Emerging Dialogues

The mission of Emerging Dialogues (ED) is to discuss current issues and ideas relevant to higher education assessment practitioners today. EDis a platform for articles focused on student learning assessment that are relevant and thought-provoking while also being well-reasoned and supported by diverse experience or research. The publication provides opportunities for professional growth in the field through authorship and participation in the peer review process.

We seek new and experienced authors, professionals, graduate students, and others to write about current emerging themes (dialogues, if you will) in assessment. The peer review process is supportive and iterative, especially for first-time submissions. We encourage people to submit both formal and informal articles, including:

  • Case studies
  • Formal responses to previously published pieces
  • Personal Narratives or Op-eds
  • Innovative Ideas or Challenges
  • Translation of conference presentations to publication format

Call for Article Submissions

AALHE’s Emerging Dialogues is looking for short articles (up to 1,200 words) on how institutions, programs, or individuals are working to move the needle on learning improvement through assessment.

We accept submissions on a rolling basis; finalized articles will be published on a semi-annual schedule:

  • Articles must be submitted by April 1st and October 1st annually to be reviewed and published within each cycle.

Typically, the peer review process takes 2-4 weeks. Additional revisions may be needed to finalize an article for publication.

See the guidelines for submission for more information: Emerging Dialogues Guidelines for Publication.

If you have any questions about the guidelines of Emerging Dialogues, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Published Articles

Articles are listed in reverse chronological order based on date of publication. Each article is tagged with keywords to search for topics of interest.

DateAuthor(s)TitleKey Words/Tags

September 5, 2024

Thomas Polk, PhD; Joan J. Hwang, PhD; and Gina B. Polychronopoulos, PhD.

Helping Students Find Value in their Writing Assignments

utility-value assignments, meaningful writing, writing-to-learn, assessment for learning

October 27, 2023

Angela Mitchell, PhD

Improving Diverse Learners’ Experiences in First Year Writing

Student agency, engagement, labor grading, inclusivity

September 28, 2023

Reem Jaafar, PhD, and Milena Cuellar, PhD

Promoting Equity and Empowering Faculty with Data Coaching

Data democratization, student success data, equity-minded actions, continuous improvement, professional development

