ZULOs' Website Featured on NILOA
September 20, 2012
The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) has selected ZULOs’ website for this month’s featured site. The NILOA regularly features websites which provide examples of promising practices of innovative and transparent online communication of student learning outcomes assessment at the institution, program or unit level on institutional websites. Selection as a Featured Website included an examination of the website in relation to communication and creativity amongst many others.
Zayed University’s Learning Outcomes (ZULOs) is a one-stop shop for a variety of assessment resources. As an institution, six student learning outcomes are utilized by every department including: (1) Critical Thinking and Quantitative Reasoning; (2) Global Awareness; (3) Information Literacy; (4) Language; (5) Leadership; and (6) Technological Literacy. Zayed University’s website includes rubrics which measure each learning outcome using Indicators and Criteria ranging from Beginning, Developing, and Accomplished to Exemplary. In addition to these institution-wide learning outcomes, each major has established Major Learning Outcomes (MALOs). Assessment support is provided to students, staff and faculty through several different means including retreats, assessment awards, and a newsletter, Zulan, distributed to faculty as a means to keep them informed about learning assess at the university. Further, an assessment calendar outlining assessment activities and responsible units is provided.
Zayed University is “committed to the continuous improvement process and views public dissemination of the annual assessment plans and reports as an essential element of the assessment process,” thus the website provides visitors with departmental Assessment Plans and the subsequent Assessment Reports. Included in the Assessment Reports are Improvement Plans that utilize student outcomes data to inform future actions and goals. Additional assessment support is provided to faculty and students though the use of TracDat and ePortfolios and the University Learning Assessment committee (ULAC) serves as liaisons between academic units, the central administration, and the other disciplines. For the availability of diverse resources and assessment information centrally located including means to communicate to faculty and others, Zayed University is September’s Featured Website.
