Assessment of Student Learning

Why is assessment of student learning important?

IMPROVEMENT

• Engage faculty and staff in self-reflection on learning outcomes or goals and instructional and service delivery
• Determine degree to which outcomes correspond to student and societal needs
• Evaluate degree to which students' activities, products, or performances coincide with expectations set in learning outcomes
• Inform students about the knowledge, skills, and other attributes they can expect to possess after successfully completing an academic program or co-curricular activity
• Help academic and student support units understand the dimensions of student learning when seeking to improve student achievement and the educational process

ACCOUNTABILITY

• Students
• Parents
• Public
• Institutional and program accreditation agencies
• State legislators
• Other stakeholders

ACCREDITATION

• Institutional (HLC)
• Program (AACSB, ABET, CAEP, etc.)

How do we define the process of academic assessment?

• Clarify learning needs of students
• Determine and make public academic outcomes and expectations for student learning
• Implement instructional and co-curricular activities
• Gather, analyze, and interpret evidence to determine the degree to which student learning outcomes meet these expectations
• Agree on ways to use this evidence to improve student learning