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Introduction

In the last three years, writing instructors and program administrators have heard more than ever before about the need for assessment. Sometimes calls for this work are generated by instructors and program administrators themselves who are interested in learning about how instructional practices are affecting student learning in writing courses. Increasingly, though, these calls are joined by others from outside—from campus administrators, accrediting bodies, or other external stakeholders. These external calls can be couched in language that has increasingly become part of the assessment discussion, such as “accountability,” “transparency,” or “comparability.”