Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56065
Callout —Callout author Testing, 1… 2…. By using two approaches to testing—a standardized test and a homegrown core concept test—business schools can draw a more complete picture of student learning. by Subir Bandyopadhyay and Anna Rominger W 34 hen business schools develop their learning assessment plans, formal testing of students usually plays a significant role. But they face a common dilemma: Should they rely on a standardized test such as the Major Field Test in Business (MFT) developed by the Educational Testing Service, or a core concept test developed by their own faculty? Standard- ized tests offer ease of use and better external validity, but they offer limited benchmarking and customization options. Homegrown tests, on the other hand, are more BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2010 flexible and more in tune with each program's unique curriculum but require a significant allocation of money and faculty time. At the School of Business and Economics at Indiana Uni- versity Northwest (IUN), our faculty wanted to achieve the most cost-effective plan that would provide the most valuable insights into student learning. In 2007, our assessment com- mittee began analyzing the relative merits of the MFT and the school's own core concept test. Our faculty discovered that they can achieve the best results by using both methods for assessment—and we believe other schools can learn from our experience.