Faculty and Assessment Practitioner Needs for Student Learning Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education

Abstract

This study examined the assessment needs of faculty and assessment practitioners in higher education. Sergiovanni’s (2000, 2004) lifeworld-systemsworld framework (LSF) and Clandinin and Connelly’s (2006) commonplaces of narrative inquiry (CNI) were the theoretical lenses to investigate this topic. Through 20 in-depth, semi-directed interviews (15 assessment practitioners and 5 faculty), six themes were identified between two research questions: (a) meaningful assessment work takes time; (b) assessment should not interfere with academic freedom; (c) assessment work requires resources; (d) assessment has a long-term orientation; (e) assessment responds to external stakeholders; and (f) assessment was impacted by the pandemic. The discussion spotlights the practical, policy, and theoretical implications of our findings within the broader higher education assessment literature.