Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development.
All academic programs are expected to measure student learning through outcomes assessment. Co-Curricular programs are also expected to assess student outcomes. This includes identifying clearly articulated outcomes, analyzing the assessment results, and making improvements based on the findings.
Curricular (Academic) Programs
Curricular programs focus on supporting academic development of students.
- Primary purpose is learning and development
- Learning outcomes align with the academic major
- Measures student achievement upon graduation.
- Required as part of a degree or certificate
- Every student who earns a degree or certificate from UND will be assessed academically.
The assessment of student learning for academic programs is done at the program level with program-level outcomes (i.e., for each academic degree or certificate).
Co-Curricular Experiences
Co-curricular experiences focus on supporting the personal development of students.
- Primary purpose of the experience is learning and development
- The clearly articulated outcomes align with the various departments offering co-curricular experiences across campus.
- Participation is optional.
- Not all students participate in co-curricular experiences.
The assessment of student learning for co-curricular experiences is done at the experience level, as opposed to the departmental level.
Assessment Plans
All assessment plans are saved in Planning & Self-Study (Watermark).
Login with your NDUS credentials.
Annual Assessment Reporting
A report must be completed for each bachelor's degree and co-curricular experience annually. All certificates, regardless of level, and graduate level degrees are reported on a biennial basis. Assessment reports contain:
- The listing of learning outcomes that were assessed during the previous academic year
- Targets for success for the identified outcomes (if not articulated in the Assessment Plan)
- Data and findings related to each assessed outcome
- Action plans if targets are not met
- Activities that support taking action towards continuous program improvement
- Supporting documentation of assessment
Assessment Reporting Deadlines
Academic Programs
October 1
Co-Curricular Experiences
July 15
Annual Assessment Reports are also submitted in the online repository, Planning & Self-Study. For instructions how to submit your assessment information into Planning & Self-Study, see that support page.
Sample Assessment Reports
The Atmospheric Sciences assessment report includes outcomes that are robust and clearly align with broader goals. They reference multiple direct assessment methods from various courses and multiple levels within the curriculum. Results and thoughtful analysis were provided for each measure and outcome. Action plans clearly tie to improved student learning.
The Professional Health Biology program’s assessment report references direct assessments that align with the learning outcomes. This program is encouraged to further elaborate on their action items will be taking place based on the assessment results. This could include discussions of how the assessment results are used by the department or adding formative assessment from courses other than the capstone course.
The English program utilizes both direct and indirect assessment methods to assess their student learning outcomes. This program may want to update their outcomes to clearly articulate the skills that students should obtain (e.g., synthesize connections between multiple texts to literary traditions).
The Musical Theatre program has a good handle on their assessment processes; multiple assessment methods are used, and a variety of courses are referenced in the report. They also have a clearly articulated assessment rotation for the learning outcomes.
The Political Science degree program references both indirect and direct assessments for each of their learning outcomes. This program does an excellent job constructing action plans to help close the gap in student learning outcomes. They have been encouraged to expand their programmatic assessment efforts beyond the capstone course to other 300/400 level courses required of the degree program.
The Social Work’s assessment plan outlines detailed learning outcomes that align to their external accreditation competencies. Each outcome is assessment with a direct measurement and a Field Evaluation, which is appropriate for this degree program. Results and analysis were provided for all learning outcomes; detailed action plans were included for outcomes when the target was not met. This program has been encouraged to provide additional clarity on their targets for each assessment measure.
The Sociology program does a nice job of including several upper-level courses to gather their assessment data. They also use indirect assessment to support the direct assessments occurring. The results and findings were clearly reported and included insightful analysis. The action plans were clear and identified specific strategies to improve student learning outcomes.
Unmanned Aircraft System Operations B.S.
The UAS program’s assessment report demonstrates the use of multiple assessment measures over several courses at different levels of the program. This program has been encouraged to enhance their analysis section and action planning, with the focus of improving student outcomes and experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessment of student learning outcomes refers to the regular assessment and reporting that degree programs must do to demonstrate the extent students met learning and success outcomes defined by each program.
Assessment of student learning helps support the rigorous and ongoing efforts faculty to ensure students have the best possible experience in their programs. Assessment reports provide data to OIEA that is used to create interactive reports and dashboards that faculty can use as a program improvement tool or to write future reports for assessment of student learning, APR, or accreditation.
