Fostering Meaningful Assessment: National Trends from the Field

Despite what we have seen in the recent academic and popular press debating the purpose and politics of assessment, when done well, program assessment can be a meaningful faculty undertaking, enabling faculty to improve teaching and learning and the quality of academic programs. Based on her own research and data from the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), Dr. Jankowski will make the case for assessment’s value as something uniquely connected with teaching and learning, embedded in our interactions with students, and yielding useful information for programs. Dr. Jankowski will lead a discussion of the shifting national conversation about the value and importance of assessing student learning, including the current state of outcomes assessment, how we have ended up here, and how to respond. Together, we will explore what good, meaningful, and sustainable assessment entails at Boston University. Following her talk, Dr. Jankowski will lead a practical afternoon workshop on designing program assessment plans.