Faculty-Driven Assessment Leads to Evidence-Informed Curriculum Change (Kinesiology)

Program assessment activities and data are intended to inform regular faculty reflection and discussion about teaching, learning, and curricula, ultimately contributing to decisions that support student learning. While assessment can provide valuable information about many aspects of a program, using evidence related to program-level student learning outcomes to inform decision-making is particularly important for supporting high-quality undergraduate curricula and student achievement. WSU undergraduate degree programs are expected to regularly collect, review, and use assessment evidence to inform decisions about curriculum, instruction, assignments, and other practices that influence student learning.

WSU’s Kinesiology program provides an example of how a structured assessment system can support evidence-informed decision-making. A notable feature of the program’s assessment work is the infrastructure supporting ongoing review and improvement. Assessment work is supported by an established assessment plan and the Academic Oversight Committee (AOC), which oversees assessment activities, reviews findings, engages with advisory board feedback, and brings recommendations to the full faculty. In 2025, the program discussed assessment at approximately eight AOC meetings and four faculty meetings, and noted that all faculty participated in refining the assessment process. The program’s curriculum map intentionally scaffolds student learning through five developmental stages, from Introduce and Practice to Refine, Competent, and Assessed.

In 2025, the program shared a strong example of how faculty collaboratively used assessment evidence to inform a proposed curricular change. Since 2020, Kinesiology faculty had observed reduced student anatomical knowledge and greater knowledge degradation between semesters. Because anatomy provides a foundation for later required coursework, faculty were concerned that some students might not be graduating with sufficient preparation for professional school. Rather than relying on a single source of information, they examined the issue from several angles, discussing student learning in required courses, seeking input from the Kinesiology Advisory Board, and surveying students about their interest in a Human Cadaver Dissection course. Advisory board members shared faculty concerns about student preparation, and surveyed students responded positively, indicating they would definitely or likely enroll in the course if offered.

Based on those findings, faculty concluded that a Human Cadaver Dissection course could strengthen anatomical knowledge for participating students while also benefiting the broader program through the preparation of anatomy laboratory teaching assistants. The course was subsequently developed and submitted for Faculty Senate review.

For additional examples highlighting successful stories of program assessment at WSU, see ACE’s assessment spotlights. ACE is also available to consult with undergraduate degree programs to tailor program assessment approaches to best meet the needs of the program; contact us for additional information.