| The purpose of this study was to document and analyze the current state of student learning outcomes assessment by administrators in adult accelerated degree completion programs (AADCPs) in management and business-related majors within the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The study was descriptive in nature; it described the various methods employed by administrators to determine what adults in their accelerated degree completion programs have learned in their course of study.; The study found that assessment in AADCPs is influenced by a variety of internal and external bodies. Regional accreditation associations, AADCP faculty, college/university faculty, and non-AADCP faculty exercise influence on assessment processes and practices. AADCP administrators do not have a clear consensus regarding the influence of state education oversight bodies on assessment practices and processes.; AADCPs use a variety of methods to assess student outcomes and to evaluate the effectiveness of individual courses. Assessment methods used in AADCPs include: student surveys/course evaluations, summary projects/papers, weekly assignments (graded or for discussion only), faculty assessment of group and/or individual outcomes, and final exams. More than half the AADCPs in this study utilize three or more persons to review outcomes of individual courses.; AADCPs use a variety of assessment methods to evaluate overall program effectiveness. Assessment instruments include: student attitudinal surveys, capstone research projects, internally and externally-developed instruments, faculty and employer surveys, and standardized tests. Assessment instruments designed to measure cognitive outcomes (e.g., ETS Major Field Test in Business) are not widely used in CCCU AADCPs. Nearly three quarters of the AADCPs in this study utilize three or more persons to review assessment of program effectiveness.; Results of this study indicate that many AADCPs are making substantial attempts to assess outcomes of individual courses and of their programs using multiple assessment instruments and multiple reviewers. However, assessment efforts tend to focus on affective and behavioral outcomes rather than cognitive, content outcomes. Few AADCPs in the CCCU are giving serious attention to the assessment of cognitive outcomes. More research based on the findings of this study are suggested. |
