Components of an Effective Assurance of Learning (AoL) System

By Dr. Pitzel Krotova

The Assurance of Learning (AoL) Requirement

A variety of terms have been used to describe Assurance of Learning (AoL): assessment, assessment of learning outcomes, outcomes assessment, and many others. AoL or assessment can be defined as a systematic and evidence-based approach for assessing the degree to which students meet the stated learning outcomes by devising changes that improve student learning. 

An effective and sustainable AoL system is an important requirement of many accreditation standards, such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For example, Standard 5 (p. 41) of the 2020 Guiding Principles and Standards for Business Accreditation published by AACSB requires that each school:

… uses well-documented assurance of learning (AoL) processes that include direct and indirect measures for ensuring the quality of all degree programs that are deemed in scope for accreditation purposes. The results of the school’s AoL work leads to curricular and process improvements.

Similarly, Section 8 of the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement published by SACSCOC requires that each educational institution:

…identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students it serves, and the kinds of programs offered. The institution uses multiple measures to document student success.

Different Ways to Fail in AoL

Despite the importance of AoL for continuous quality improvement in relation to student learning and attaining and reaffirming accreditation, this is also the area where, based on the comments from many reviewers, many business schools struggle or simply fail. While each successful AoL system has characteristics that are unique to the institutional mission and the context where the system is implemented, it can be argued that an unsuccessful AoL system usually fails in one or more of the four areas listed below:

1. 1. The AoL system is not designed in accordance with best practices or requirements of major accreditation agencies
   2. The AoL system is not fully aligned with the institutional mission and goals
   3. The AoL system does not produce any traceable changes that result in improvement in student learning
   4. The AoL system is not sustainable; it is quickly abandoned after one or more cycles of assessment

Components of a Successful AoL System

In order to comply with the accreditation requirements and produce specific, traceable changes that improve student learning and help the institution achieve its mission and goals, an AoL system must rely on the following components:

• • Clear, collectively developed institutional mission and goals
  • A list of Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
  • A list of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for each program included in assessment
  • A list of specific, measurable Course Learning Objectives (CLOs)
  • Alignment of ILOs, PLOs, and CLOs with institutional mission and goals
  • Alignment of mission, goals, and learning outcomes with appropriate accreditation standards or industry requirements
  • An AoL committee or task force comprised of representatives from various academic and nonacademic units and levels of an HEI
  • Templates outlining the general approach and technicalities of assessment and reporting
  • A clear, collectively developed and mutually agreed upon assessment plan
  • Alignment of assessment planning and reporting
  • Templates for assessment maps or matrices
  • A simple yet robust system for gathering, analyzing, and distributing AoL data
  • Availability of Assessment Coordinators to carry out assessment for individual programs, departments, and colleges
  • A variety of formative and summative measures appropriate for the stated learning outcomes
  • Clear assignment of responsibilities in relation to AoL
  • Clear deadlines for various AoL events and deliverables
  • A formal approach to assessment data analysis
  • A template for assessment reports
  • Dissemination of assessment data to all the relevant stakeholders
  • Decision making, recommendations, and changes driven by assessment data
  • Continuous improvement in student learning and success based on AoL
  • Contribution to broader societal goals through improved teaching and student learning

As one can see from the list, an effective AoL system requires many components and a holistic approach based on the collaboration of all the important stakeholders in education, such as faculty, administrators, staff, students, employers, HEIs, accreditation agencies, and society as a whole.