The most important criterion when selecting an assessment method is whether it will provide useful information – information that indicates whether students are learning and developing in ways faculty have agreed are important
Direct Assessment Methods
Direct Assessment Methods require students to demonstrate knowledge and skills and provide data that directly measure achievement of expected outcomes. These measures are outlined in the minimum course content guidelines for those courses used in assessment.
Examples:
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Capstone Course 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.
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Exams – locally developed comprehensive exams or entry-to-program exams, national standardized exams, certification or licensure exams, or professional exams.
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Internship or Practicum – evaluations of student knowledge and skills from internship supervisors, faculty overseers, or from student participants themselves. This may include written evaluations from supervisors focused on specific knowledge or skills or evaluation of student final reports or presentations from internship experiences.
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Portfolios – reviewed by faculty members from the program, faculty members from outside the program, professionals, visiting scholars, or industrial boards.
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Professional Jurors or Evaluators – assessment of student projects, papers, portfolios, exhibits, performances, or recitals.
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Course-embedded Assessments – projects, assignments, or exam questions that directly link to program-level expected learning outcomes and are scored using established criteria.
Indirect Assessment Methods
Indirect Assessment Methods such as surveys and interviews ask students to reflect on their learning.
Examples:
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Exit Interviews and Student Surveys – to provide meaningful assessment information, exit interviews or students surveys should focus on student learning (knowledge, skills abilities) in addition to student satisfaction. The questions should be designed to gain insight into student knowledge and skills. The questions might also focus on student experiences such as internships, participation in research, independent projects, numbers of papers written or oral presentations given, and familiarity with tools of the discipline.
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Faculty Surveys aimed at getting feedback about perceptions of student knowledge and skills.
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Alumni Surveys aimed at evaluating perceptions of knowledge, skills, and abilities gained while studying in the program.
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Surveys of Employers / Recruiters aimed at evaluating specific competencies, skills or outcomes.