Kumu, Kuleana, Kaona: Assessing Multiple Viewpoints

Abstract

The faculty of Hawaiian Studies (HWST) developed a blended assessment plan for our undergraduate program over the past 8 years. The resulting assessment plan honors Native Hawaiian ways of knowing distinguished by five Areas of Concentration that are reflected through the HWST Program Learning Objectives (PLOs). The blended assessment plan consists of three parts: a capstone class, student portfolios, and PLOs rubric. The framework that guides each of these components encompasses kumu (purpose), kuleana (function), and kaona (meaning). Within the context of the framework, we review three distinct textualities: written (research paper), oral/aural (performative piece), and visual (articulation). The culmination of this process is grounded in a faculty developed PLOs assessment rubric that measures the students’ success and experience.