- Enrollment
- Faculty qualifications, research, teaching
- Industry and program trends, etc.
Assessment of student learning is one section of the APR.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation (OIEA) website has information about the APR cycle, and they also contact departments when they have an APR due. Please visit the APR website for full information about APR.
Assessment reports are due each October 1st. Please view the OIEA assessment cycle and contacts dashboards for full information.
Bachelor’s degree programs submit an annual report with data from the previous academic year, but certificates and graduate degrees report two academic years of data every two years.
Assessment reports are submitted to Watermark’s Planning & Self-Study (PSS) software. Make sure you can login and can view your program(s) right away. If you do not have access, please let OIEA know so you can be added to the system.
On your PSS homepage, you should see your program name. Click on it to view the sections of the assessment report. There are resources on the OIEA website that demonstrate how to complete each section, but please contact us if you would like to schedule a meeting to go through it with someone in OIEA.
After reports are submitted, they are reviewed by the University Assessment Committee (UAC). The committee will be evaluating completion, clarity, and quality using a rubric. As you will notice, a good assessment report includes:
- Clearly articulated, single-barreled outcomes
- Measures that align with outcomes
- Specific targets (% of students who should achieve a specific standard/objective)
- Quantitatively displayed results (presented alongside past data)
- Indication of whether the outcome was met, partially met, or not met
- A brief analysis of the results, including any nuances that should be considered
- Recommended actions – even if the assessment strategy is to be maintained
Please remember that academic assessment is intended not only to comply with accreditation, but to support the goals your program has for your students.
Do not hesitate to contact our office if you have questions or concerns about the rubric or UAC evaluation process.
Data from assessment reports is used at the programmatic level and at the institutional level. After assessment reports are submitted, they are reviewed by the UAC, as described above, but the outcome data from the reports may also be shared with the Provost, Dean, and/or Chair. Some programs use assessment data for accreditation reporting purposes, as described above, but programs use data in many ways including:
- Program improvement
- Showcasing the successes of their students
- Recruitment
- Resource for future assessment reporting (e.g., results and actions sections)
- Resource for writing student learning outcomes section of APR
- Accreditation
Keep in mind, the dashboards are only meaningful for faculty if assessment reports are completed in manner that is meant to communicate program data to the rest of the department faculty. The intention is not to train OIEA in your discipline, but to use the assessment reports and linked dashboards as a continuous improvement tool. This is why your disciplinary expertise and investment in assessment are so important.
If you have not already done so, please verify you and all contributors can access the reporting system as described above.
- Review the sections of the assessment report in PSS
- Start to enter data if you have not already done so.
- If this is the beginning of a new reporting year, you will need to add your outcomes. See the demonstration resources to help with this.
Contact Allyssa Baumbach (Allyssa.baumbach@und.edu). She oversees the assessment process and can provide you with general or specific support based on your needs.
Assessment Resources
- Assessment Basics
- Common Assessment Terminology
- Essential Guide to Assessment Strategy
- General information related to: Establishing Clear Outcomes (academic, operational and program), Curriculum Mapping, Measuring Outcomes, and making data-informed decisions to continually improve
- Grading vs. Assessment [4:27]
- Assessment 101
- The Assessment Cycle
- A general overview of the steps within the Assessment Cycle
Writing Learning Outcomes
- Writing Effective Outcomes [3:13]
- A Brief Guide to Creating Learning Outcomes
- A basic brief overview to developing learning outcomes. A great resource if you are new to creating learning outcomes for your program or department
- How to Write Learning Outcomes Worksheet
Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of the different objectives and skills that educators set for their students (learning objectives). Bloom's is hierarchian, meaning that learning at the higher levels is dependent on having attained prerequisite knowledge and skills at lower levels.
- Bloom's Taxonomy & Outcomes Action Verbs
- Using Bloom's Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives
- What is Bloom's Digital Taxonomy? [4:51]
Learning vs. Success (Program) Outcomes
Rubrics
- Building Effective Rubrics
- Introduction to Rubric Design and Use
- Essential Studies VALUE Rubrics
- Developing Rubrics in Qualtrics
- Question Type: Matrix
- Matrix Type: Likert
- Format: Profile
Surveys
Books
- Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide by Linda Suskie
- Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improvement Assessment in Higher Education by Trudy Banta and Catherine Palomba
Journals
- Assessment Update
- Journal of Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness
- Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement and Impact
- Research & Practice in Assessment