Beyond the Loop: Broadening How We Think About Assessment Use

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: Division J - Section 4: Faculty, Curriculum, and Teaching Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

Despite increased investment in assessment infrastructure, higher education institutions often struggle to use assessment data to drive meaningful change. This study explores how faculty and staff at three public universities describe and document assessment use, revealing notable differences between formal reports and informal conversations. While documents emphasize compliance and programmatic adjustments, conversations more often highlight strategic, political, and affirmational uses of data. Using Jonson et al.’s (2014) multidimensional framework of influence, this study surfaces tensions between improvement and accountability logics. Findings suggest a need to reimagine documentation practices to better reflect the reflective and strategic dimensions of assessment in practice.

Author

• Emily Braught, Indiana University