Assessment Tools
Assessment tools documents, websites, links, etc. –
Assessing Student Learning: A common sense guide by Linda Suskie 2004 is on Reserve at the Egan Library Check-out Desk.
Fundamentals
Council for Higher
Education Accreditation
CHEA Institute for Research
and Study of Accreditation and Quality Assurance
Statement of Mutual Responsibilities for Student Learning Outcomes:
Accreditation, Institutions, and Programs
http://www.chea.org/pdf/StmntStudentLearningOutcomes9-03.pdf
Western Washington University – Tools & Techniques for Program Improvement: A Handbook for Program Review & Assessment of Student Learning
http://www.wwu.edu/depts/vpue/assessment/documents/prog_handbook.pdf
This is a lengthy, comprehensive document. Start with the table of contents and the two introductory sections. Helpful to those at different stages in the assessment process ‘How to Use This Handbook’ provides a synopsis of each chapter.
Principles of Good
Practice for Assessing Student Learning
DePaul University –
Academic Affairs – Office of Faculty Development
http://condor.depaul.edu/acafflpc/aahe.htm
Univ. of Connecticut – Outcomes Assessment Primer
http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/primer/components.html
Univ. of Connecticut – How to Write Objectives and Outcomes
http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/docs/HowToWriteObjectivesOutcomes.pdf
University of Rhode Island – Assessment Methods – A Close-Up Look by Barbara Wright, Assessment Coordinator, Eastern Connecticut State University
http://www.uri.edu/assessment/media/public/page_files/uri/guidance/primer/Wright_Methods_NERTW.pdf
University of Rhode Island Assessment – Grades vs. Outcomes
http://www.uri.edu/assessment/media/public/page_files/uri/guidance/primer/Rogers_GradesvOutcomes.pdf
A discussion of grades as outcomes measures; why grades per se are not recommended, and approaches where grades can be used effectively.
Sample Report Templates
Annual Assessment Reports
The annual reports will fill an important role in UAS academic planning and for monitoring progress toward meeting the objectives of the UAS Strategic and Assessment Plan. They are also an essential element in meeting NWCCU accreditation standards.
In addition to assessment results and proposed changes, related program circumstances and concerns (faculty, facility, resource needs, etc.) may also be presented.
Concordia College: Department Annual Report Guidelines
Part I: Department Planning Information
Write a brief summary describing this year’s accomplishments and next year’s plans. Not an exhaustive report, just a general sense of your department/program activities.
Part II: Assessment of Student Learning
A. Briefly describe the actions you took based on the recommendations of the Assessment Committee on last year’s report.
B. List your department/program’s most important goals for student learning and the corresponding measurable student learning outcomes.
C. Describe your department/program’s plan to assess these student learning outcomes. The plan should identify the specific methods for data collection and analysis and will ideally include both direct and indirect measures of student learning. The plan should also include a timeline for implementation.
D. Identify the assessment activities that your program has used in the past year.
E. Describe how your program is using assessment results to improve student learning. What changes or revisions are being made/will be made based on the data that you have collected? What specific steps will you take to make additional improvements?
F. Based on this year’s report, what changes, if any, are you planning to make in your assessment plan for next year?
Source: Adapted from: Concordia College department report guidelines
http://www.concordiacollege.edu/dept/assessment/annrpt.htm
UAA Assessment Plan and Assessment Report Templates
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/assessment/
The UAA template is quite elaborate but includes very specific directions and descriptions of assessment plan components.
UAF Provost Office – Step by Step Guide to Preparing an Outcomes Assessment Plan
http://www.uaf.edu/provost/assessment-review/assessment/step-by-step-guide/
The UAF templates are much less detailed than the UAA examples.
Butler University Academic Assessment Report Template:
http://www.butler.edu/institutional-research/academic-assessment-report-template
Seattle Central Community College: Assessment Report Template
http://seattlecentral.edu/users/crc/Assessment/ReportTemplates.htm
Northern Arizona
University – University Assessment Committee
Annual Report on
Degree Program Assessment of Student Learning
http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/astro-chairs/NAUassessment.pdf
Although this is the report for a physics program it describes the typical elements of an annual assessment report. The use of ‘benchmark questions’ on pages 4-6 may be a useful assessment alternative.
