Abstract
Business schools with Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation engage in an assurance of learning (AoL) process to evidence achievement of program-level learning outcomes. This continuous improvement process aims to ensure that business students develop the key business skills and competencies needed for their studies and future careers. The main criticisms of AoL, however, include its inability to identify and clearly understand the key discipline-specific dimensions or performance traits associated with each of these skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem-solving, communication). For example, critical thinking in economics may require different performance traits than critical thinking in marketing (e.g., using evidence; making judgments). In AoL, it is often performed in practice that a skills-based rubric applies to student assessments irrespective of their disciplines. This can pose issues, not only on the validity of the rubric and the results but also in missing out on the opportunity to improve a program and its units of study due to the inadequate feedback the rubrics provide academics and program directors. This, in turn, inhibits the re-examination of suitable traits specific to the discipline that students should develop as part of their business major. This paper showcases an ongoing thematic analysis study in assessing data collected from AoL over five years, examining a range of skills in undergraduate and graduate business programs. Once specific performance traits are identified, this has implications for teaching, learning and assessment (re)design and program development, thereby improving quality and accountability.
Presenters
Angelito CalmaSenior Lecturer, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Miriam Edwards
Educational Designer, Williams Centre for Learning Advancement, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Assurance of Learning, Accreditation, Program Evaluation, Assessment, Employability Skills, Business
