Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a faculty-led, systematic process designed to strengthen teaching, enrich student learning, and support our institutional goals. The CLASS Team and Department of Instructional Innovation & Design (DIID) provide training, tools, and ongoing support to enable effective assessment at the course, program/discipline, and institutional levels.

NICC faculty assess their Educational Learning Outcomes (ELOs) from uniform course guides, individually aligned by faculty in Course Blueprints published in course syllabi. Additionally, all faculty engage in three core assessment domains: institutional-level Common Learning Outcomes (CLOs), program-level Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) via curriculum mapping, and program-level co‑curricular assessment.

Common Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Faculty can assess four institutional CLOs—Critical Thinking, Communicate Effectively, Lifelong Learning, and Diversity—in every course. Minimally, instructors incorporate the primary CLO rubric selected for each course, assessing all enrolled students (including non-completers) by term end. Data is aggregated by the CLO subcommittees to enable course-level reflection and aid in program/discipline action planning. A rotational review cycle ensures each CLO is examined regularly during the fall Professional Development Day.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) & Curriculum Mapping

Each academic program defines PLOs and aligns them with courses through Program Curriculum Maps—a grid linking outcomes to required courses so faculty can track where competencies are developed. These maps ensure coherence across the curriculum and are reviewed annually during program review and departmental reflection cycles.

Educational Learning Outcomes (ELOs) – Pilot Phase

Starting in 2025–26, DIID is piloting the Learning Outcomes tool in Brightspace to assess ELOs and supporting course competencies. Faculty can collaborate with instructional designers to build and align learning outcomes to their assessments, then analyze results to refine instruction in future semesters. Participation is voluntary and designed to build course-level assessment capacity.

Co‑Curricular Learning Outcomes

Co-curricular activities are activities that contribute to a student’s academic learning experience, offered outside of regular class time. Co-curricular activities are optional learning opportunities, promoted by faculty, that are aligned with a learner’s program of study. Each academic program is required to identify at least one such experience on its Program Curriculum Map, develop a co‑curricular assessment plan with defined learning outcomes and assessment methods, and report co-curricular learning annually to the Co‑Curricular Assessment Committee for institutional evaluation.

Faculty Roles & Responsibilities

All faculty—including full-time, adjunct, and concurrent—must integrate CLO rubrics into their courses each term, input assessment data, and collaborate with program/discipline peers to promote continuous improvement. Full-time faculty lead program action planning utilizing assessment data, collaborate with the CLASS team, and support their adjunct and concurrent counterparts.

Annual Assessment Process & Support

October’s annual Professional Development Day provides dedicated time for faculty to analyze CLO, PLO, and co‑curricular assessment results and develop action plans. The CLASS Team and DIID provide workshops, templates, training, and email support to help faculty implement meaningful assessment practices throughout the year

Additional Resources

Visit the CLASS Team Assessment Site or email assessment@nicc.edu
Visit the DIID Team Quality Course Design Site or email online@nicc.edu