources at The New School
Faculty members who need more information about or assistance with assessing student learning can consult with Carolyn Comiskey, Director of Assessment and Curricular Support (comiskec@newschool.edu; x2758).
