Assurance of Learning Assessment Purpose of Assessment The assurance of learning assessment initiative at the Kelley School of Business has

several aims, ranging from the micro level of improving teaching and learni ng in individual courses to the macro level of guiding curriculum planning and o ther program-level decisions and demonstrating accountability to external stakeh olders. At the local classroom level, assurance of learning assessment plays an importan t part in fostering more learner-centered pedagogies as instructors are asked to use learning outcomes rather than content as guides to planning and preparing t heir classes. Since learning outcomes must be articulated in measurable language and then asse ssed, teachers see their work in terms of helping students to learn the knowledg e, skills and attitudes articulated in the learning outcomes rather than coverin g content, which does not necessarily guarantee any learning at all. Additionally, for those instructors who develop rubrics to assess their students work, the assessment initiative supports teachers in communicating standards and expectations to students clearly and systematically so that students may know w hat is expected of them and what excellent performance looks like for their inst ructors. Of course, the assessment data themselves return direct information ab out student learning to the instructor, who may then consider what changes if an y he or she would like to make in the structure or delivery of the course. Institutionally, the assurance of learning assessment initiative provides the sc hool with well-researched data on which to base decisions about programs and cur ricula. Such decisions in the pre-assessment era were based on the frequently e rroneous assumption that successful completion of a series of courses was tantam ount to the mastery of the skills and knowledge guaranteed by a degree. Data gathered from systematic assessment actually demonstrate students mastery of certain skills and knowledge so that curricular and programmatic deletions, add itions and changes may be based on what we know and not what we assume. Another beneficial result of the assessment initiative at the institutional level is it s culture-building aspect. As small groups of faculty meet to discuss a program s learning goals, as instructors articulate learning outcomes in measurable langu age and align them with program goals, as rubrics are developed to evaluate stud ent work, a common teaching purpose emerges in the school, serving as both guide and foundation to the work of teachers at every level of instruction. This com mon teaching culture, grown organically from the goals and learning outcomes of the faculty, facilitates productive discussions and collaborations among faculty about teaching; it also assists in new course development by providing instruct ors with a clear articulation of the learning goals the school values and expect s its students to learn. A school s assessment initiative can also offer the world beyond the walls of the institution the assurance of accountability, though what information and how muc h of it to share are questions that must be carefully considered in order to pro tect the integrity of the assessment program. As external groups and individual s such as potential students, parents, alumni, supporters, employers and state a nd federal legislatures have begun to question how much students are actually le arning at colleges and universities, it has become important to make what we do as educators more transparent. Carefully planned and organized assessment progr ams along with today s web technology make it easy to show anyone who is intereste d that a school has carefully articulated learning goals for each of its program s and a systematic method in place for assessing the extent to which students ar

e achieving those goals. An institution may also wish to delineate some specific plans for improving inst ruction, curricula, or programs. However, when assessment devolves into proving s tudent learning or continuous improvement to the outside world particularly to t hose who fund the institution at any level it can quickly become a game of showi ng improvement and progress at any cost, whether or not any improvement to learn ing has actually taken place. We therefore hesitate at the idea of demonstratin g accountability by sharing direct assessment data of any kind with external con stituents. Doing so would almost certainly lead to compromised standards, perfu nctory assessments, wasted time and resentment. As long as this trap can be avoided, there is much to be gained by showing exter nal stakeholders that the Kelley School of Business has a systematic curriculum that drives toward clearly articulated learning goals, explaining how the curric ulum is monitored and how learning goals are assessed, and thus assuring the pub lic that the Kelley School graduates students who command the knowledge, skills, and attitudes we claim they do. In addition to these benefits, sharing such in formation with outside interests indicates the focus of the school s teaching and learning activities, its values, and its culture.