Module 6: Closing the loop

After spending any amount of time in student affairs assessment circles, you will hear about “closing the loop.” You might ask, what is this loop I am supposed to close? And how am I supposed to close it?

Closing the loop is a term that student affairs assessment practitioners use to refer to using data to inform practice. Meaning, an essential part of the assessment cycle is analyzing the data collected during the assessment and using the lessons learned from those results in order to help the organization make decisions moving forward.

As an example, suppose a residence life unit wants to know how their students score on a wellness assessment compared to other residence life units. If they find that their students score lower on measures of financial wellness in comparison with their peers, the residence life unit might use those results to implement programming that helps increase their students’ levels of financial wellness over the following weeks. Implementing new programming based on results of an assessment is one example of closing the loop.

Consider this information as you think about the process of closing out the data collection process and ultimately closing the loop:

• Analyze results – After the evidence is collected, analyze the results for common themes and to see if your learning outcomes were met. Think: How well are we doing it? (Source: Bresciani, 2002, p.1)
• Use results for improvements – Use the results to find common themes in order to revise or reinforce a program or service. An action plan must be created so that you can begin the assessment cycle again based on the changes you made or did not make. As our students are changing, so should our methods for providing student learning and development. Assessments allow us to get a glimpse of what students are actually learning and what they need to enhance that learning. An action plan will provide student affairs professionals a sense of accountability to address issues and concerns as they relate to their perspective programs and services. Furthermore, continuous improvement informs students, parents, and other stakeholders that we as student affairs professionals, are invested in the holistic learning of all students. Think: How do we use the information to improve or celebrate success? Do the improvements we make work? (Source: Bresciani, 2002, p.1)

This module is all about using data to inform decisions, or, closing the loop. You will learn about how to go about looking for data—especially existing data—and how to analyze data in order to learn lessons from the data, as two essential parts of closing the loop in student affairs assessment.

 

References

Bresciana, M. J., Gardner, M. M., & Hickmott, J. (2009). Case studies for implementing assessment in student affairs. New Directions for Student Services, 127. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.