University of Michigan

National Center for Postsecondary Improvement

Project on Student Learning and Assessment

This research project is one of six projects conducted within the federally-sponsored National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, a research center of the National Postsecondary Institute, U.S. Department of Education. Project 5 is a multi-level project conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan that focuses on state and regional accreditation policies in relation to the assessment of student learning and progress (Project 5.1 led by Michael Nettles), institutional support for student assessment (Project 5.2 led by Marvin Peterson), and activity at the academic program level as it relates to the improvement of teaching and learning and the role of student assessment (Project 5.3 led by Eric Dey and Sylvia Hurtado). Studying approaches to the improvement of teaching, learning, and assessment at these various levels allows researchers to apply their expertise in public policy, organizational behavior, and individual behavior, and the common goal of improving undergraduate education. During academic year 1998-99, campuses will be selected as case studies in various policy environments to understand institutional and individual activity in relation to the improvement of teaching, learning, and assessment. Numerous reports and research papers are expected to result from the multi-level study and activities with campuses will be geared toward improving teaching and learning during the fourth and fifth year of the project.

Project 5.3 focuses primarily on faculty and student experiences as they relate to teaching and learning activity within academic programs on college campuses. During the first two years of 5.3 activity, two projects were carried out simultaneously. First, a review of existing data resources for understanding faculty and students in relation to teaching and learning activity was conducted. This resulted in a handbook on national data sets and a review of their utility in facilitating what we know. Three studies focused on faculty teaching, student satisfaction, and long term outcomes will result from analysis of the national data in 1998. Second, a review of innovations developed since the mid 1980s served to document the extent to which higher education has responded to criticisms of undergraduate education. Since much of the literature on these innovations is still absent from publications, national conversations about teaching, learning, and assessment change were monitored through conference programs, newsletters, and some of the disciplinary and professional association publications. We developed a web-based template the innovations that updates higher education activity in this area for public use.

In 1997-98, three sites were selected to serve as a pilot for the projects that will be carried out in the subsequent year. Institutions within a single accreditation region were selected within three varying state policy environments. The institutions were selected primarily because they were designated as campuses that were involved in significant innovation activity as it relates to teaching, learning, and assessment based on conferences and national opinion leaders familiar with these innovations. These campuses include Landgrant Flagship University, Urban University, and National University. A goal of the pilot project is to understand changing practices on college campuses and the role of assessment in this process. We are speaking with campus administrators who have an overview of these changes, faculty involved in innovative activity, and students who are experiencing these changes. Information gleaned from the pilot will document how higher education has responded to calls for improvement in undergraduate education, motivations and rewards for individuals engaged in this activity, and perhaps new approaches to assessing the impact on students. The pilot project will help shape student and faculty data collection in 1998-99 and will result in a report about teaching and learning activity on campuses concerned about undergraduate education.