Banta, Jones, and Black (2009) reviewed 150 of the best examples of assessment in the nation and only 6% of these examples demonstrated learning improvement. Auburn University’s Office of Academic Insight recognizes that providing evidence of learning improvement is a difficult journey. Programs that strive to improve their students’ learning and show evidence of the improvement are rare and we hope to support many of Auburn’s academic degree programs in their endeavor to do so.
Fulcher, Good, Coleman & Smith (2014) provided a “Simple” model for Learning Improvement. In this model, programs assess student learning at graduation, make a curricular change, and then re-assess the student learning outcome of choice on future cohorts of students. Though the model appears simple, it is rarely achieved in higher education. One barrier to learning improvement is programs may lack structured support from assessment experts and experts in educational development; indeed, such experts are necessary to support the curricular innovations that programs wish to include to improve student learning.
In collaboration with the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, the Office of Academic Insight is actively supporting six learning improvement teams implementing an innovative project designed to improve student learning. If you are interested in working with us on a programmatic improvement effort, please email the Office of Academic Insight at assess1@auburn.edu. We would be happy to discuss support options with any academic degree program across Auburn’s campus!
The following six programs/colleges have implemented learning improvement projects:
2018 Learning Improvement Team Poster Presentation, Mell Classroom Building
