Evaluating Faculty Perceptions of Student Learning Outcomes: A Rasch Measurement Analysis

Background: The importance of assessing student learning outcomes has demanded attention from most everyone involved in the higher education enterprise, as accreditation and funding implications are often linked to the results. Faculty, however, are often critical of the assessment process because outcomes assessment is costly with regard to time, energy and other resources, and evidence of its effectiveness is not always noticeable. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to evaluate faculty perceptions of various student learning outcomes in order to determine which types outcomes are most valued by faculty