Assessment 101: A Review of the Basics

Jill Allison Kern, PhDDirector of Assessment

Christopher Newport University

January 2013

What is assessment?

Assessment is the process of determining the degree to which students are learning what faculty believe is essential for them to know so that faculty can make improvements in the teaching-learning process.

Process for improving student learning

GENUINE INQUIRY

Identify what students are NOT learning

Student Learning

Steps in the Assessment Process

1. Establish clear, measurable outcomes of student learning from a given activity (student learning outcomes →

SLOs)

2. Ensure opportunities for learning → Curriculum Mapping

3. Establish method(s) for evaluating the degree to which students have

achieved the SLOs

4. Teach “to the” SLOs

5. Gather information about the degree to which students have achieved the SLOs

6. Interpret the information and make decisions about what to do to improve the results in the future

7. Implement the changes designed to

enhance learning (“close the loop”)

The first step:Faculty

members need to

clarify and make

explicit what they believe is

essential for students to

learn.

Student Learning Outcomes

A Student Learning Outcome is a written statement of the measurable achievement a participant will be able to demonstrate as a result of participation in a given learning activity.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs): Three Levels

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

The Purpose of SLOs

To clarify for ourselves precisely what knowledge and skills we believe are essential or important for students to learn

To focus our teaching efforts

To shape the graded assignments we design

To inform the criteria we use to grade students’ activities

To enable us to assess how successful our students have been at mastering the desired learning

To communicate to students what we intend for them to learn so they can organize their efforts to achieving the desired outcomes

How to Write SLOs

Use This Precise Formulation:Students who successfully complete

[name the learning unit (e.g., Psych 101, the computer science major)] will be able to do the following:

[ONE observable, active verb][ONE observable, active verb][ONE observable, active verb][Etc.]

Examples

Students who successfully complete French 200 will be able to conjugate regular verbs in the imperfect tense in writing.

Students who successfully complete the BA in Music will be able to demonstrate technical proficiency in their chosen instrument during a live public performance.

Students who successfully complete English 123 will be able to write effectively.

Upon the successful completion of the Creative Expressions Area of Inquiry, students will be able to apply concepts from the humanities to describe artistic endeavors or participate in a fine art, such as creating a painting or choreographing a dance.

Avoidnon-observable

verbs

Rule #1:

know

learn

understand

comprehend

appreciate

study

become familiar with

be knowledgeable about

think

value

realize

become aware of

Non-observable Verbs

Translate Non-observable SLOs Into Observable

Ones

• Know the arguments

Not Observable Observable• Summarize the arguments

• Discuss reflections on the issues

• Think critically

• Understand the principles

• Comprehend the methods

• Appreciate art

• Reflect on the issues

• Identify assumptions implicit in theories

• Apply the principles

• Explain the methods

• Voluntarily choose to attend one or more art exhibits during the semester

Include only ONE

verb in SLOs

You may use “or” but avoid “and”

Rule #2:

Good:

Bad:

• Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to write effectively.

• Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to speak effectively

Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to write or speak effectively

Good:

Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to write and speak effectively.

More Examples of Good SLOs

• Students who successfully complete Math 300 will be able to use quantitative reasoning to solve problems.

• Students who successfully complete this course will be able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of literary texts as demonstrated by a review they write on a novel from the Renaissance, Victorian, and contemporary periods.

• Graduates of CNU’s computer engineering BS program will be able to design hardware components that meet a variety of client needs.

• Students who earn a degree in music will be able to compose complex scores or play an instrument skillfully.

How many SLOs?

About three to six CLOs for a three-unit course

About three to five PLOs for a minor

About five to nine PLOs for a major

Second step in the assessment process:

Faculty members need to ensure students have opportunities to master the student learning outcomes.

Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum Mapping:

A method for aligning CLOs with PLOs

PLO-1 PLO-2 PLO-3 PLO-4 PLO-5 PLO-6 PLO-7 PLO-8 PLO-9

Music 101 x x x x

Music 202 x x x x x

Music 303 x x x x x

Music 404 x x x x x

Benefits

o Reveals gaps and redundancies in curriculum

o Improves program coherence

o Stimulates communication among faculty

o Enhances coordination among faculty

o Increases the likelihood that students achieve program-level outcomes

o Encourages reflective practice

Curriculum MatrixPLO-1 PLO-2 PLO-3

Apply the scientific method

Develop laboratory techniques

Diagram and explain major

cellular processes

Bio 101 I

Bio 202 D I/D

Bio 303 M I

Bio 404 M D/M

I = Introduce; D= Develop; M = Master

Assessment MatrixPLO-1 PLO-2 PLO-3

Apply the scientific method

Develop laboratory techniques

Diagram and explain major cellular

processes

Bio 101 FA

Bio 202 FA

Bio 303 SA FA

Bio 404 SA SA

FA = Formative Assessment; SA = Summative Assessment