Measuring Student Learning Outcomes Using the SALG Instrument

Abstract

U.S. higher education institutions are being called to question their central nature, priorities, and functions, with prominent and unprecedented attention being given to accountability and the measurement of student learning outcomes. As higher education evolves in how it assesses student learning and leisure studies and recreation departments adheres to its accreditation requirements, it has not always been clear, as a faculty member, as to which data sources and methodologies to employ. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: a) to briefly review the recent history of two opposing assessment movements influencing today's academic institutions and their programs with a particular emphasis on assessment's role in student learning outcomes, accountability, and accreditation requirements; and b) to describe one recreation department's initial steps to measure student learning outcomes for Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related (COAPRT) accreditation requirements through the use of the Student Assessment Learning Gains (SALG) instrument.

Keywords:

• student learning outcomes
• Student Assessment Learning Gains (SALG) instrument
• teaching-learning assessment
• accountability
• higher education