Student Learning Outcomes
Part of assessing is knowing that the students have acquired the knowledge and skills as designated by the course, program, and institution. Therefore assessment (the collection and evaluation of data and making improvements if needed) must occur at multiple levels: class, section, program, General Education, and institutional.
- Class-level Assessment: Assessment on this level occurs in the individual classroom where faculty clearly measure course outcomes and make changes for the students or the next time they teach that course.
- Section-level Assessment: Assessment at the section-level occurs across multiple sections of a single course. The faculty of all of the sections have agreed to use a common assessment tool to collect data of all of the students taking that course.
- Program-level Assessment: Assessment of programs requires a high-level of collaboration of faculty across multiple sections and multiple courses. The faculty can agree to use a common assessment tool, such as a rubric, or to collect the assessment data in particular courses within the program.
- General Education (Institutional) Assessment: Assessment of the institution happens in a variety of ways and in a variety of college departments.
The intention of the assessment is to help the staff and faculty answer the question, "How do I know the required learning has taken place?" It should focus on informing faculty pedagogical processes and student services evaluation.