This is a conference organized by the American Psychological Association. It is a convening of 30 assessment experts in psychology meeting in a workshop format to identify best practices in assessment of the undergraduate psychology major. These assessment experts are being drawn from both associate and baccalaureate degree-granting psychology programs. Their primary focus will be on identifying evidence-based assessments. Their secondary focus is the development of a plan for disseminating these best practices and innovations to undergraduate psychology programs.
The American Psychological Association has promulgated goals and learning outcomes for the psychology major for more than a decade. However, there have been only modest efforts to provide evidence-based assessment practices. This project will align improved assessment tools with the carefully laid out standards of performance embodied in the APA Guidelines 2.0, written in 2013. These Guidelines specify five major goals of the psychology major, including scientific inquiry and critical thinking. These guidelines provide a modern foundation for department planning at the associate and baccalaureate level.