AAC&U VALUE Rubrics

In 2007, the Association of American College and Universities (AAC&U) launched Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics in sixteen specific areas of learning. Having been tested for validity and reliability, they can be readily adapted to accommodate the language used to frame learning goals for individual programs. The VALUE rubrics have been embraced by all the regional accrediting bodies as an acceptable approach for institutions to use in assessing student learning. The rubrics represent an alternative to standardized testing, providing more robust and nuanced information on areas of strength and weakness in student learning and across a wider range of outcomes.

Internal measures such as the AAC&U rubrics would be more useful to colleges and programs than the national standardized tests like the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) or the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) as the rubrics assess learning and application within the context of the major. The written communication, oral communication, and critical thinking rubrics represent areas on which the Kansas Board of Regents is currently requesting data for levels of student achievement. National accountability expectations have also provided the option of reporting student achievement scores using the AAC&U rubrics if a reliable plan of implementation is confirmed.

The VALUE rubrics represent the most common characteristics or dimensions of student learning for the assessed student learning outcomes. The precise terminology used to describe learning expectations is likely to differ from program to program and should be adapted to accommodate the nuance of these variations. The main purpose of rubric modification is to increase faculty and student understanding of the state criteria so that the resulting assessments will accurately reflect actually learning as it is framed for a particular assessment activity. Additional performance criteria and associated levels can also be added.

Adoption and use of the VALUE rubrics on over 3,000 campuses have consistently demonstrated high levels of agreement among evaluators. Face-validity is already strong overall but will be confirmed for use in coursework assessment during our pilot of rubric integration. In addition, a national reliability study and several consortia of campuses have achieved acceptable levels of reliability in projects focused on one or more of the rubrics.