Streamlining continuous improvement: Efficiently creating value while satisfying ABET criterion 4

This paper asserts that programs should shift emphasis from just assessment data collection and embrace a culture that uses assessment and evaluation to guide continuous improvement. Programs often spend time and effort collecting data to satisfy the requirements of ABET's harmonized Criterion 4, Continuous Improvement [1], but do not realize the benefits of doing this work. Unfortunately, many programs either collect more data than necessary or collect data that provide little insight on weak points of their students' learning as related to student outcomes. Other programs, for a variety of reasons, miss opportunities to improve student learning after assessing and evaluating the attainment of student outcomes. Thus, faculty and their programs often see the work of assessment for continuous improvement as useless labor done only to satisfy ABET criteria. This paper outlines an assessment and evaluation process minimizing extra work for faculty yet yielding actionable information for continuous improvement decisions and actions. A simple process for maximizing the value of assessment and evaluation of student outcomes as input for positive changes in student learning is described.