REFINING YOUR ASSESSMENT PLAN: SESSION 1Goals and Learning OutcomesRyan Smith and Derek HerrmannUniversity Assessment Services (UAS)

INTRODUCTIONS• Ryan Smith, Director, UAS• Derek Herrmann, Coordinator,

UAS• Assessment Advisory Council

(AAC)• Assessment Academy Team

INTRODUCTIONS• Who you are• In what Department/School you

work• Why you are here

OVERVIEW OF PRAAPRefining Your Assessment Plan: Session 1

OVERVIEW OF PRAAP

• Process for the Review of Academic Assessment Plans

• Two years before Program Review (and one year before Self-Study)

• AAC members and UAS staff• Use an established rubric

OVERVIEW OF PRAAPElements Undeveloped Developing Established Exemplary

Goals and Learning OutcomesDirect Evidence of Student LearningIndirect Evidence of Student LearningUse of the Results

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Refining Your Assessment Plan: Session 1

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES• Goals: broad statements

concerning knowledge, skills, or values that faculty expect graduating students to achieve

• Learning outcomes: describe the kinds of things that students know or can do after instruction that they did not know or could not do before

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES• Benefits of formulating goals and

learning outcomes– Form the basis of assessment at

the course, program, and institutional levels

– Provide direction for all instructional activity

– Inform students about the intentions of the faculty

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES• Identifying potential goals and

learning outcomes– Research– Reflection– Collaboration– Consensus

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES• Depth of processing

– Knowledge – to know specific facts, terms, concepts, principles, or theories

– Comprehension – to understand, interpret, compare and contrast, explain

– Application – to apply knowledge to new situations, to solve problems

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES• Depth of processing (cont’d)

– Analysis – to identify the organizational structure of something; to identify parts, relationships, and organizing principles

– Synthesis – to create something, to integrate ideas into a solution, to propose an action plan, to formulate a new classification scheme

– Evaluation – to judge the quality of something based on it adequacy, value, logic, or use

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES• Effective learning outcomes should:

– Focus on the learner, not the teacher – on what students will learn, not on what faculty will teach

– Explain how students can demonstrate mastery of program goals

– Comprehensively define each goal– Use active verbs that specify definite,

observable behaviors– Identify the depth of processing that faculty

expect– Distinguish between absolute and value-added

expectations

CURRICULUM MAPPING (PART 1)

Refining Your Assessment Plan: Session 1

CURRICULUM MAPPING• Alignment

– Involves clarifying the relationship between what students do in their courses and what faculty expect them to learn

– Identify gaps when the alignment between their curriculum and learning objectives is analyzed

CURRICULUM MAPPING• Alignment

– Often curricular changes made to improve student learning opportunities before program assessment data are collected

CURRICULUM MAPPING• Cohesive curriculum

– Systematically provides students opportunities to synthesize, practice, and develop increasingly complex ideas, skills, and values

– Focusing on learning objectives allows faculty to evaluate and improve curricula and can lead to the development of new policies and procedures

CURRICULUM MAPPINGCourse Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4

111 X X

138 X X

200 X X

231 X X X

331 X X

340 X X

392 X X X X

CURRICULUM MAPPINGCourse Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4

111 X X

138 X X

200

231 X X X

331 X X

340 X X

392 X X X X

CURRICULUM MAPPINGCourse Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4

111 I I

138 I I

200 P I

231 P P P

331 P D

340 D P

392 D D D D

CURRICULUM MAPPINGCourse Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4

111 I I

138 I I

200 P I

231 I P P

331 P D

340 D P

392 D D D D

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND DISCUSSION

Refining Your Assessment Plan: Session 1