Seeking Empirical Validity in an Assurance of Learning System

Abstract

Business schools have established measurement tools to support their assurance of learning (AoL) systems and to assess student achievement of learning objectives. However, business schools have not required their tools to be empirically validated, thus ensuring that they measure what they are intended to measure. The authors propose confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) be utilized by business schools to evaluate AoL measurement systems. They illustrate a CFA model used to evaluate the measurement tools at their college. The authors’ approach is in its initial steps, currently evaluating individual measurement tools, but the authors are working toward developing a system that can evaluate the entire AoL measurement system.

Keywords:

• AACSB
• assessment
• assurances of learning
• confirmatory factor analysis