University of Rhode
Island – Student Learning Outcomes -- Undergraduate Programs:
Learning Outcomes,
Curricular Mapping, Reports
http://www.uri.edu/assessment/uri.html
Examples: Accounting, Anthropology, Biology, English, Management
Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment
http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm
The North Carolina State University website for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment is exceptionally comprehensive. The main link includes all the sections; the following two sub-sections are of particular interest.
Assessment of specific skills content
http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm#area
Individual institutions' assessment-related pages
http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm#inst
Rubrics
How can Rubrics be used to assess program learning goals?
- Embedded course assignments – program assessments which are embedded into course assignments can be scored using a rubric
- Capstone experiences – theses, oral defenses, exhibitions, presentations, etc. – can be scored using a rubric to provide evidence of the overall effectiveness of a program
- Field experiences – internships, practicum, etc.—supervisor’s ratings of the student’s performance can be evidence of the overall success of a program
- Employer feedback – feedback from the employers of alumni can provide information on how well a program is achieving its learning goals
- Student self-assessments – indirect measures of student learning
- Peer evaluations – while having the potential for being inaccurate and biased – they can motivate students to participate fully
- Portfolios – rubrics can be a useful way to evaluate portfolios
(Assessing Student Learning: A common sense guide by Suskie 2004) http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/primer/how1.html
Rubric scores are subjective and thus prone to unintentional scoring errors and biases:
- Leniency errors – when faculty judge student work better than most of their colleagues would judge it
- Generosity errors – when faculty tend to use only the high end of the rating scale
- Severity errors – when faculty tend to use only the low end of the rating scale
- Central tendency errors – when faculty tend to use only the middle of the rating scale
- Halo effect bias – when faculty let their general impression of a student influence their scores
- Contamination effect bias – when faculty let irrelevant student characteristics (e.g., handwriting or ethnic background) influence their scores
- Similar-to-me effect bias – when faculty give higher scores to those students whom they see as similar to themselves
- First-impression effect bias – when faculty’s early opinions distort their overall judgment
- Contrast effect bias – when faculty compare a student against other students instead of established standards
- Rater drift – when faculty unintentionally redefine scoring criteria over time
(Assessing Student Learning: A common sense guide by Suskie 2004) http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/primer/how1.html
How_to_Create_Rubrics_UConn_Stevens2005.pdf
This Univ. of Connecticut example includes detailed directions and descriptions for levels of performance. Here they use Excellent, Competent, and Needs Work but other descriptors are equally acceptable.
Student Learning Outcomes: Tools, Measures, Definitions
UAA Faculty Senate
Academic Assessment Committee
FSAAC_Policies_Procedures_1-21-11.pdf
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/governance/fs-academic-assessment-committee.cfm
UAA Draft Academic Assessment Handbook (Awaiting Faculty Senate approval, last modified January 2011). The FSAAC document is one example of a faculty assessment committee’s policies and procedures. Specifically, see Terms and Definitions on pages 12-18.
UAF Provost: Assessment & Program Review
http://www.uaf.edu/provost/assessment-review/
General information with left side-bar links specific aspects of academic assessment.
Hocking College – Types of Assessment Measures: Direct and Indirect
http://www.hocking.edu/application/documents/Assessment/typesofAssessmentMeasures.pdf
Summary_of_Direct_Assessment_Techniques_Allen2004
Summary_of_Indirect_Assessment_Techniques_Allen2004
Univ. of Connecticut – Pros and Cons of Tools for Doing Assessment
http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/docs/Pros_and_Cons_of_Assessment_Tools.pdf
Univ. of Connecticut – Choosing the Right Assessment Tool
http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/docs/Choosing_the_Right_Assessment_Tool.pdf
Bakersfield College – Choosing the Right Assessment Tools
http://online.bakersfieldcollege.edu/courseassessment/Default.htm
This chart describes 15 assessment tools including information for each on method, domain, usage type, Bloom’s Taxonomy level, pros, and cons
(Based on Fulks, Janet, “Assessing Student Learning in Community Colleges”, Bakersfield College, 2004)
Gallaudet University: Assessment Tools and Methods
Gallaudet University: Assessment of Student Learning – Instructions & Examples
Very basic, straightforward descriptions for creating or developing mission statements, student learning outcomes, performance targets, assessment tools and methods, rubrics, summarizing and analyzing assessment findings, and using the results.
University of Wisconsin-Madison General Education Assessment Plan
http://www.provost.wisc.edu/assessment/2008AssessmentPlanforGERfinal.pdf