Assessment of Student Learning - Tools and Methods

• Will they measure achievement of your outcomes

Shows if targets – the desired level of performance (level of satisfaction, productivity, efficiency, student performance) for each outcome – were achieved

• Cost-Effective in time and money
• Useful = will produce results that provide information that can be used in making decisions to improve student learning
• Reasonably-accurate and truthful – NOT Perfect = yields dependable, consistent responses over time
• Evidence of being on-going, not once and done

• Course/Homework assignments evaluated using a rubric
• Reflective papers
• Observations of field work, internship, performance, service learning, or clinical experience, with notes recorded systematically
• Summaries/analyses of electronic discussion threads
• Evaluation of capstone experiences, senior theses, exhibitions, portfolios, performances, research projects, presentations, dissertations, or oral defenses
• Scores and pass rates on appropriate licensure/certification exams (e.g., Praxis, NLN) or other published tests
• Employer and internship supervisor ratings of student skills
• Score gains between entry and exit on published or local tests or writing sample

• Course/Assignment grades
• Number of student hours spent at intellectual or cultural activities related to course
• Focus Group/Exit Interviews with students, faculty/staff
• Registration or course enrollment information
• Placement rates of graduates into appropriate career positions and starting salaries
• Alumni, employer, and student surveys (including satisfaction surveys)
• Quality/reputation of graduate and four-year programs into which alumni are accepted
• Length of time to degree

• Benchmarking
• Discussions
• Doc. Analysis
• Evaluations
• Government Standards
• Professional Standards

• Activity Volume
• Benchmarking
• Efficiency
• Focus Groups
• Satisfaction
• Service Quality