Choose Assessment Methods

Learning outcomes may be assessed directly or indirectly. Direct measures offer compelling evidence that is objective and concrete, and therefore should be given priority when designing learning outcomes. Indirect measures comprise proxy signs that usually accompany learning and can be a helpful way to supplement direct evidence. The following examples illustrate various direct and indirect methods of assessment that your program can use to determine if learning outcomes have been met.

Student learning must be assessed through performance: what students can do with their learning. Direct assessments are artifacts produced by or about the student. Here we provide suggestions and strategies to assess student learning and performance using direct measures:

  • Ratings of student skills by field experience supervisors
  • Scores and pass rates on appropriate licensure/ certification exams (e.g., Praxis, NLN) or other published tests (e.g., Major Field Tests) that assess key learning outcomes
  • “Capstone” experiences such as research projects, presentations, theses, dissertations, oral defenses, exhibitions, or performances, scored using a rubric
  • Other written work, performances, or presentations, scored using a rubric
  • Portfolios of student work
  • Scores on locally-designed multiple choice and/or essay tests such as final examinations in key courses, qualifying examinations, and comprehensive exami­nations, accompanied by test “blueprints” describing what the tests assess
  • Score gains between entry and exit on published or local tests or writing samples
  • Employer ratings of employee skills
  • Observations of student behavior (e.g., presentations, group discussions), undertaken systematically and with notes recorded systematically

An indirect measure is one that provides information from which we can draw inferences about student learning.  Indirect assessments may measure perception and attitudes, offer students a chance to engage in self-appraisal, or illustrate the accomplishments of students and alumni.  Since indirect measures do not call on students to demonstrate their knowledge or skill, they should be used as secondary assessment tools. Examples of common indirect measures include:

  • For four-year programs, admission rates into graduate programs and graduation rates from those programs
  • Quality/reputation of graduate and four-year programs into which alumni are accepted
  • Placement rates of graduates into appropriate career positions and starting salaries
  • Alumni perceptions of their career responsibilities and satisfaction
  • Student ratings of their knowledge and skills and reflec­tions on what they have learned in the course or program
  • Questions on end-of-course student evaluation forms that ask about the course rather than the instructor
  • Student/alumni satisfaction with their learning, col­lected through surveys, exit interviews, or focus groups
  • Student participation rates in faculty research, publications and conference presentations

Source: Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.