چکیده (انگلیسی):

Accreditation serves as both a quality assurance and accountability mechanism for our learning
institutions. It is a voluntary process of self-regulation and non-governmental peer review
supported, in general, by providers of tertiary education and examines the philosophy, goals,
programs, facilities, resources, and financial viability of the institution. The culture of assessment
and the information it generates should be embedded effectively within all institutional systems.
This would enable an organization to focus their attention on the assumptions they make with
respect to student learning and to promote a culture of continuous assessment and improvement in
order to elevate students’ quality of learning. It is through a process of programmatic assessment
that evidence is gathered to support an application for accreditation to an appropriate accrediting
agency.
What is driving the assessment movement in higher education? How do accreditation bodies
make their decisions? What is the precise basis for accreditation? For example, what filtering
process does accreditation bodies use when determining what evidence is or is not relevant when
arriving at the final accreditation decision. Presumably, as in courts of law, there must b e some
mechanism or pre-defined criteria in which evidence is weighed and an appropriate decision is
reached. Unfortunately, the mechanism is poorly understood by educational institutions and
faculty alike. However, the standards of almost all accreditors include the expectation that
institutions clearly state student learning outcomes (SLOs) and to assess those outcomes.
Although there are a variety of academic accrediting bodies their policies and approaches tend to
be more alike than different and appear to share similar expectations for the assessment of SLOs.
The key is the Assessment of Student Learning and it is a critical issue for students, teachers,
curriculum designers, the accreditation process, quality assurance, and review of courses. How a
student learns (student learning styles) and what they actually do learn (subject material) are
often driven by the assessment required for a course of study.
Assessment is an ongoing, continuing improvement process aimed at understanding and elevating
student learning. Assessment involves:
1. Having clear, explicit and transparent expectations for both the student and the
institution.
2. Setting the criteria for learning at an appropriate level to demonstrate quality of
learning.
3. Gathering, analyzing, and reflecting on the evidence in a systematic way to determine if
student learning has occurred to the depth and breadth stated.
4. Using the information gathered to document, explain, and elevate student learning.
The purpose of this paper is to present a ‘roadmap to assessment’ that, if followed, will assist an
organization in presenting themselves in the best possible light in order to gain accreditation. As
methodology proceeds and ultimately provides the guiding strategy for the design and selection of
methods used in the assessment process, the authors will present a methodology that will ensure
that the assessment process is effective and successful. The authors will identify and analyze
Journal of College Teaching & Learning – Third Quarter 2015 Volume 12, Number 3
Copyright by author(s); CC-BY 152 The Clute Institute
practices necessary to present a clear and concise body of work to an accreditation body. The
authors will discuss the required elements involved in assessment in education and how to use
assessment effectively as a means of maintaining both academic standards and enhancing the
quality of the student learning experience.