Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Volume 18, Number 3

Assessment, or the evaluation of educational methods and outcomes with the goal of improving practice, plays a key role in the learning-centered paradigm of 21st-century higher education. In her book Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide (2004), Linda Suskie points out several benefits and beneficiaries of assessment. Students benefit because they understand better their strengths and weaknesses and thereby can work to improve their prospects in school or the professional world. Faculty benefit because assessment allows them to focus on teaching objectives and outcomes and to offer concrete evidence for the quality of their teaching. Administrators benefit because assessment can document the effectiveness of courses, programs, or the institution itself and help them make better-informed decisions. In short, assessment provides the feedback faculty and institutions need to improve teaching and learning.