August 15, 2023 Shauna Wilton, Ph.D and Mélanie Méthot, Ph.D “After a bit of deep thinking…”: Using Student Reflections to Assess Student Learning Assessment, reflections, core skills, rubrics
July 17, 2023 Jennifer Ann Morrow, Ph.D. Using ChatGPT to Develop Survey Questions: A Survey Researcher’s Experience Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Item Development
ChatGPT, Item Development, Artificial Intelligence, Survey Development
June 14, 2023 Melanie Harris, MS Benefits of Aligning Low and High-Stakes Assessment and the use of Feedback in Rubrics to Improve Student Learning Outcomes Gradescope, assessment, feedback, rubrics
April 26, 2023 Ellen M. Wisner, PhD Helping Students Link Course Content To Their Own Lives Through Utility-Value Writing Assignments Utility value, motivation, ecology, educational intervention
April 24, 2023 Taryn Price-Lopez, MA RT (R)(CT)(MR) Explorations in Assessment in a Radiologic Technology Program Student mental health, Allied health education, Non-traditional assessment strategies
April 3, 2023 Glenn Allen Phillips, Sarah Wu, Joel D. Bloom, Jamie M. Jones, Beth K. Janetski, Jun Fu, Jennifer Billman, Felicia A. Ramírez, Renata Opoczynski Assessment Professionals as Change Agents: Enhancing Equity in Our Own Backyard Equity, Assessment, Grand Challenges in Assessment
March 30, 2023 Kevin Whiteacre, Liz Whiteacre Using A Validated Creativity Scale to Assess and Inform Revisions in a Creative Writing
Creative writing, assessment, creativity scale, writing courses
March 8, 2023
Erik Jon Byker, Ph.D. Preparing Students for High-Stakes, Performance Based Assessments at UNC Charlotte edTPA, Gradescope, performance-based assessment, teacher candidates, self-assessment
November 17, 2022
Melinda Turner, M.Ed., Mary Bolton, M.Ed., and Chloe Ruff, Ph.D. Using Student Assessment Teams and Student Focus Groups to Improve Course Evaluation Course Evaluation, Assessment, Student Assessment Teams, Student Focus Groups, Osteopathic Medicine
June 23, 2022
Lori M. DeShetler, PhD, Bindu Menon, PhD, and Jolene M. Miller, MLS Assessing Knowledge in Medical School: Implementation of an Item Review Committee to Increase Assessment Item Quality internal assessments, item review committee, item quality, medical education
April 20, 2022
Jennifer Burke Reifman, Mahalia White, Leah Kalish Reflections on a Model of Student-Inclusive Assessment Research Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), member checking, inclusivity
November 17, 2021
Stacie M. Shanks My Journey with Formative Assessment Formative assessment, writing, ungrading
April 6, 2021
S. Jeanne Horst, Caroline O. Prendergast, Christine Robinson, William J. Hawk Ask Eight Key Ethical Questions: A Strategy for Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Values into Assessment Planning Diversity, equity, inclusion, ethical reasoning, culturally responsive assessment, socially just assessment
July 31, 2020
Jared Androzzi, Ph.D. and Megan Schramm-Possinger, Ph.D. Innovative Approaches to Programmatic Assessment in an Era of Flux Programmatic Assessment, COVID-19, approaches, innovation
March 12, 2020 Glenn Allen Phillips and Rebecca D. Graham Inching Together: Making Significant and Sustained Growth through Cooperation Assessment, incremental progress, partnerships
February 12, 2020 Cynthia Tweedell An Assessment Director’s Dilemma: How to Get Assessment Work from People Who Do Not Report to Us
Assessment, quid pro quo, budget, campus policy, borrowed authority, accreditation
October 7, 2019 Laura Trujillo-Jenks, Rebecca Fredrickson, Sarah McMahan, and Karen Dunlap Down the Rabbit Hole: Aligning Program Improvements with Real-World Goals in Teacher Education Teacher education, program improvement, assessment, standards
September 2, 2019 Paul T. Henley and John E. Calahan "Nursing's Different": Navigating Positive Change in Assessment Planning Nursing, accreditation, compliance, assessment, student learning improvement
May 17, 2019 David Turbow and Jeanne Gillespie McDonald Applying Sports Analogies to Motivate Assessment Outcomes assessment, analogy, conceptual change
April 10, 2019 Elizabeth Carney and Kathleen Gorski Perspectives on Assessment at Community Colleges Community College assessment
February 4, 2019 Caroline Prendergast and Keston Fulcher In Defense of Standardization: Let us Move on to an Actual Villain  Standardization, misalignment
March 24, 2018 Multiple authors Why Are We Assessing? Teaching and learning, quality improvement
March 13, 2018 Jessica Blumerick Assessment in Externally Accredited Programs Program accreditation
March 2, 2018 Natasha Jankowski The Principles of our Practice Assessment guidelines, NILOA
December 21, 2017 Michelle Rogers and David Turbow Assessment of Interprofessional Education: Towards a Critical Mass Interprofessional education, assessment design
A Response to December 21, 2017 Jeff Barbee A Response to: Assessment of Interprofessional Education: Towards a Critical Mass Interprofessional education, grant, assessment design
November 14, 2017 Mary Tkatchov Multiple-Choice Assessment in Higher Education: Are We Moving Backward? Multiple-choice assessment, assessment design
A Response to November 14, 2017 Jon Scoresby A Response to: Multiple-Choice Assessment in Higher Education: Are We Moving Backward? Multiple-choice assessment, performance based assessment
August 30, 2017 David Dirlam Transformative Learning Needed for Higher Education Assessment Transformative learning, VALUE rubrics, SWELL rubrics
July 12, 2017 Caralyn Zehnder, Julia Metzker, and Cynthia Alby Students that Change the World! Innovative Course-building for Transformative Learning Transformative learning, mission statements, AAC&U, Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs)
June 9, 2017 Becky Dueben Transformative Assessment: A Proposed Process Transformative assessment process, faculty values
November 29, 2016 David K. Dirlam Meaning and usage of “assessment” (Part III): Science, design, and interpretation of learning and teaching Assessment vs. evaluation, improvement methodologies
November 28, 2016 Erin A. Crisp Meaning and usage of “assessment” (Part II): Are you assessing or evaluating? Assessment vs evaluation
November 28, 2016 Matthew B. Fuller Meaning and usage of “assessment” (Part I): Is it time for a new name for assessment? Cultures of assessment, evidence, inquiry
July 14, 2016 Susan J. Ferguson Going Global: Creating the Sociological Literacy Framework from International Assessment Practitioners Global curriculum models, Measuring College Learning Project (MCL) Norwegian Qualifications Framework (NQF), Kingdom's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), Australian Sociological Association (TASA)
May 5, 2016 David K. Dirlam Grades, SLOs, or a Commitment to Learning  Teacher Learning Interaction, Diverse Methodology
April 18, 2016 Marie Miknavich Maps and the Search for the Buried Treasure of Assessment Curriculum maps
April 17, 2016 Catherine M. Wehlburg Dead Bunnies are Not the Problem Learning vs. accountability
February 22, 2016 David K. Dirlam Showing What Students Have Learned to Do Authentic learning experiences, active learning
January 28, 2016 Jean Downs Should Students Be Able to Show What They Know? Authentic learning experiences, active learning
January 21, 2016 Jo-Ellen Asbury On Facilitating the USE of Institutional Research Data IR data and assessment
January 12, 2016 David K. Dirlam Whether National Exam Scores are Student or Program Learning Outcomes National exams
January 12, 2016 Jean Downs Assessment Needs Work: What can we do? (Part II)  Teaching and learning, quality improvement
January 12, 2016 Jean Downs Assessment Works! But It Needs More Work…  Teaching and learning, quality improvement, culture
January 12, 2015 Jean Downs The Single Most Appropriate Response Reasons to assess, faculty survey, culture
May 11, 2014 David K. Dirlam Impact Measures using LONs and PIPs Learning Outcomes Networks (LONs), Potentially Innovative Practices (PIPs)
May 11, 2014 David K. Dirlam The Academic Praxome Curriculum design, Signature assessments
May 11, 2014 David K. Dirlam The Course Design Survey Disaggregating learning, Learning Outcomes Networks (LONs)

 

If you would like to contribute, please email us at [email protected].