National Coalition for Learning Outcomes Assessment | University of Illinois

National Coalition for Learning Outcomes Assesment

Institute Occasional Papers


 

Swing, R.L. & Coogan, C.S. (2010, May). Valuing assessment: Cost-benefit considerations. (NILOA Occasional Paper No. 5). University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment.

 


Nearly every U.S. accredited college and university allocates resources to support assessment of student learning outcomes, satisfaction, and other measures of institutional effectiveness. But with only limited data about best practices in budgeting for assessment, colleges are left guessing how much they should spend on assessment to achieve the best return on their investment. So how can a campus know when enough spending is really enough? Randy Swing, Executive Director of the Association of Institutional Research (AIR), and Christopher Coogan AIR Chief of Staff and Director of the Data and Decisions® Academy, examine the “what should assessment cost” question. The authors systematically unpack what needs to be taken into account when allocating resources to the assessment of student learning outcomes.

Previously released occasional papers:

 
 

Ewell, P. (2009, November). Assessment, accountability, and improvement: Revisiting the tension. (NILOA Occasional Paper No.1). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment.

  Paper 1 Web Page


 
 

Banta, T.W., Griffin, M., Flateby, T.L., & Kahn, S. (2009, December).Three promising alternatives for assessing college students' knowledge and skills. (NILOA Occasional Paper No.2). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment.

 

 
 

Wellman, J.V. (2010, January). Connecting the dots between learning and resources. (NILOA Occasional Paper No.3). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment.
 


 
 

Hutchings, P. (2010, April). Opening doors to faculty involvement in assessment. (NILOA Occasional Paper No.4). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment.
 

The following papers will soon be released:

This fall (2010) you can look forward to the following topics being addressed in the NILOA Occasional Papers:

Accreditation Agencies and Assessment
Student Affairs and Assessments
AIR and Assessment
Transparency
Community Colleges


 

NILOA Occasional Papers are commissioned to examine contemporary issues and to inform the academic community of the current state-of-the art of assessing learning outcomes in American higher education.  The papers are written for a general audience in order to provide comprehensive, accurate information about how institutions and other organizations can become more proficient at assessing and reporting student learning outcomes for the purposes of improving student learning and responsibly fulfilling expectations for transparency and accountability to policy makers and other external audiences.

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