How to Develop a Basic Assessment Plan for a Program
based on the "No Frills" assessment plan recommended by Professor
Barbara Walvoord of Notre Dame
Assessment is the systematic collection of information for the purpose
of improving student learning.
Each major or program within a department should have a separate
assessment plan.
I. List the learning goals for
the program.
"Students will be able to . . . "
Use verbs such as analyze, apply,
evaluate, synthesize.
The goals should be specific enough that they won't work for the whole
university.
The goals should be broad enough that they won't fit one course.
Three to ten goals is a reasonable number for most programs.
The goals often fit in to one of the following five categories:
knowledge of the
subject
thought processes
of the discipline
ethical and
professional standards
communication
skills
interactions with
others
A department could start with a short list of goals, and set a timeline
for adding additional goals to the plan.
II. Choose assessment methods
that will show how well the goals are being met.
Multiple methods of assessment are recommended.
i. Class assignments
Whenever possible use regular classroom assignments that count toward a
grade.
If there is a capstone course, collect an assignment from that and
assess the work with a rubric which includes information about
accomplishment of learning goals.
Report class averages, look for strengths and weaknesses.
ii. Survey or focus group of
graduating seniors
Questions could be
1. How well were the learning goals achieved?
2. What parts of the program were most useful in achieving the
goals?
3. What parts of the program could be changed to better achieve
the goals?
Other possible tools:
National exams may be used if
they test what you teach, and if the
results are diagnostic (reveal strengths and weaknesses of the
curriculum).
Pre and Post Tests can show
how much students learned over time, but a single measure late in the
academic career may be sufficient.
Portfolios of student work
require a lot of time from students and evaluators. They are
useful if you want to show development over time.
An evaluation rubric should be developed before files are collected.
Alumni surveys typically have
a low rate of return, only 15-20%.
III. Use the data.
An annual department meeting to share and discuss the results is a good
place to start.
Instructors present the evidence of student learning from various
classes.
The department should decide on an action to take that may improve
student learning and/or improve the assessment process.
back to assessment home page
Last updated: February 21, 2006