HOW COURSEWARE TECHNOLOGY SHAPES ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT, FOR BETTER AND FOR WORSE

This presentation will provide contrasting case studies from two public institutions in the US which illustrate the ways in which available technology drives conversations about academic assessment, including how learning outcomes are written, how evidence is conceived and gathered, and how assessment results are compiled and reported. Many colleges and universities are considering, or have implemented, web-based e-portfolio and assessment management systems, only to discover that the learning curve is steeper than expected and resistance to change higher than expected. At Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, the implementation process for such a system significantly reframed assessment questions within academic programs in ways that led to improved clarity about outcomes and measures and a tighter connection between program evaluation and pedagogy. At Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri, by contrast, the attempt to impose a similar system foundered, and institutional assessment reshaped itself around what can be gathered from the school's learning management system.