1. Creating an Assessment Toolbox
Amber Garrison Duncan
Division of Student Affairs
University of Oregon

2. Learning Outcomes
 Understand the role of learning outcomes in shaping
student learning experiences
 Understand the learning outcomes formula
 Understand levels of Blooms taxonomy
 Participants will be able to recognize different types
of assessment
 Participants will be able to describe different types
of data collection
 Participants will be able to locate data collection
tools for use in assessment

3. Assessment Process

4. Learning Outcomes…
…are goals that describe how a student will be different
because of a learning experience. More
specifically, learning outcomes are the
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that
students take with them from a learning experience.
(Suskie, 2009).

5. Brainstorm
 What do you want the student to be able to
know or do as a result of participation?
 What knowledge, skill or ability should the ideal
participant demonstrate?

6. Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Knowledge- aware, define, describe, label, list
 Comprehension- explain, generalize, give examples
 Application- apply, adopt, construct, demonstrate
 Analysis- analyze, compare, contrast
 Evaluating- assess, judge, defend, criticize, conclude
 Creating- create, hypothesize, construct, predict

7. Learning Outcome Formula
As a result of Student will be able to
As a result of participantswill be able to

8. As a result of this program, student
will…
 Bad Outcome Statement
 Be able to have confidence in their abilities, realize
Student Affairs can benefit their learning process and
enroll in three programs.
 Better Outcome Statement
 Demonstrate critical thinking skills as it relates to social
issues
 Best Outcome Statement
 Demonstrate the ability to analyze and respond to
arguments about racial discrimination

9. Tips
 Limit yourself to 3-6 outcome statements
 Be SMART
 Specific- focused on a specific learning area
 Measurable- you can collect data to measure
 Attainable- the outcome is attainable given the
student learning level and program
 Results- program is aligned with department and
division learning domains
 Tailored- outcome is specific to the program

10. Let’s Try
Pick one of your responsibilities and write outcomes statements.

11. What do you need to know?
Types of Assessment
 Tracking – monitoring who uses our programs, services and
facilities (e.g. raw numbers, frequency, age, class
standing, gender, race, residence, etc).
 Needs Assessment – identifying needs of our students and
clientele (e.g. student perceived, research supported, and
institutionally expected).
 Satisfaction Assessment – measuring the level of student and
clientele satisfaction with our programs, services, and facilities.
 Student Cultures and Campus Environments Assessment –
assessing the collective perception of campus and student
experience (e.g. campus climate, academic
environment, residential quality of life).

12. Types of Assessment
 Outcomes Assessment – measuring the impact our
services, programs and facilities have on students’
learning, development, and student success.
 Comparable Institution Assessment – identifying how the
quality of our programs, services and facilities compare
with peer institutions’ best practices.
 National Standards Assessment – using nationally
accepted standards to assess our programs and services
(e.g. national assessment inventory– EBI, CAS standard
self-assessment, departmental review by consulting
group).
 Cost Effectiveness Assessment – determining whether the
programs, services and facilities we offer to students are
worth the cost.

13. Creating an Assessment Toolbox
 Assessing can include a variety of data collection
methods and it’s important to know when to use each
 What are tools you have in your toolbox?
 Obtrusive
 Surveys
 Rubrics
 Focus groups and interviews
 Student produced work (reflections, oral/written
presentations)
 Unobtrusive
 Banner or Database Systems
 Observations
 Document analysis

14. Exploring New Tools
 Student Voice
 Student Affairs Assessment Website

15. Let’s Try!
For the outcomes you just wrote, what type of assessment would
you use to measure the impact of your program?

16. Questions?