The relationship of organizational culture to effectiveness in assessing student learning outside of the classroom.

This study was conducted because limited research has occurred in the area of student learning outcomes assessment associated with institutionally sponsored out-of-classroom activities. This lack of research has contributed to the limited response to calls for the assessment of learning from federal and state government departments of education, accrediting agencies, professional organizations, and individual institutions. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship of organizational culture to effectiveness, as determined by reputational rankings, in the assessment of learning associated with out-of-classroom activities. This study focuses on the institutional environment, specifically the organizational culture of student affairs divisions, at institutions identified as successful in assessing student learning outcomes associated with sponsored out-of-classroom activities. The study is intended to determine the organizational culture characteristics within select divisions of student affairs divisions related to success in out-of classroom learning assessment practices. Quantitative methods are used to identify institutions that have surpassed their peers in the assessment of out-of-classroom learning through purposive sampling, and to identify the organizational culture factors that may have influenced this advanced progress using a modified Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) (Cameron & Quinn, 2006). This study finds a positive correlation between effectiveness in the assessment of out-of-classroom learning and organizational cultures that encourage employees to maintain a balanced internal and external focus, while offering them flexibility and discretion in decision making (what are identified in the OCAI as clan and adhocracy organizational culture characteristics). Conversely, the study finds a negative correlation between effective out-of-classroom learning assessment and organizational cultures that valued stability and control (market and hierarchy organizational culture characteristics).