Student Learning Assessment at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) is a major research institution that places extraordinary emphasis on undergraduate learning and teaching. Our investment in undergraduate education reflects a core value: Learning that prepares students for lifetime success and leadership. This institutional commitment is realized through a three-stage process of outcomes assessment occurring at the institutional, college and program level. These three stages are: 1) determining what the desired student learning outcomes are, 2) identifying the best measures for determining whether these outcomes have been realized, and 3) using the results of these measures to either confirm or improve instructional and curricular practice. The adoption of learning outcomes is seen as central to academic program quality and we have boldly adopted an outcomes-based approach to our new general education program, Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) In short, we fully understand that learning is the aim of all teaching and that identifying and verifying learning outcomes is an index of quality teaching. Our efforts to develop appropriate assessment programs will be and should be a continuous work in progress. A more detailed discussion of UNL’s approach to assessment of student learning outcomes from Higher Learning Commission Accreditation Self-Study (2006) can be found at the link below.
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at an institution with students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 0
Senior Score: 0
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at an institution with students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 0
Senior Score: 0
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
