Assessment Resources
There are many wonderful resources about assessment available on the web.
Only a selection can be given here. We hope to add new links as we become aware
of them. Please check back often and send us
links you'd like to see included.
LHU Resources
Presentations and other resources.
Introduction to Assessment
There are a number of excellent
introductions to assessment. The following are particularly simple
and helpful.
- The
Assessment Resource Center of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB) is one of the best. Bookmark this one.
- The Assessment Manual
of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) is also quite good.
Don't miss the survey of Assessment Instruments and Methods.
- The
Assessment and Outcomes site at Western Washington University
explains more of the "why" of assessment.
A "Next Page" arrow on each page moves you systematically through the site.
There are also more comprehensive resources on assessing student learning.
- The Middle States Commission on Higher Education publishes a number of excellent
resources on assessment.
- The Association of American Colleges and Universities has a substantial
web site devoted to
assessment,
including links to various schools' assessment plans and means of assessing
particular competencies (e.g., writing, critical thinking).
- North Dakota State University's assessment
Resources
include a number of helpful ideas. See especially the Assessment Techniques page.
- Alverno College was an assessment pioneer, focusing on
ability-based learning.
See Learning Outcomes Studies.
Alverno offers periodic
workshops on assessment.
- See Ball State University's
Assessement Workbook (each of the 9 chapters is a PDF file of 6-8 pages).
Chapters on using surveys and focus groups may be of particular interest.
- North Carolina State University's University Planning & Analysis Office
lists many
Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment.
- The Kansas State University
site contains a wealth of information.
For a thoughtful look at the limitations of a purely quanitative approach to assessment,
see the very thoughtful essay by John Harris and Dennis Sansom, "Discerning Is More than Counting,"
AALE Occassional Papers in Liberal Education #3, available as a PDF file from the
web site of the
American Academy for Liberal Education or from the LHU web site.
To keep the basics in mind, it is good from time to time to review the frequently cited
"Nine Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning" originally developed by
AAHE. You can view these online
or download the Word document.
PASSHE Board of Governors Policies also address
basic issues in assessment. See especially:
For an interesting response to some common faculty concerns about assessment,
see Sherry Lee Linkon "How Can Assessment Work for Us?" in the July-August 2005
issue
of Academe (AAUP).
Learning Outcomes
The heart of any assessment plan is learning outcomes.
Many programs start
looking for assessment data before becoming clear on the outcomes they should
be seeking to assess. These sites offer guidance on developing learning outcomes.
- University Days Presentation (8/22/07) "Improving Program Learning Outcomes."
- The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis at UC Santa Barbara
offers a brief tutorial on
Writing Learning Outcomes for instructors designing courses for its programs.
See particularly the list of suggested action verbs for various kinds of outcomes.
- Other suggested verbs for different kinds of outcomes are available from the
Adams Center for Teaching Excellence at Abilene Christian University
(Learning
Outcome Verbs) and the Centre for Learning and Teaching, University of Southampton
(Writing
Assessable Learning Outcomes) (a downloadable Word document).
Samples of student learning outcomes
are easy to find with any web search engine (like Google).
-
The University of Florida has included student learning outcomes as
part of its
Academic Learning Compacts with students. For each major, there
is a short list of student learning outcomes with a curriculum map
identifying where in the curriculum each outcome is addressed. The
outcomes are impressive for their brevity, specificity, and
thoroughness.
For a provocative look at general education outcomes necessary for students' future
success, see the recent report "Are
They Really Ready to Work?" from the Conference Board.
Assessment Means and Methods
Rubrics are an essential tool in one's assessment toolbox. There are a number of excellent
resources available to help departments and instructors prepare rubrics.
- Beginners can find help from the
Chicago Public Schools. Don't be put off by the K12 orientation — a rubric is a rubric.
Be sure to check out the introduction, the guide to creating rubrics, and the "Rubric Bank."
- The California State University system has a substantial website
devoted to assessment, including an introduction to
rubrics
with a great many
examples of rubrics in various disciplines.
- San Diego State University's College of Education developed a guide to
"
Rubrics for Web Lessons" to help teachers evalute online instruction.
The principles apply anywhere.
Some departments may consider using published
exams as part of their assessment plans.
Capstone courses and portfolios are a wonderful way to assess all (or almost all)
of a program's outcomes.
- Kings College has been in the assessment business for a long time and developed
some interesting capstone assignments. This one in
history
tailors the assignment depending on the student's goals
(options include teaching, law school, or grad school). There is also a
sophomore-junior project that prepares students for the final assessment.
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
has been a leader in assessment and made summative senior assignments the centerpiece
of its assessment program.
- Truman State University has made required senior
portfolios
a major part of its assessment program.
Authentic Assessment evaluates students' learning in real-world situations
rather than just pen and paper tests (think of a flight simulator for pilot training).
The links below can help develop authentic approaches to assessment.
-
The Case for Authentic Assessment provides a brief rationale for and overview of authentic assessment (ERIC Digest, ED328611).
- Jonathan Mueller's
Authentic Assessment Toolbox outlines the steps in developing
authentic means of assessment. (The author is professor of psychology at North Central College.)
- One tool for authentic assessment is problem-based learning. Samford University
has developed a website
on this helpful approach (helpful both for teaching and assessment).
Other Resources
The various regional accrediting bodies offer many
assessment resources (both publications and workshops.
In addition to Middle States, see the following.
Helpful resources from other organizations include:
- The American Library Association links to a number of
Internet Resources.
This material was originally published as "Assessing Student Learning: Available Resources"
by Amy E. Mark in College & Research Libraries News, May 2004 (Vol. 65, No. 5). The page includes links that focus on information, technology, and bibliographic literacy. Schools that identify such outcomes for their students (particularly for advanced students) may wish to consult some of these.
Assessing Learning in Specific Areas
There are many resources for assessing learning in general education.
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has been a leader
in assessment. See its
Principles for Undergraduate Learning.
- Fayetteville State University (North Carolina) has compiled an impressive list
of online resources
related to general education, including links to other universities' statements
of general education outcomes.
Many of the specialized accrediting bodies and have
prepared materials on assessment in their particular disciplines. See the
Accreditation page for links.
- An American Psychological Association Task Force on Undergraduate Psychology
Major Competencies published a thoughtful and thorough guide to
Learning Goals and Outcomes,
with many examples.
- The American Sociology Association Teaching Resources Center includes publications on
on
assessment and curriculum. The October 2002 issue of Teaching Sociology addressed
assessment issues (see abstract).
Another source of outcomes in disciplines are outcomes statements for programs
at other universities. These may stimulate thinking, but should not be
taken as employing best practices at every point.
- The University of Rhode Island's Student Learning & Outcomes Assessment
web site contains links to learning outcomes for each program as well as other
resources. Intriguingly, the University has also adopted learning outcomes for
student affairs; while this is unusual, it rightly recognizes the important role
played by student affairs in students' development during their education.
Educational and Institutional Effectiveness
Assessing learning is the heart (but not the whole
of program review.
Glossaries
Links will be added here soon. Please come back.
Bibliographies
Links will be added here soon. Please come back.
