Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes assessment has been a priority at Iowa State University since 1991, when the Faculty Senate approved policies and procedures for student outcomes assessment. Since 1993, departments have been asked to articulate and publicize learning outcomes for their programs and majors. The North Central Association (NCA) approved Iowa State’s assessment plan in 1994, and in 1996, an NCA accreditation team recognized the University’s progress in implementing the plan and suggested that further improvement could be made through full implementation of outcomes assessment. From 1994 to 1998, a Student Outcomes Assessment Coordinator in the Provost’s Office and a Student Outcomes Assessment Committee (associate deans, faculty representatives from the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee, Director of Institutional Research, Student Affairs representative, and students) provided administrative and educational leadership for assessment.

In July 1998, a new position of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education was created to provide administrative leadership for assessment. A committee of associate deans assisted the new Vice Provost in his work. In January 1999, the Assessment Coordinator returned from sabbatical to provide educational leadership to the campus in the area of outcomes assessment and later served as Assistant Vice Provost (2000−2003). The Assistant Vice Provost led the development of many outcomes assessment activities, including numerous workshops and sessions with the Center for Teaching Excellence (now the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching or CELT), many assessment workshops for departments and colleges, and ongoing consulting for numerous departments. She also consulted on Outcomes Assessment with Learning Communities and ISUComm. The Assistant Vice Provost and CELT were housed in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs (VPUP) from 1998-2004, when the office was closed in an administrative reorganization. Since 2004, the VPUP’s administrative responsibilities for outcomes assessment have been transferred to the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, a position created in 2004 as part of the administrative reorganization.

In 2005, a newly created position for Continuous Academic Program Improvement (CAPI) was filled to coordinate University- and college-level activities in outcomes assessment, in addition to related academic program review and improvement efforts. The CAPI director, who reports to the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, works closely with CELT to support faculty-driven outcomes assessment and facilitate the use of results in program improvement and resource allocation.

Iowa State’s Vision for Students.
Assessment is the continuous process of gathering, analyzing, and discussing information from multiple sources about what students know and can do as a result of their educational experiences, as well as what they feel and believe, and then using the results to improve subsequent learning.

Iowa State has developed assessment programs to continually improve learning at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Information is gathered at all levels to understand the achievement and perspectives students have developed by the end of their academic programs. Specific goals for the priority of improving outcomes are detailed in college and department strategic plans. These and other college documents provide details of outcomes assessment processes and results for academic programs (undergraduate and graduate). In addition, assessment of Extension programs has long been a priority and is addressed in detail in the sections on value in Engagement and Service.

The following are key components of assessment at Iowa State:

• Developing intended learning outcomes
• Aligning curriculum with learning outcomes
• Developing appropriate measures to assess learning outcomes
• Collecting pertinent data using assessment measures
• Using collected data to improve learning
• Sharing results of data collection with key stakeholders
• Using results of data collection and analysis in planning, budgeting, and program modification

This section will describe outcomes assessment at Iowa State, including the processes and measures used, the evidence of use in academic program improvement and budget planning, and the availability of results to appropriate constituencies. Following is a summary of strengths and opportunities for improvement based on this self-study.

• Student outcomes assessment is embedded in academic program review

• A culture of assessment is well developed in several areas of the University. Examples include assessment of ISUcomm, learning communities, and U.S. diversity/international perspectives requirements

• Increased efforts to connect outcomes with the strategic plan and University performance indicators

• Progress within individual colleges toward mature assessment processes

• Decentralized outcomes assessment places responsibility at the faculty level, which assists in connecting learning outcomes with assessment efforts but requires efforts to develop and support a culture of assessment

• Transitions in administrative leadership influenced progress and monitoring of college’s student outcomes assessment plans

• Need to reinforce emphasis on leadership structures at the University and college level to enhance student outcomes assessment efforts at all levels

• Need to improve systematic processes that encourage continuous academic improvement and promote changes based on outcomes assessment

• Integration and systematic utilization of the relatively new CAPI position to enhance uniformity of assessment process implementation across campus

• Improved utilization of Academic Program Review processes to systematically and more frequently leverage with assessment processes.