Plan for Assessment

The assessment cycle involves developing outcomes, identifying assessment methods, aligning goals with curriculum, collecting and analyzing data and using results for improvement.

Each IBHE-approved degree program should create a plan to ensure that every program-level student learning outcome is examined through a full multi-year cycle of assessment. Having such a plan allows academic units to answer three important questions:

  1. What are students expected to know and be able to do at the end of the program?
  2. How do we know that students have achieved this?
  3. In what ways do we use the assessment results for improvement of student learning?

Effectively answering these questions begins with outlining clear, measurable learning outcomes that are assessed on an ongoing basis. Additionally, learning outcomes and assessment practices should be regularly evaluated as strategic goals and priorities change and as the results identify new questions to answer.