Returning to Learning in the Age of Assessment

http://www.collegiatelearningassessment.org/files/ReturningToLearning.pdf
This article created by Benjamin Roger from the Council for Aid to Education introduces the rationale for the campus use of the Collegiate Learning Assessment. This article among others was utilized by the Assessment Committee at Minot State University (MSU) to determine the best possible tool to measure value-added learning for our students.

The section on importance of faculty in the age of assessment I found particularly interesting. This emphasizes the need to have faculty buy-in when taking on an assessment such as the CLA. The CLA is designed to measure a number of different learning objectives, these objectives align with that of MSU's General Education learning objectives as well. Without out valid results and faculty buy-in the assessment fails to provide data that is useful to the institution. This week I will be administering the CLA at MSU for exiting seniors. I have also been asked to speak during MSU's March Assessment Day on the importance of the CLA and how it is administered at MSU. As of recently I believe that only a few campuses within the state of North Dakota participate in the CLA (NDSU, UND and MSU). I know that the North Dakota University System has investigated the benefits of the administration to measure accountability across all NDUS campuses.