Developing Outcomes-Based Assessment for Learner-Centered Education: A Faculty Introduction - Softcover

"Assessment is not just about instruments and evidence. It's about people and relationships, as this volume beautifully illustrates. Built around stories about what happens when educators put their heads together to focus on student learning, it provides an up-close and personal account of stumbling blocks, break-throughs, and successful strategies for harnessing assessment to valued educational outcomes."--Pat Hutchings, Vice President, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "A robust, lively, and instructive narrative about building a culture of inquiry, this is a must-read for faculty, staff, and campus leaders. Driscoll and Wood describe and chronicle all of the successes and challenges they encounter as they collaborate with their colleagues to establish a meaningful and sustainable commitment to assessing student learning."--Peggy Maki "The personal approach of this book reads like a conversation with the authors, making it feel manageable. The case studies that begin each chapter provide a realistic perspective of the pitfalls and successes of outcomes-based education. There are many useful tools and perspectives provided throughout this book for faculty and administrators. The concept of creating a learning-centered environment is not new, but is clearly articulated throughout thus book. For institutions engaging in this kind of educational approach this is an excellent resource."-- (07/01/2008)

The authors--a once-skeptical chemistry professor and a director of assessment sensitive to the concerns of her teacher colleagues--use a personal voice to describe the basics of outcomes-based assessment. The purpose of the book is to empower faculty to develop and maintain ownership of assessment by articulating the learning outcomes and evidence of learning that are appropriate for their courses and programs. The authors offer readers a guide to the not always tidy process of articulating expectations, defining criteria and standards, and aligning course content consistently with desired outcomes. The wealth of examples and stories, including accounts of successes and false starts, provide a realistic and honest guide to what's involved in the institutionalization of assessment.