Providing Evidence of Student Learning:
A Transparency Framework
Effective Website Communication Strategies
There are several ways that an institution can begin the process of effectively communicating student learning to multiple audiences. Several of these including tailoring information to specific audiences, creative ways to disseminate information, providing multiple links across the institutional site to enhance navigation, and explaining password protected information are discussed below.
The assessment website at Oklahoma State University takes into consideration that different audiences are interested in different information about assessment activities. To help facilitate communication to specific audiences, the website is designed to address faculty, student and public audience information needs by providing specific information and resources to each in turn.
University of Minnesota
The home page for University of Minnesota can change depending on which "View" (to the right of the screen by the blue arrow) the user chooses. The "Change My View" choices include current students, donors and alumni, faculty, future students, parents, sports fans, and staff. After clicking on one of the links, news and information pertinent to that group appears on the site.
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf's current President, David R. Anderson, addresses student learning outcomes assessment at the college and how it connects to larger concerns of assessment in higher education in one of his periodically streamed "Lunchtime Live" videos geared towards parents and alums.
Your Voice provides a source which departments can access to survey students about different aspects of campus. In addition, quotes from survey participants are displayed.
Capital Community College
Some information on student learning, such as individual level student data, is password protected on institutional websites; however, not all audiences who view the website may know why certain information is password protected or what information is located behind a password. To help facilitate communication, it is important to explain which information is password protected or why there is a password. Capital Community College provides an example of such a policy that clearly states which information is password protected and why.