Assessment: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and What It Could Be in U.S. Higher Education.

Abstract

In the United States, assessment and subsequent feedback to students looks different than in many other countries. Individual student feedback is provided by way of assignment and course grades. In most cases, grading/marking is the purview of the faculty member teaching the course and falls under the umbrella of academic freedom. A more systematic assessment approach is often found in relationship to the assessment student learning outcomes at the program level. At the program level, feedback is often provided to faculty and administrators in hopes of improving the program and thus student learning outcomes. However, by incorporating a process by which feedback is provided at the individual student level as well, student feedback may actually have the potential to enhance current program improvement efforts.

.