Outcomes Assessment

Creating Assessment Measures - Advice for faculty

Core Learning Outcomes List

If you are responsible for the program review or are part of a group charged with that task, there are a few basic guidelines that should help in identifying good assessment measures linked to the College’s three student learning outcomes.

  • Don’t attempt to create assessment measures for each of the learning outcomes.
    Choosing two learning outcomes is sufficient.

  • Think narrowly about the learning or skill gain that you intend to assess.
    For example, there are many facets of critical thinking. Choose one component to measure rather than this entire complex ability.

  • Use a specific assessment tool to measure the student learning you want to assess.
    A general test is probably inappropriate for assessing computer proficiency. However, selected questions from that test that focus on this learning ability would be appropriate.

  • Remember that you may already have an appropriate assessment measure in place.
    We’ve found this to be the case on a few occasions. You would simply need to keep records of that assessment tool separately to then make an evaluation about student learning.

  • If you’re really struggling in identifying assessment measures, work backwards from changes that you have made in your courses.
    How did you arrive at the decision to make these changes? What assessment data gave you the information to come to that conclusion? Is that related to a student learning outcome?

Need more help?

Feel free to contact:
Sharon Moore
Assessment Committee Co-Chair
Transitional Studies Department Faculty
RAI 307
425-388-9138

Dr. Cathy Leaker
Assessment Committee Co-Chair
Vice President of Instruction
GWH 248
425-388-9216

You may also find helpful information in these resources:
Nine principles of good practice for assessing student learning Acrobat PDF Reader Icon
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities’ Standards of Educational Assessment Acrobat PDF Reader Icon