Alignment of Outcomes, Assessment, and Assignments
How do we know our students are learning? Planning begins with the alignment and relationships between Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs), assessment and assignments, experiences, and activities.
| Program Learning Outcome | Course Learning Outcome | Assessment: How do you know learning happened? | Assignment/ Experience/Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Students will be able to construct and deliver a clear and effective oral presentation. |
Students will be able to communicate publicly in a clear, engaging, and confident manner. |
Using the rubric, do students:
|
Create a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the study completed. Present the PowerPoint using the criteria in the rubric. |
Direct vs. Indirect Assessment
Multiple assessment measures are used to asses student learning in academic programs and to provide data sources for curriculum changes and instruction modifications. Assessment tools, such as scoring rubrics, can be used to score student work and also to aggregate data, providing evidence for ways in which students are learning. Faculty select measures most appropriate for their program learning outcomes and collect and assess direct evidence of student achievement. The multiple sources of evidence used at various points might include, but are not limited to, the examples provided below.
Indirect Evidence
Student Perceptions of their learning
Self-assessments
Self-reflection/journal writing
Program exit surveys
Exit interviews
Alumni surveys
Employer surveys
Focus groups
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
Direct Evidence
Assessment of behaviors or products of student learning
Student work samples from assignments
Student performances
Oral presentations
Instructor developed tests
Midterm and final exams
Standardized tests
Course grades (using rubric/established criteria)
InterviewsPortfolios
Capstone projects
Field experiences
SimulationsGroup projects
Case analyses
For more examples of Direct and Indirect Evidence, see: Barbara Wright (2003) "Assessment Methods - A Close-up Look.pdf"
Developing Assessment Tools
The University of Kentucky has developed a series of resources on assessment including this video on Assessment Tools.
Assessment Guides and Resources
Featured in MERLOT, this open source provides a "how-to text on creating authentic tasks, rubrics, and standards for measuring and improving student learning."
Updated: May 12, 2023