Selected outcomes assessment resources

Electronic resources

Examples of Direct and Indirect Measures for Assessment using information literacy as a student learning outcome. Saunders, L. (2011). Information literacy as a learning outcome: The perspective of institutional accreditation. Libraries Unlimited. Adapted by Higher Learning Commission from Student Learning Assessment: Options and Resources, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 2007.

Student and Program Learning Outcomes for Stakeholders Presented by Pauletta Brown Bracy, Director, Office of University Accreditation, North Carolina Central University, at the ASPA Spring 2014 Conference, March 31. 2014.

Developing Student Learning Outcomes
From the California State Chico Academic Affairs Office

Provides specifics for developing statements of student learning outcome from program learning goals to "focus on how students can demonstrate that the goals are being met." Includes an example.

Direct and Indirect Measures of Student Learning from Cleveland State University Office of Student Learning Assessment. Provides examples of direct and indirect measures of student learning.

Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment from North Carolina State University. An extensive list of Internet resources on outcomes assessment from the University Planning and Analysis office at North Carolina State University. Divided into the categories of general resources, assessment "handbooks", assessment of specific skills or content, individual institutions' assessment-related pages, accrediting bodies, and student assessment of courses & faculty.

Student Learning Outcomes Resources Provided by Accrediting Associations From the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

This section of the NILOA website lists both regional accrediting associations and specialized or programmatic accrediting organizations along with links to their resources.

Using Assessment for Academic Program Improvement developed by the University of Wisconsin at Madison. A how-to manual on improving academic programs using assessment tools. Intended for use by department chairs and other interested faculty in developing assessment plans at the departmental level. Produced by the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Print articles and books

Assessing Student Competence in Accredited Disciplines: Pioneering Approaches to Assessment in Higher Education, edited by Catherine A. Palomba and Trudy W. Banta. Stylus, 2001.

Highlighting pioneering assessment efforts in accredited disciplines, this book discusses programs that were among the first to face the new culture of outcomes assessment and student-centered teaching and learning. The essays review the history, current state, and projected future of accreditation and program responses in teacher education, pharmacy, nursing, social work, business, computer science, engineering, and the visual arts.

Student Learning Assessment: Options and Resources, Middle States Commission on Higher Education. 2007.

This brief but informative publication produced by higher education regional accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) contains information essential for any program or institution attempting to align outcomes assessment processes with accreditation standards. All MSCHE publications are available online at www.msche.org.

Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education, by Catherine A. Palomba and Trudy W. Banta. Jossey-Bass, 1999.

A guide to current practices for developing assessment programs on college and university campuses. Outlines the assessment process using examples to show how assessment is conducted. Each chapter of the book addresses a specific aspect of assessment and is designed to walk users through various steps of the assessment process.

Assessing Graduate and Professional Education: Current Realities, Future Prospects, by Jennifer Grant Haworth. Jossey-Bass, 1996.

Aimed at the professionals who are directly involved with assessment programs and at the individuals who set the policies that affect them. Focuses on methods for conducting assessments of graduate and professional education and reports the results of such assessments.

Assessing Online Learning, edited by Patricia Comeaux. Anker, 2005.

Presents online assessment concepts as well as various tools and strategies for assessing online learning.

Assessment in Cycles of Improvement: Faculty Designs for Essential Learning Outcomes, by Ross Miller. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2007.

From the book: "Faculty are finding that valid and reliable information about learning can be gleaned from purposeful, qualitative assessments ranging from short course assignments to yearlong projects, public oral presentations, and observations of internships and other off-campus placements. Such data are vital to improving individuals' learning and are also central to course-level improvements."

Distance Learning Evaluation Guide, American Council on Education (ACE), 2001.

"This publication provides a checklist for organizations to use evaluating the quality of their distance learning programs, and modules. The checklist is organized into seven categories, including learning design, learning objectives and outcomes, learning materials, technology, assessment, organizational commitment, and subject." Available for order online from the American Council on Education.

How Accreditation Influences Assessment, edited by James L. Ratcliff, Edward S. Lubinescu, Maureen A. Gaffney. (New Directions for Higher Education, no. 113). Jossey-Bass, 2001.

Covers perspectives and research on new developments in accreditation and assessment in light of the shift in accreditation from standards to student learning outcomes. Examines institutional and programmatic requirements to demonstrate student outcomes. Discusses six new directions in the accreditation and assessment process to offer ways to enhance student, faculty, and institutional learning.

"A Model for Developing an Outcomes Assessment Plan: The Regents College Outcomes Assessment Framework," by Paula E. Peinovich, Mitchell S. Nesler, and Todd S. Thomas. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 75 (Fall 1997): 55-64.

Describes an outcomes framework based on a multiple measures approach to assessing institutional effectiveness to serve as the basis for continuous improvement of academic programs and services for adult learners.

Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education: Views and Perspectives, edited by Robert E. Dugan and Peter Hernon. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Focuses on assessing institutional quality and effectiveness. Includes diverse perspectives from assessment associations, regional accrediting bodies, faculty members, and librarians on determining assessment options and how to proceed in establishing and applying assessment programs.

A Road Map For Improvement Of Student Learning and Support Services Through Assessment, James O. Nichols and Karen W. Nichols. Agathon Press, 2005.

A practical guide to the planning and implementation of continuous outcomes assessment procedures across the institution using the "Five-Column Model." Chapters devoted to a broad range of topics provide clearly outlined examples of successful outcomes assessment initiatives across the institutional, departmental, and program level. Read the publisher's full description at www.agathonpress.com.