Why Do Assessment?

Over the past decade, mounting demands on educators for accountability have increased interest in the assessment of student learning.  Institutions at all educational levels now are  often required to prove to legislatures that students are indeed learning what educators claim they are teaching.  In response, accreditation agencies, including regional assessment organizations (e.g.,  North Central Association of Colleges and Schools) and many professional accreditation agencies (including AACSB), also are placing a higher priority on assessment.  This trend is gaining momentum–demands for  assessment are here, and are not expected to abate any time soon.

Although assessment is becoming a mandate for many universities in general, and schools of business in particular, there are other reasons to embrace it.  Just as excellent businesses must carefully measure the quality of their outputs, so should excellent business schools.  Our "output" is not teaching; it is, in fact, student learning.  Thus, assessment programs need to shift their focus from "what we teach" to "what they have learned."  The goal of assessment is improved student learning, and the data we gather can play a critical role in improving curricular programs:

Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development (Palomba & Banta, 1999.)

Educators can meet their responsibility to the public, and to their students, through assessment.  The end goal of assessment is continual improvement in student learning.