Learning outcomes assessment is a consequential issue in U.S. higher education. Driven by calls for accountability from accreditation agencies, federal and state actors, and other stakeholders, and criticism about the value of higher education, there is currently heightened interest in the attainment of learning outcomes along with the use of this evidence by colleges and universities to improve student learning. This chapter traces the establishment of learning outcomes assessment in U.S. higher education, describes the more influential and enduring initiatives, elaborates their role and impact on learning outcomes assessment, and then discusses six issues that represent the unfinished agenda of student learning outcomes assessment. Although significant progress has been made over the last 3 decades to develop research-based and actionable approaches to learning outcomes assessment, and by all accounts, more assessment activity is occurring, challenges remain. Current approaches have yet to fully realize an integrated, systemic process for learning outcome assessment that engages educators in periodic, purposeful evaluation of student learning that can be used to demonstrate both what students know and can do and expose shortcomings in the learning experience that deserve to be addressed.

中文翻译：

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评估通过评估提高美国高等教育学习质量的举措

学习成果评估是美国高等教育中的一个重要问题。在认证机构、联邦和州行为者以及其他利益相关者要求问责制以及对高等教育价值的批评的推动下，目前人们对实现学习成果的兴趣日益浓厚，学院和大学利用这些证据来改善学生的学习。本章追溯了美国高等教育中学习成果评估的建立，描述了更具影响力和持久性的举措，阐述了它们对学习成果评估的作用和影响，然后讨论了代表学生学习成果评估未完成议程的六个问题。尽管在过去 3 年中在开发基于研究和可操作的学习成果评估方法方面取得了重大进展，而且从各方面来看，评估活动越来越多，但挑战依然存在。目前的方法还没有完全实现一个综合的、系统的学习成果评估过程，让教育工作者对学生的学习进行定期、有目的的评估，可以用来展示学生知道什么和能做什么，并暴露学习体验中值得学习的缺点。得到解决。