Assessment as Inquiry

The assessment of student learning is a process of inquiry through which faculty examine what students are learning in their program, how they are learning it, and how their learning can be improved or better supported. When viewed in this way, assessment is similar to research - it involves articulating a research question, designing methodology to answer that question, and collecting and analyzing information. 

Below are some examples of questions that faculty can examine through student learning assessment. 

Assessing Outcomes

1. Have students near the end of their program mastered a particular learning outcome? 

2. After students have completed lower-level courses in the major, are they prepared to succeed in advanced courses in the program?

3. Did adding a prerequisite to a course improve student learning in that course? 

4. At which point in the curriculum do students in a program master a particular learning outcome? 

5. Did students in a particular course or set of courses learn as much in a remote setting as they did in face-to-face courses? 

6. What impact does a particular course requirement have on student learning later on in the program? 

7. Do students who take a particular course learn more if they take the course earlier or later on in their program? 

8. Are there any disparities in student learning? 

Examples Methods for Measuring Learning:

• Use a set of criteria aligned with the program learning outcomes to evaluate a sample of student work in a particular course or at particular points in the program (e.g. in the first year, in key courses, in capstone courses). 

• Implement short assignments or self-assessments in the first week of a key course in the program to measure prior learning. 

• Survey students or conduct focus groups with them about their perceptions of their learning. 

Assessing Inputs

1. Are there sufficient learning opportunities in the program to support student mastery of a particular learning outcome?

2. Are the course materials aligned with the program student learning outcomes? 

3. Do the projects and assignments that students work on in their courses allow them to demonstrate what they have learned?

Methodology Ideas:

• Examine the course descriptions and syllabi of required courses in the program and identify the courses in which material related to a program learning outcome is first introduced, is developed further, and is mastered. 

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