QUALITY ASSURANCE, ACCREDITATION AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: A ROAD TO EFFECTIVE PRACTICE

1. QUALITY ASSURANCE, ACCREDITATION AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: A ROAD TO EFFECTIVE PRACTICE JUDITH S. EATON WORLD BANK JUNE 19, 2006

2. WHAT ARE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES? • STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: DEMONSTRATION OF COMPETENCIES • DEGREE COMPLETION • PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE • ACHIEVEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL GOALS • SUCCESSFUL JOB PLACEMENT • SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER • ENTRY TO GRADUATE SCHOOL

3. IT’S NOT THAT EASY… • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES AND INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE? • WHEN ARE JUDGMENTS ABOUT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT EVER “COMPLETE”? • WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDENT LEARNING? • “IT CAN’T BE DONE” - LITTLE AGREEMENT ABOUT EVIDENCE OR WHAT COUNTS AS AN “OUTCOME”

4. WHO CARES THE MOST ABOUT OUTCOMES? • GOVERNMENTS • EMPLOYERS • THE PRESS • STUDENTS AND PARENTS • THE ACADEMY THOSE WHO CARE THE MOST ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY ALSO CARE THE MOST ABOUT OUTCOMES

5. MAJOR TOOLS TO DETERMINE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES • TESTING: INDIVIDUAL, INSTITUTIONAL, LICENSURE, STANDARDIZED • GRADING • PORTFOLIOS:EVIDENCE OF CORE SKILLS, SPECIALIZED SKILLS • CAPSTONE PROJECTS • PERFORMANCES, E.G., ART, CLINICAL WORK

6. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION: THE CONTEXT FOR STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES • REVIEW OF ACADEMIC QUALITY • FOCUS ON INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS • SELF-EVALUATION • PEER-BASED • STANDARDS-BASED • MISSION-BASED • RESULTS IN JUDGMENT

7. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION: CURRENT ATTENTION TO OUTCOMES • STANDARDS AND POLICIES THAT CALL FOR OUTCOMES • MORE ATTENTION STILL PAID TO RESOURCES AND PROCESSES • THE NATO SYNDROME: THE TALK IS OUTCOMES; THE ACTION IS RESOURCES/PROCESSES • STANDARDS-PRACTICE GAP

8. POTENTIAL COMPETITION: QUALITY ASSURANCE, ACCREDITATION AND OUTCOMES • QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS • RANKING SYSTEMS • SEARCH ENGINES • GOVERNMENT BENCHMARKING • INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS

9. OUTCOMES AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICES • MAKE OUTCOMES CENTRAL TO JUDGMENTS ABOUT QUALITY • ESTABLISH OUTCOMES-BASED STANDARDS • REQUIRE EVIDENCE OF OUTCOMES • BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT THE TOOLS FOR OUTCOMES • REQUIRE OUTCOMES IN THE CONTEXT OF INSTITUTIONAL MISSION

10. OUTCOMES AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICES - 2 • ENCOURAGE COMPARABILITY • ENCOURAGE PUBLIC REPORTING/TRANSPARENCY • EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY, E.G., SEARCH ENGINES THAT PROVIDE EASY COMPARABILITY • WORK INTERNATIONALLY FOR SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF JUDGMENTS ABOUT OUTCOMES

11. WHAT TO AVOID • THE NATO SYNDROME • FAILURE OF POLITICAL WILL • DENIAL: “EMPHASIS ON OUTCOMES WILL GO AWAY” ****

12. SUMMARY • “OUTCOMES” REFERS TO RANGE OF INDICATORS OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT • A GREATER CONCERN FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY THAN WITHIN • MAY BE DETERMINED USING A RANGE OF TOOLS – FROM TESTING TO PORTFOLIOS • QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION CURRENT EMPHASIS ON OUTCOMES IS MORE RHETORICAL THAN ACTUAL • THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL COMPETITORS FOR SUCCESSFUL ATTENTION TO OUTCOMES • EFFECTIVE PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH OUTCOMES RANGE INCLUDE EMPHASIS ON EVIDENCE, TRANSPARENCY, FLEXIBILITY AND FOCUS ON MISSION

13. THANK YOU