Why is NWCCU, and in turn BYU, focusing so much on program learning outcomes?
As outlined by John Tanner in his 2006 Fall Conference talk a significant shift has occured within higher education in recent years. In the most widely cited article on this subject, Barr and Tagg characterize a shift from focus on instruction to learning, with an associated shift in focus from assessing inputs to learning to assessing learning outcomes. An important indicator of the scope and depth of this shift in focus is the fact that regional and disciplinary accreditation bodies have been framing their accrediting standards for some years now in terms of demonstrated student performance relative to published learning outcomes. Aside from outside pressures and trends in higher education, our intent is to stimulate more frequent and informed conversations among BYU faculty, like, “Are we providing the best possible educational experience for our students?” “How well do our graduating students measure up to our identified ideals?
