Trends in Assessment

Informed, in part, by sessions at the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, the oldest and largest U.S. event focused on assessing and improving higher education, this second edition of Trends in Assessment is intended to encapsulate lessons learned from the recent past, reflect the current state, and inspire future directions for higher education assessment.

Throughout the volume, organizers of the Assessment Institute contribute chapters framed around some of the major topics, tracks, and themes from the annual program. Each chapter provides important background and context with attention to the significance of the topic, describes current and enduring trends, and offers ideas about emerging trends and their implications for higher education. Chapters conclude with a summary of the main trends and questions for consideration and discussion. The volume is also influenced by the work of key Assessment Institute national-level partners, along with the substantial bodies of literature on student learning and development, assessment and improvement, and higher education administration.

This book provides readers with information, strategies, and resources on assessment concepts and approaches across a broad and diverse mix of disciplines, institutional and organizational types, and levels of experience in higher education assessment. Designed to be incorporated into workshops, professional development programs, and courses, faculty and staff members, educational developers, student affairs practitioners, and graduate students of higher education administration will find the ideas and information presented in Trends in Assessment a useful resource on assessment and improvement in contemporary higher education.

"U.S. higher education must continue to evolve and transform as evidenced by ongoing public skepticism related to the value of higher education and the evolving needs of a dynamic society. If we are to be the agents of our own transformation, it is imperative we use meaningful, current, and transformative assessment practices. Contributors to this volume of Trends in Assessment provide ideas and examples of how to use assessment to drive improvement, innovation, and transformation while also supporting efforts to adapt assessment practices to increasingly diverse learners. As the stewards of higher education, we can?and must?use assessment to restore confidence in American higher education."

-- Richard L. Dunsworth, President, University of the Ozarks, and Vice Chair, Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees.

"Trends in Assessment is an excellent guide to help professionals evaluate the impact of their instruction, programs, and services on students? success. The book?s mix of strategic and practical perspectives is ideal for anyone who is responsible for determining the appropriate prioritization and sequencing of their efforts in the years ahead."

-- Amelia Parnell, Vice President for Research and Policy, NASPA.

"Trends in Assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and Issues for Higher Education is the latest contribution from the imminent scholars and practitioners who lead our country?s work to equitably evaluate the work of colleges and universities in their pursuit of student success. The book offers a look at the critical work of assessment in fueling institutional transformation at scale, and the meta-trends impacting the work of faculty, staff, and students across higher education."

-- Mac Powell, President, The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

"We know that the work of assessing and understanding student learning is constantly evolving. This latest volume of Trends in Assessment is a must-read for assessment practitioners, faculty and student affairs professionals, and academic leaders. Hundley and Keith help us consider new ways of assessing learning for our current students and our future students. Bravo!"

-- Laura M. Gambino, Vice President of the Commission, New England Commission of Higher Education.

"This edition of Trends in Assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and Issues for Higher Education is an essential continuation from the first offering and a must-have resource for anyone interested in the quality of, and opportunity for, learning we strive for our students to experience. Each chapter?s skillful casting of an issue in the learning-teaching-assessment ecosystem contains the fresh thinking and engaging ideas that have characterized the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, Assessment Update, and the many partners brought together in common purpose to serve learning in higher education. Those seeking solutions to specific problems?as well as those looking to understand where we?ve been, where we?re going, and how the issues of tomorrow will emerge?will find invaluable perspectives within these pages."  

-- David Chase, Vice President for Educational Programs, WASC Senior College and University Commission

"At once comprehensive and specific, current and futuristic, and informative and engaging, this updated edition of Trends in Assessment has its finger on the pulse of the assessment landscape and its aspirations. This book contains something valuable for everybody ? the new generation and the seasoned assessment professional. I highly recommend the book to anyone seeking to improve student learning outcomes and promote excellence in higher education."

-- Mark C. Nicholas, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Framingham State University, and Co-Editor of the Journal for Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness.

"The second edition of Trends in Assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and Issues for Higher Education is essential reading for those working to improve educational institutions through the use of data. It smartly expands on the previous edition while providing not only a solid foundation of the history and background of assessment across the higher education landscape, but also shines a spotlight on the ongoing growth in the field prompted by recent societal and cultural change. It will prove an important, and necessary, addition to any education professional?s bookshelf."

-- John V Moore III, Director for Assessment Data Initiatives, National Board of Medical Examiners.

"Whether you?re new to the field or a seasoned veteran, this book will deepen your appreciation for assessment and inspire you to take your current practices to the next level! There isn?t another book on the market that so comprehensively captures contemporary approaches and exemplars, grounded in decades of scholarship."

-- Carole Kacius, Director of Assessment and Accreditation, Ball State University.

"Leveraging the scholarship from recent Assessment Institute presentations and elsewhere, the chapter authors in this volume deftly articulate current and emerging trends in assessment that transcend traditional notions of accountability and improvement and will transform assessment implementation both inside and outside the classroom."

-- Gavin Henning, Professor of Higher Education and Graduate Program Director, New England College.

"This book is an important contribution to the assessment literature, particularly because it uplifts and centers the perspectives and voices of so many assessment practitioners who have been centrally involved in the evolution of assessment in higher education. Equity-centered perspectives and practices are highlighted throughout, including illuminating trends in co-curricular assessment, centering students throughout the assessment process, and the role of assessor identity, power and privilege in assessment. This book is a must read not only to contextualize the roots and evolution of assessment, but to see the path of where assessment is headed and how you can participate and shape assessment?s future."

-- Anne E. Lundquist, Director and Assistant Professor, The Hope Center in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

"This collection illuminates the history and current practice of assessment with a range of viewpoints that span the accountability-versus-improvement spectrum. Readers will be rewarded with a review of current thinking about methods and uses of assessment, including new ideas about how assessment can be applied to burgeoning issues like ensuring equity of student outcomes."

-- David Eubanks, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Furman University.

"The second edition of Trends in Assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and Issues for Higher Education is a comprehensive examination of assessment in higher education providing insights from the early days of the profession to the present with a keen eye on recent impacts to higher education and assessment. This text demonstrates that assessment is the work of all higher education professionals, not just a few individuals in specific offices. Faculty, staff, and higher education stakeholders will find actionable information across all aspects of student learning assessment?curricular and co-curricular; undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs; diversity, equity, and inclusion; use of technology; and methods to sustain these efforts."

-- Katie Busby, Director of  Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning, The University of Mississippi.

"The new edition of this important book comes at a crucial time. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and work in a difficult time of blatant racial injustice, higher education must take a closer look at the metrics we use to determine institutional effectiveness and student success. A major shift must occur, and the important issues asserted in this edition can serve as an excellent guide."

-- Robert W. Aaron, Executive Director of Student Affairs Assessment & Planning, Northwestern University.