Abstract:

One of the greatest challenges that educational institutions face is assessment. Assessment is not an important tool for the maintenance and growth of any educational program, but also helps develop solutions for closing the skill gap in core general education competencies. But the question remains, how can student performance be quantified in meaningful ways that support the continual growth and development of learning theory and methodology? Furthermore, how can institutions build and promote a culture of assessment that helps shape the learning experience for students? This paper uses the five-year journey of DeVry University’s (United States) participation in the Higher Learning Commission Assessment Academy to illustrate a comprehensive assessment plan that consistently measurers core general education competencies that reflect 21st century skills.

As DeVry University’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission offers a series of programs and workshops to help institutions focus their goals and refine their processes. In 2016, I led a team of faculty and administrators from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and began work to revise the core general education common learning outcomes. From this foundational process, a comprehensive assessment plan was developed to assess common learning outcomes across courses and course levels within the general education core. Courses from across 100 to 400-levels were selected and faculty teams designed rubrics to reflect common learning outcome competencies for general education. Faculty then worked in conjunction with university technology administrators to develop assessment rubrics through tools in Canvas, the learning management system utilized by the university. With this integration, assessment data can be pulled directly from courses administered each session to form data sets for review by faculty-led curriculum advisory teams, allowing for the creation of comprehensive data review plans. Finally, faculty training mechanism have been developed to support faculty teaching assessment-focused courses and support a culture of learning that is predicated on data-driven outcomes. Through this process, DeVry has been able to create a continual feedback loop of assessment to aid in identifying curricular gaps and focus curriculum design to help close skill gaps.

To illustrate the key components of the process of this assessment program, this study begins by examining the literature on assessment practices specific to general education in higher education. Second, this study provides developed descriptions and examples of assessment cycles, rubrics, and technologies leveraged to collect data. Third, this study considers faculty, student, and administrative roles as parts of a holistic and intentional assessment process that promotes a culture of learning. Finally, this study concludes with a summary of the initial five-year data survey and recommendations for moving forward with assessment and curriculum design. By engaging these complex components, this study considers the role of assessment – and developing a culture of assessment within institutions – as foundational to the general education functions and goals in higher education.

Keywords:

Assessment, General Education, Curriculum Design.