Keynote Presentation

New Realities, Promising Opportunities: Trends in Learning, Assessment, and Improvement for Our “Next Normal”

Assessing and improving student learning in courses, programs, and other collegiate experiences continues to be a priority for faculty, staff, and instructional partners in higher education. Individuals and communities attracted to, and served by, our campuses continue to reflect broader societal diversity, including those historically underserved by higher education institutions. This is occurring during a time when colleges and universities have been focusing their attention on applying pandemic-related lessons learned, responding to national and local cries for racial justice, promoting the value and return-on-investment of a collegiate education to a sometimes-skeptical public, and operating in a sector facing resource constraints, a looming enrollment cliff, and increased global competition. During this interactive keynote session, we will discuss the new realities and promising opportunities for learning, assessment, and improvement by examining enduring and emerging trends informed from national exemplars and perspectives—with a particular focus on promoting both equity and student engagement in our learning environments. Participants will have an opportunity to inventory their own practices and plan for learning, assessment, and improvement in their respective contexts.