Assessment of student learning is one part of the cyclical program assessment process, and its purpose is to provide faculty and administrators with information to help them ensure students are learning what they need to be successful and to improve how, what and how much students learn in their programs.
The process also provides documentation of student learning to help programs and the university meet external requirements, including those of accreditation organizations. Academic programs should review each of the resources linked below:
- Program Level Assessment
- How to Write Program Outcomes
- How to Write Course Learning Objectives
- Aligning Learning Activities and Assessments to Course Objectives
- Mapping Course Objectives to Program Outcomes
- Guide to MU Educational Assessment App
FAQ
All degree programs have specific and measurable program outcomes that define what students should know or be able to do by the end of the program. Each program outcome should have at least one assessment that directly measures student learning of that outcome. All courses within a degree program should have specific and measurable course learning objectives mapped to program outcomes. Finally, degree programs should assess student learning across program outcomes on a rotating cycle, with at least one outcome assessed per year and all outcomes assessed within a 5-year period. This ensures a comprehensive and ongoing assessment process.
All of the above is collected in the MU Educational Assessment App. For a guide to the app, click here.
For more information on program assessment, see Program Level Assessment .
At a minimum, required courses should be mapped to program outcomes. However, a good practice is to also map all courses in a program to the program outcomes. This enables curriculum visualization of a variety of student journeys through the degree plan. Academic leadership should be mindful when viewing electives in a curriculum map.
For more information on Curricular Mapping at Mizzou, see Mapping Course Objectives to Program Outcomes
No. The assessments degree programs input into the app may change as programs continuously improve the curriculum. Chairs have opportunities to refine assessment plans and explain analysis in annual updates and 5-year reviews.
Program assessment is a continuous improvement process. At a minimum, degree programs should expect to revisit their curriculum data annually with annual reports and/or 5-year program reviews. Most degree programs will revisit their work throughout the year to ensure they are adapting to student needs and making data-informed decisions.
Outcome scales can be useful for identifying more granular progress across a selection of courses. If your degree programs would find this valuable (or if it is required for accreditation), consider using an outcome scale that speaks best to your discipline. Chairs or delegates can select from a number of outcome scales in the MU Educational Assessment App.
For more on Outcome Scales, see Mapping Course Objectives to Program Outcomes
For assessment assistance, reach out to Dr. Jonathan Cisco, Director of Educational Assessment at ciscojo@missouri.edu.