SHEEO, AAC&U, and Taskstream Launch Webinar Series to Highlight Best Practices and Key Learnings from Multi-State Collaborative Assessment Initiative

This content was written prior to the renaming of Watermark products in July 2021, and refers to an old product name. To learn more about the new names for Watermark products, read our press release here.

The first webinar today at 2:00pm EDT shares the project vision, applicability to institutional initiatives, and future developments

NEW YORK – March 24, 2016 — Starting today at 2:00pm EDT, the State Higher Education Executive Officers association (SHEEO), the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and Taskstream are collaboratively hosting the first in a series of six free webinars on student learning assessment in higher education. The series, scheduled to run through the end of June, will share best practices and key learnings highlighting the work of the current phase of the AAC&U VALUE Initiative and the Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Learning Outcomes Assessment (MSC).

“We learned a lot from the pilot year of the project that can help change the way we view the assessment of student learning in higher education,” said Julie Carnahan, Vice President at SHEEO. “We continue to grow this work by adding new states and institutions, but we’re also excited to share some of our takeaways with the greater education community through this webinar series.”

During today’s webinar, Carnahan and Terrel Rhodes, Vice President at AAC&U, will present, “Assessment for Improvement: the Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Learning Outcomes Assessment/VALUE Initiative.” The webinar will provide an inside look into the background, process, resources, and initial findings – including assessment scores and results – from the pilot year of the MSC. As the two primary project leaders, Carnahan and Rhodes will also discuss reflections and implications for the next phase of this growing initiative.

Over the next three months, the webinar series will cover additional topics important to state educational officers, institutional leaders, assessment professionals, faculty, and policy makers. Topics will include: faculty engagement; identifying assignments and collecting student artifacts; and the analysis and use of assessment data for accreditation and to inform changes to improve student learning.

“At AAC&U we are thrilled by the success we saw during the pilot year, demonstrating that this process for direct assessment of learning outcomes with the VALUE rubrics can be taken to scale,” commented Rhodes. “Perhaps more importantly, we have been impressed by the stories from the practitioners on the participating campuses and the insights and lessons they are applying at their own institutions. We see these webinars as a great vehicle for spreading these practices locally, within states and nationwide whether an institution is participating in the MSC or not.”

About AAC&U

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,300 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, research universities, and comprehensive universities of every type and size. For more information about AAC&U, visit www.aacu.org.

About SHEEO

The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) is the national association of state higher education leaders who serve statewide coordinating and governing boards or other state-level higher education agencies. Founded in 1954, SHEEO seeks to advance public policy and educational practices to achieve widespread access and successful participation in higher education at state and national levels. For more information about SHEEO, visit www.sheeo.org.

About Taskstream:

Taskstream partners with institutions of higher education to improve student learning and institutional quality with proven, reliable, and user-friendly assessment management and e-portfolio solutions and supporting services. Since 2014, Taskstream has been the technical partner on the Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Learning Outcomes Assessment with AAC&U and SHEEO. Aqua by Taskstream, the technology trusted by the MSC, is also available for institutional use. For more information, visit www.taskstream.com.

Contact: