US: Sociology turns up assessment, study shows

The question of how to measure learning - and if it can or should be measured at all - continues to stir debate, writes Stephanie Lee for Inside Higher Ed. But despite skeptics' grumblings, sociology departments are increasingly using assessment methods to evaluate students experiences, according to a new study by the American Sociological Association.

The survey, administered in 2008, drew responses from 549 departments or programmes that offer a minimum of a bachelors degree in sociology. Over all, the number of departments that perform some types of assessment of student learning rose by about 10% between 2001, the last year the study was conducted, and 2007. Most sociology departments continued to use student surveys, senior theses or projects, and exit interviews, in that order, according to the report. Other assessment methods also saw major increases: 29% of sociology departments reported using externally created exams in 2006-07, up from 18% in 2000-01.
Full report on the Inside Higher Ed site