Glossary of Assessment Terms
Assessment
Assessment is the process of providing credible evidence of resources, implementation actions and learning outcomes undertaken for improving the effectiveness of courses, events, initiatives, programs and services in higher education.
Assessment Plan
An intentional process to gather information about student learning as well as the impact of courses, programs, initiatives, events, and services impact on the student experience. This may include thoughtfully mapping and aligning departmental goals, student learning outcomes and the mission to the divisional mission, vision, priorities and student learning and success outcomes.
Benchmarking
The actual measurement of group performance against an established standard or performance, often external.
Campus Climate
The current attitudes, behaviors, standards and practices of employees and students at an institution.
Closing the Loop
The cycle of assessment from defining objectives to using assessment results for improvement and reporting.
Co-Curricular
Intentional learning activities, programs, and experiences that meet standard criteria to demonstrate students’ ability to develop skills, knowledge, and habits of mind essential for personal and professional success. These experiences are often, but not always, separate from the academic curriculum.
Competencies or Proficiencies
Used to describe learning goals or objectives, typically referring to skills rather than knowledge or attitudes.
Continuous Improvement
The ongoing process of identifying evidence of learning and implementing changes to improve the student experience.
Curriculum Map
A visual chart or matrix that identifies where program learning outcomes are addressed in a curriculum’s key courses, elements or learning activities.
Data
A collection of qualitative and quantitative information that is gathered for reference and analysis.
Data-Informed Decisions
The ongoing process of collecting and analyzing data to guide decisions. The focus of data-informed decisions is to use evidence to improve the student experience.
Direct Measure
A direct measure captures what students can actually do; examples include exam, presentations, projects, certification, or portfolios.
Effectiveness
The degree to which events, initiatives, programs and services successfully achieve desired results. Simply, what was achieved?
Evaluation
Term used in this guide to indicate the interpretation of findings and is used as synonymous to the terms assess and assessment.
Evidence
Data that demonstrates the impact of events, initiatives, programs and services on the student experience.
Extracurricular
Programs, events, activities, and services curated outside the academic curriculum, designed to enhance, support, and supplement student involvement and engagement.
Formative assessment
Conducted during a course, event, initiative, program or service with the purpose of providing feedback that can be used for modification or improvement in the current cohort.
Focus groups
A facilitated interview with two or more students to gather information. Participants’ interaction with the facilitator and other participants centers around a specific topic.
Goals
Statements about the general aims or ideals to which an educational unit aspires. Goals are usually broad and often vague.
High Impact Practices (HIPs)
Educational experiences that make a significant difference in student learning, persistence and success because they engage students actively in their learning. Including, but not limited to service learning, undergraduate research, field experiences, internships, and capstone course projects.
Impact
The effect events, initiatives, programs and services have on students, (e.g., GPAs, health and well-being, retention rates, persistence rates, student learning, etc.).
Indirect Measure
An indirect measure is the collection of students’ attitudes, perceptions, feelings, values, etc. This measure is commonly used in student support services.
Learning Outcome(s)
Documented gains or changes in specific knowledge, values, skills or abilities. Includes observable and measurable active verbs describing how students will accomplish specific points or tasks aligned with activity, course, program, department and/or university-level goals.
Longitudinal studies
Provide information from the same group of students at several different points in time.
Likert scale
An objective measure (e.g., surveys) that allows respondents to indicate their level of agreement with a statement by marking their response on a five-point scale, usually ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
Measures
Specific instruments or performances used to provide data about learning. They are the tools that help provide information as to the level of achieved results or outcomes. To avoid systematic bias in findings, multiple measures are required.
Open-Ended Questions
An inquiry format that allows participants to form their own responses to questions.
Observations
A method of gathering information by observing students’ actions and behaviors.
Outcome(s)
See Learning and Success Outcomes.
Pre-test and Post-test
Pre-test is the assessment of an individual's command of knowledge or skills before the experience. Post-test is the assessment after the experience A post-test typically follows for comparison to determine if there was an acquisition of knowledge or skill.
Priorities
Statements that indicate unit-level intended accomplishments. Priorities are aligned with the mission and strategic roadmap of the division and the university.
Program Review (Academic)
Provides academic degree programs with the opportunity for self-assessment, encourages increased communication within the unit and uses recommendations derived from outside reviewers to inform unit strategic planning.
Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Describe two research methods. Both are valuable as a means to assess student learning outcomes. In a practical and somewhat philosophical sense the difference is that quantitative research seeks to make use of objective measures to test hypotheses and to allow for controlling and predicting learning. Qualitative research makes use of more subjective observations of learning.
Rubric
A written guide for assessing student work with clear, brief definitions addressing performance levels for each trait of the work.
Sampling
Consists of obtaining information from a portion of a larger group or population. When the selection of a sample is randomly chosen, there is greater likelihood that the findings from the sample will be representative of the larger group.
SMART Goals
A mnemonic that defines the elements of effective goals. SMART means: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning refers to the process in which organizations engage in reviewing their mission statement and goals, and then design and adopt action steps to achieve their goals.
Student Needs Assessment
An assessment of a specific population’s needs.
Success Outcome(s)
Service outcomes that are metrics documenting how well operational aspects of a program or activity are functioning.
Summative Assessment
Conducted after a course, event, initiative, program or service has concluded to make judgements about its quality or to assess intended outcomes. Can be used to improve the learning of future cohorts.
Adapted from:
Allen, K. R., Elkins, B., Henning, G. W., Bayless, L. A. & Gordon, T. W. (n.d.). Accreditation and the role of the student affairs educator. ACPA.
Banta, T. W. & Palomba, C. A., (2015). Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education. Second edition. Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.
Bresciani, M.J., Zelina, C.L., & Anderson, J.A. (2004). Assessing Student Learning and Development.
Crocker, L.M., & Algina, J., (1986) Introduction to classical and modern test theory. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Higher Learning Commission (2019). Defining Student Success data: Recommendations for a glossary of terms.
Keeling, R.P. (2004) Learning Reconsidered.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice.
Schuh, J. H., Upcraft, M.L., & Associates (2001). Assessment in Practice in Student Affairs.
Suskie, L.A., (2018). Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide. Third edition. Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.
Yousey-Elsener, K., Bentrim, E.M., Henning, G.W. (2015) A Practical Guide: Coordinating Student Affairs Divisional Assessment.