Assessment Methodology Tips

Articulating an Assessment Methodology

Assessment Instrument

  • When assessing learning outcomes: what student work will be used?
  • When assessing program outcomes/admin: what tools will you use to measure the outcome?

Assessment Procedures

  • How will you collect and evaluate the artifact you collect?
  • Explain how the assessment activities/artifacts/student work will be evaluated.
  • Who will participate in the assessment process if using a rubric or checklist?
  • Describe the instrument you are using in more detail.

For instance:

  • If you are using an assignment, summarize what the requirements are and state when and how it will be completed/collected (e.g., capstone course, at the end of the spring 2015 semester).
  • If you are using a rubric, describe the rubric and state how many members will be on the review/evaluation panel.
  • If you are using a survey, describe it. How many questions does it have? What is the rating scale? When and how is it distributed?

Sample

  • How many artifacts will be assessed?
  • Clearly state your sample size and sampling technique or explain that you are assessing all of the students.

Minimum Criteria for Success

  • What score or rating do you expect students to achieve in order to demonstrate they have learned the outcome for this activity/artifact?
  • If you are using a rubric, then you could state: "Students will achieve a 3 or better on a 4-point rubric."
  • If you are using a text, then you could state: "Students will answer 75% of the test items (15 out of 20) correctly."