University Assessment & Testing

Sample Assessment Methods

Direct assessment methods require students to demonstrate achievement of the student learning outcome.  Direct assessment methods are preferred to indirect methods.

 

Direct Methods

Capstone or Senior-Level projects, papers, presentations, performances, portfolios, or research evaluated by faculty or external review teams. These are effective as assessment tools when the student work is evaluated in a standard manner that focuses on student achievement of program-level outcomes.

Exams: locally developed comprehensive exams, national standardized exams, certification or licensure exams, or professional exams.

Internship or Practicum: evaluations of student achievement from internship supervisors, faculty overseers, or from student participants themselves.

Portfolios: collections of student artifacts that are reviewed by faculty members from the program, faculty members from outside the program, professionals, visiting scholars, or industrial boards.

Professional Jurors or Evaluators: assessment of student projects, papers, portfolios, exhibits, performances, or recitals.

Course-embedded assessments: projects, assignments, or exam questions directly linked to program-level expected learning outcomes and that are scored using established criteria.

 

Indirect Methods

Indirect methods include surveys, interviews, or other methods that ask students about how much they think they learned instead of asking them to demonstrate what they learned. Programs are encouraged to use direct assessment methods over indirect methods because direct methods provide better evidence of student achievement of the learning outcomes.