Assessment of Student Learning
What Is Assessment of Student Learning?
Assessment of student learning is a systematic and iterative process designed to understand and improve student learning. It involves defining what students are to learn and demonstrate, measuring student learning, analyzing results, implementing changes in the educational environment to improve student learning, and then re-measuring student learning. Assessment of student learning is a form of research and is one of the most important responsibilities of higher education.
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Assessment of Student Learning — Our Husky Compact
SCSU commits to our students to prepare them for life, work, and citizenship. Our Husky Compact embodies the most essential attributes needed for a successful personal, professional, and civic life. At SCSU, our students develop these attributes during their academic and co-curricular educational experiences. Upon graduation, our students will have demonstrated they:
- Think creatively and critically
- Seek and apply knowledge
- Communicate effectively
- Integrate existing and evolving technologies
- Engage as a member of a diverse and multicultural world
- Act with personal integrity and civic responsibility
The six guiding dimensions of Our Husky Compact are SCSU’s institutional learning outcomes for all undergraduate and graduate students and thus, the foundation for learning outcomes in our academic programs, liberal education program, and co-curricular programs.
Assessment of Student Learning – Academic Programs
Program assessment is a systematic and iterative process designed to understand and improve student learning within an academic degree/certificate program. It involves defining what students are to know and demonstrate, measuring student learning, analyzing results, implementing changes in the academic program to improve student learning, and then re-measuring student learning.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
Program learning outcomes are discipline-specific and align with St. Cloud State University’s institutional learning outcomes as identified in Our Husky Compact.
Curriculum Map
A curriculum map visually illustrates the intersection of a program’s learning outcomes and its required courses. The map defines each course’s contribution (introduces, reinforces, masters) to a specific learning outcome. A curriculum map may identify signature assignments used to measure student learning of a specific PLO.
Signature Assignment (Measure)
A signature assignment is a purposefully-created assignment, adopted by program faculty, used to collect evidence of student learning for a specific program learning outcome. The assignment is given in all sections of the identified course each time the course is delivered. The signature assignment is scored using a rubric.
Rubric
A rubric is a tool that allows faculty to objectively measure student learning, with regard to a specific learning outcome.
Analysis and Discussion
Improvement Initiative
The goal of assessing student learning is to identify ways to continuously improve student learning. Program faculty, after analyzing and discussing the results of the student learning information/data, recommend an improvement initiative to implement they believe will improve student learning. Typically, the improvement initiative is a small incremental change.
Reporting
Each year, each degree/certificate program will prepare a written report documenting their process, results, and recommended improvement initiative. Program faculty will present a briefing of their assessment work to their dean and secure approval for the improvement initiative. A summary report will be available to the campus community.
Assessment of Student Learning – Liberal Education Program
The Liberal Education Program (LEP) was created to ensure every undergraduate student at St. Cloud State University has an opportunity to explore ideas, issues, and methods in a broad and diverse spectrum of disciplines resulting in a strong foundation of knowledge, skills and experiences that prepare them to navigate the complex issues in our world, now and in the future.
LEP assessment is a systematic and iterative process designed to understand and improve student learning within the liberal education program. It involves defining what students are to know and demonstrate, measuring student learning, analyzing results, implementing changes in the liberal education program to improve student learning, and then re-measuring student learning.
LEP Learning Outcomes (PLO)
The learning outcomes for the liberal education program are, in part, determined by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. These learning outcomes align with St. Cloud State University’s institutional learning outcomes as identified in Our Husky Compact.
Signature Assignment (Measure)
A signature assignment is a purposefully-created assignment, adopted by LEP goal area faculty, used to collect evidence of student learning for a specific LEP learning outcome. The assignment is given in all sections of the identified course each time the course is delivered. The signature assignment is scored using a rubric.
Rubric
A rubric is a tool that allows faculty to objectively measure student learning with regard to a specific learning outcome.
Analysis and Discussion
Improvement Initiative
The goal of assessing student learning is to identify ways to continuously improve student learning. LEP goal area faculty, after analyzing and discussing the results of the student learning information/data, recommend an improvement initiative to implement they believe will improve student learning. Typically, the improvement initiative is a small incremental change.
Reporting
Each year, faculty from identified goal areas will prepare a written report documenting their process, results, and recommended improvement initiative. Faculty will present a briefing of their assessment work to the provost and secure approval for the improvement initiative. A summary report will be available to the campus community.
Assessment of Student Learning – Co-curricular Programs
Co-curricular programs are those programs that take place outside of the classroom; build, expand, or refine academic learning; and have learning outcomes based on and aligned with Our Husky Compact.
Co-curricular program assessment is a systematic and iterative process designed to understand and improve student learning within a co-curricular program. It involves defining what students are to know and demonstrate, measuring student learning, analyzing results, implementing changes in the co-curricular program to improve student learning, and then re-measuring student learning.
Co-curricular Learning Outcomes
Co-curricular learning outcomes are clear and measurable statements that define what students will know and be able to demonstrate as a result of their successful engagement in a co-curricular program. Co-curricular learning outcomes align with St. Cloud State University's institutional outcomes as identified in Our Huksy Compact.
Signature Assignment (Measure)
A signature assignment is a purposefully-created assignment, adopted by co-curricular program faculty/staff, used to collect evidence of student learning for a specific co-curricular program learning outcome. The signature assignment is scored using a rubric.
Rubric
A rubric is a tool that allows co-curricular program faculty/staff to objectively measure student learning, with regard to a specific learning outcome.
Analysis and Discussion
Conducting an analysis and discussing the results of the information/data derived from the assignment scoring, co-curricular program faculty/staff garner insight into student learning. This process of analysis and discussion is designed to reveal strengths of the program and discover areas that may benefit from change.
Improvement Initiative
The goal of assessing student learning is to identify ways to continuously improve student learning. Co-curricular program faculty/staff, after analyzing and discussing the results of the student learning information/data, recommend an improvement initiative to implement they believe will improve student learning. Typically, the improvement initiative is a small incremental change.
Reporting
Each co-curricular program will prepare a written report documenting their process, results, and recommended improvement initiative. Co-curricular program faculty/staff will present a briefing of their assessment work to their supervisor and respective Vice President to secure approval for the improvement initiative. A summary report will be available to the campus community.
