Academy for Assessment of Student Learning

Walden University is a member of the Academy for Assessment of Student Learning sponsored by our regional accreditor, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The academy is a four-year sequence of activities aimed at supporting colleges and universities seeking to advance their existing learning outcomes assessment processes. These processes seek to clarify what are the most important outcomes learned by graduates in each degree program, assess student learning against these outcomes, and use this information to create conditions that lead to increases in student learning.

Institutions accepted to the academy in this competitive application process agree to work with other participating institutions in sharing “best practices” and innovations in learning outcomes assessment. Walden was accepted into the academy through a competitive application process. It was one of 46 colleges and universities that began participation during the first year the academy was offered (2006–07). More information about the academy is available at http://www.ncahlc.org/.

Each institution in the academy selects, plans, and implements student learning projects designed to improve the use of learning outcomes assessment in improving student learning at their institution. Following an initial three-day Academy Roundtable with other institutions and Higher Learning Commission staff in February 2007, Walden’s Academy Team began implementing a comprehensive student learning project aimed at focusing and broadening the impact of its existing outcomes assessment system. The three primary goals of the project included examining and revising current program learning outcomes where needed, improving the assessment measures utilized and their presentation to stakeholders, and strengthening continuous improvement processes that draw on student learning data to “close the loop” around learning outcomes assessment.

Although midway through the cycle of the four-year cycle, the university has made significant progress toward its student learning project goals. Accomplishments include

• Creation of guiding documents and criteria for learning outcomes assessment
• Engagement of faculty and other stakeholders in the creation/revision of college and school mission and vision statements as a foundation for program learning outcomes
• Evaluation of knowledge and use of program learning outcomes assessment within the university
• Incorporation of academic support units into the university assessment council
• Revision of outcomes assessment reporting cycle and format
• Implementation of new assessment indicators such as graduation survey, employer survey, and Measure of Academic Progress and Proficiency
• Increased involvement of faculty through the use of faculty review panels to examine samples of student work in relation to program learning outcomes

As part of its work on the student learning project, Walden University posts descriptions of its ongoing work on the academy’s Electronic Network. In this forum, the university receives feedback from other academy participants as well as views and comments on the work of other institutions. In addition, each institution is assigned one or more mentors to provide specific expertise to the institution. Walden has been pleased to work with mentors Dr. Kelly Funk (Michigan State University) and Dr. Janell Bramlage (University of Northwestern Ohio).

In addition, in each year of its participation in the academy, Walden University has attended and presented at the Annual Learning Exchange and Showcase at The Higher Learning Commission’s annual meeting. The university has presented at an aspect of learning outcomes assessments at Walden during each year of the showcase including Dissertation Rubrics, Assessment of Ed.D. Comprehensive Papers Assignments, and Knowledge Area Module Rubrics.

The Assessment Academy Team is a sub-committee of the University Assessment Council, which serves to coordinate work on student learning assessment across the university. The current team consists of

• Dr. Eric Riedel, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
• Dr. Shari L. Jorissen, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
• Dr. Linda Gatlin, Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership
• Dr. Jorg Westermann, College of Health Sciences
• Dr. Rebecca Sidler, College of Management and Technology
• Dr. Jimmy Middlebrook, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Dr. David Mathieu, Center for Undergraduate Studies
• Dr. Renee Aitkin, Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership