Summary: In this Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry article, Finney recommends an approach to professional development in outcomes assessment framed around answering questions pertinent to professionals in higher education. She shares resources to facilitate large or small group workshops using this question-answering approach.
Finney, S. J. (2023). “I have a few questions”: Reframing assessment practice as asking and answering questions that matter. Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, 6(1), 18-34.
Abstract: Student affairs educators are asked fundamental questions about programming
and its effectiveness. Stakeholders (e.g., students, parents, accreditors) ask what
programming (e.g., activities, strategies, curriculum) is offered, why it is offered, and who
benefits in terms of learning and development (e.g., Carpenter, 2001; US Department of
Education, 2006). Given these questions are typical and expected, I illustrate how
outcomes assessment can be represented as a process of answering common and
pertinent questions that matter in higher education. In turn, the assessment process is
presented as a valued activity to student affairs educators, not something novel or an
add-on. Moreover, a question-answering approach has been shown to be less controlling
than direct appeals (Walton & Wilson, 2018), prompting subsequent task engagement
(Wood et al., 2016). Therefore, processing assessment-related questions should prompt
engagement in outcomes assessment.
Center for Assessment & Research Studies
