Outcomes assessment and its role in self-reviews of undergraduate education: In the context of Japanese higher education reforms since the 1990s

Under the recent state of higher education, "Outcomes Assessment" has become a familiar term in Japan as in other nations all over the world. However, actual conditions of outcomes assessment and its contribution toward educational improvement are not always obvious. Thus, this article attempts to clarify: (1) Japanese higher education reforms since the 1990s focusing on assessment and evaluation; (2) the influence of reforms on outcomes assessment implemented by higher education institutions; (3) how much the results of outcomes assessment are used in self-reviews of undergraduate education; and (4) whether application of outcomes assessment contribute to educational improvement. The results of national survey conducted in Japan reveal that assessments are clearly being carried out, but may not have been supporting the improvement of education.