Taskstream
A Robust Assessment System for Educational Institutions

Assessment is very much evident in higher education, as institutions face increasing pressure, from the government, the public, and accrediting bodies to demonstrate the value they provide to their students. Ascertaining how well students achieve desired learning outcomes provides institutions with evidence to demonstrate quality, as well as data to inform improvements. Managing assessment processes effectively and efficiently, however, requires coordination, guidance, and engagement of individuals who have traditionally operated independently and who often resist assessment because they view it as a compliance exercise.

Taskstream, a New York based firm, helps address these pain points by providing cloud-based software and supporting services that make it easier for institutions to manage assessment for accreditation and continuous improvement. For instance, prior to 2010, Texas Wesleyan relied on a cumbersome paper-based process for assessment and accreditation that limited involvement across campus and made it difficult to engage the community. The use of Taskstream as a centralized system for collecting program data has had an immense impact on Texas Wesleyan’s SACSCOC reaffirmation preparation process. It has helped streamline processes, increased transparency, and has resulted in greater acceptance of assessment across the institution, with faculty engaging more deeply in the work.

Taskstream offers solutions for managing data and streamlining workflows to improve processes. The company provides a centralized online system for strategic assessment planning, data management, curriculum mapping, reporting and analytics to create a coordinated and robust assessment system. e-Portfolios is another key product of Taskstream that showcases the skills and abilities of students and, in turn, acts as evidence and data to inform improvements at course, program, and institutional levels.

With real-time reporting on students’ performance, it makes the assessment and analysis of student learning by outcome possible. “There is wide range of growing interest in the pedagogical value of e-portfolios among institutions of higher education. Our platform supports the full range of initiatives with pedagogical and assessment-related benefits,” claims Kevin Doyle, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Taskstream.

The company serves institutions of all types and is a pioneer in cloudbased software for higher education, offering solutions to support learning and assessment for nearly 15 years. Major institutional clients include the California State University, the University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University and Western Governors University.

“Our client endorsements for our commitment to their success and the quality of the support they receive, set us apart from our competition,” remarks Doyle. “We dedicate more resources to on-boarding and supporting clients, offer unlimited support to all end-users of our software, and ensure that we provide timely, friendly, and comprehensive answers to all client inquiries,” he adds. Taskstream’s highly customizable tools, deep expertise of its team, and quality solutions are some of the key differentiating factors that keeps them ahead of others in the market.

We are always developing, always streamlining, and always pushing ourselves to provide the most comprehensive, yet userfriendly solution for our clients

Currently, the firm is collaborating with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) on an exciting initiative to develop a scalable approach to assessment based on faculty evaluations of authentic student work. “We are keenly focused on user experience across all devices, integration, and streamlined workflows,” states Doyle. Taskstream is expected to come out with big announcements in the next year in support of its mission to enable institutions with effective assessment processes, seamlessly woven into teaching and learning practices throughout the institution. “With clear assessment processes and systemic portfolio usage, we will enable better transparency in institutions and support their continuous improvement,” he concludes.