Improve Student Learning
"We had an epiphany recently at our institution. When programs needed help with assessment, [the Center for Assessment and Research Studies (CARS)] provided state-of-the-art consultation. Challenged and strongly supported by the administration, faculty put forth great effort... Missing in the assessment consultation, however, was guidance on how a program could use results to improve student learning...
On the other side of campus – literally and figuratively – [the Center for Faculty Innovation (CFI)] was helping individual faculty develop better classes and providing support for best practices in pedagogy, course design, and alignment at the course-section level. Unfortunately, up to that point, the assessment office and the faculty development office coordinated in only nominal ways."
Thus begins the collaborative efforts of JMU's administration, CARS, the CFI, and national leaders in student learning outcomes assessment, pedagogy, and curriculum design to create and pilot learning improvement initiatives.
