Finding ways to assess students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities has became a central focus of institutional effectiveness around the globe. For example, in the U.K., the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education is investigating how to develop explicit statements about achievement standards for tertiary graduates that allow for comparisons. Also, members of the Australian Universities Quality Agency have drafted guidelines for developing and monitoring such standards (AUQA, 2009). Further, the Assessing Higher Education Outcomes project of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is attempting to pilot measures of generic skills and subject-specific knowledge in engineering and economics in 10 countries (www.oecd.org) Though most agree that it is important to determine what our students know and can do by virtue of participation in an academic program, there are disparate views about how to approach this determination (Banta, Griffin, Flateby, & Kahn, 2009). For example, much like procedures related to accrediting bodies in the U.S., France has created a process under which every program credential of a higher education institution is submitted for review and approval. In Germany, the discussion focuses on students demonstrating knowledge through instrumental competencies, systemic competencies, and communicative competencies. In other countries, such as The Netherlands, student qualifications are tied closely to labor market competencies (Adelman, 2008). These differences in approaches and units of analysis lead to confusion regarding faculty, department, and institutional attempts to evaluate what students know and how they can apply that knowledge. Given the international focus on student outcomes and confusion about how we frame and measure those outcomes, the purpose of this research workshop is to (1) provide a background and definitions that can inform a discussion of student outcomes assessment, (2) identify ways that programs can delineate and measure student learning outcomes, (3) tie those outcomes to classroom work and related program activities, as well as to institutional mission, (4), maintain a continuous improvement cycle, and (4) provide examples of the process from different programs.

Adelman, C. (2008). Learning accountability from Bologna: A higher education policy primer. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy. Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA). (2009). Setting and monitoring academic standards for Australian higher education: A discussion paper. Melbourne, Australia: Author. Banta, T. W., Griffin, M., Flateby, T. L., & Kahn, S. (2009). Three promising Alternatives for assessing college students’ knowledge and skills. Occasional Paper #2. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.