New Tableau Dashboard Summaries of 2023 Undergraduate Degree Program Assessment Reports Available

WSU’s undergraduate degree programs report annually on their system of assessing student learning, a practice begun in 2009. New this year, ACE is providing 2023 annual undergraduate program assessment reporting summary dashboards for the university using Tableau, including a WSU-wide and College View and an Individual Program View, available to WSU employees (log-in required). A WSU-wide executive summary for 2023, intended to summarize the university-wide data presented in the Tableau dashboards, is also available for the broader WSU community, as well as the public. 

Program-level student learning outcomes assessment looks at student learning in a degree or program of study — focusing on the key skills and knowledge students should develop, as well as their related experiences in the curriculum or major. Program-level assessment helps faculty collaboratively develop, maintain, and improve an effective curriculum that promotes student learning. The Tableau dashboards summarize data reported by programs over the past three years about aspects of their program-level assessment, including:

• Program-level student learning outcomes and curriculum maps; assessment plans; measures of student learning (including measures collected near the end of the curriculum); student achievement of program learning outcomes near end of curriculum
• Use of program assessment to inform decision-making (including decisions about curriculum and instruction)
• Faculty engagement in assessment activities and discussion of data; chair/director engagement
• Assessment in multi-campus degrees and in degrees offered online

WSU-wide Targets for Program Assessment. WSU aims to have substantially all programs (≥ 90%) reporting that program assessment elements are in place and that program-level student learning outcomes data, including the achievement of program-level student learning outcomes near the end of the curriculum, are regularly collected and used to inform decision-making about teaching, learning, and curricula. However, WSU recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges that impacted, and in some cases limited, the assessment that programs were able to accomplish in recent years.

In line with WSU’s 2020-2025 System Strategic Plan “Goal 2: Student Experience” objective of enhancing the quality of the undergraduate academic experience, WSU’s overarching goal is for program-level assessment to be meaningful and useful to faculty and programs. University-wide targets for program assessment are intended to monitor the status of program assessment systems at WSU, while recognizing that making meaningful adjustments to program assessment elements, processes, and tools takes time. In any given year, a number of programs may experience a change in their context, prompting faculty to revisit program assessment elements, processes, and/or tools. For example, faculty might work to refresh a measure to increase the quality of their data or to align with changes to student learning outcomes, curriculum, or instruction. WSU’s approach encourages faculty to develop program assessment systems that are sustainable, with room to respond to the evolving needs of teaching, learning, and curriculum.

2023 WSU-wide Areas of Strength. Overall, undergraduate degree program assessment at WSU contributes to an “effective, regular, and comprehensive system of assessment of student achievement,” as expected by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), WSU’s regional accreditor. Substantially all programs reported that two or more faculty engaged in program assessment activities in 2023 (95%), such as evaluating student work, discussing assessment results or findings, and making decisions based on assessment data. Additionally, substantially all programs reported that assessment was discussed by program leadership (91%) and by a faculty committee or the majority of faculty who teach (91%).

Further, substantially all programs reported regularly collecting indirect measures (92%), including at least one indirect measure near the end of the curriculum within the past two years (94%), providing information associated with student learning outcomes, such as student perceptions of their experiences, perceived success, or satisfaction as they are completing the curriculum.

2023 WSU-wide Areas for Attention. While a number of metrics showed improvement in 2023, continued attention is needed to ensure that program-level learning outcomes data — including learning outcomes achievement data near the end of the curriculum — are regularly evaluated by program faculty and used to inform decision-making about teaching, learning, and curricula. Only 66% of programs reported reviewing assessment results that indicated student achievement of program learning outcomes near the end of the curriculum within the past two years. Additionally, only 78% of programs reported using assessment aligned with a specific program learning outcome to inform decisions about curriculum, instruction, or faculty development within the past three years. While all forms of assessment can provide useful information for program improvement, using assessment aligned with specific program learning outcomes to inform decision-making is crucial to supporting quality undergraduate curricula and student achievement.

Additionally, the status of curriculum maps and assessment plans are areas for attention, with only 59% of programs reporting that their curriculum map was up to date within the past two years and only 73% of programs having an assessment plan with a timeline for specific assessment activities. Curriculum maps help faculty understand how courses situate in the curriculum and the contribution that each course makes towards advancing program-level learning outcomes for the degree. An assessment plan articulates a program’s intended process for conducting program assessment activities, including collecting, analyzing, and using assessment data.

See the ACE Website for more information about undergraduate program assessment reporting, including past summaries.

Finally, ACE extends appreciation to all faculty and chairs/directors who have invested time in program assessment activities, as well as into annual program assessment reporting. As always, ACE staff are available to answer questions and consult with undergraduate degree programs on program assessment efforts; contact us for more information.