Assessment

View our evaluation of student learning assessment at CSB/SJU, which summarizes work accomplished and challenges faced in assessment from 1998-2007.

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The main purpose of academic assessment at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University is to improve students’ learning and personal growth through a process of examining information about each program area and using this information to design curricular and co-curricular program improvements.

Assessment of student academic achievement is an ongoing process that focuses on understanding and improving student learning. It involves:

• Setting measureable educational objectives (specific knowledge, skills or attitudes that students are expected to achieve)
• Gathering, analyzing and interpreting data about student-learning outcomes
• Using the resulting information to document, explain and improve performance
• Making decisions about programs and/or changes in curriculum to enhance student learning

• Improvement of student learning and instruction
• Accomplishment of institutional mission
• Documentation of the students' achievement of educational goals

• Direct measures require students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities (eg: standardized exams, locally developed exams, juried review of essays, capstone experiences, portfolios, performance on state and national licensure exams, external review of exhibitions and performances in the arts).

• Indirect measures ask students to reflect on their learning rather than to demonstrate it (eg: alumni, employer and student surveys, exit interviews of graduates, gradute follow-up studies, retention and transfer studies, graduation rates and transfer rates).

• Formative assessment involves the gathering of information about student-learning outcomes during the progression of a course or program to improve student-learning (eg: teacher observations, analysis of student work, feedback on assignments, group discussions, portfolios, oral presentations, peer assessment, student journals).

• Summative assessment involves the gathering of information about student-learning at the conclusion of a course or program to improve student-learning and/or to meet accountability demands (eg: standardized senior exit exams, locally developed senior exit exams, juried review of essays, senior exit interviews, performance on state and national licensure exams).

Assessment of programs and student-learning outcomes is important because:

• The assessment of programs and student-learning outcomes is the best way for the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University to determine if it is fulfilling its missions and goals.

• Assessment results are used to evaluate and improve the quality of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University educational programs.

• Assessment results influence legislative funding decisions and affect how the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are viewed as institutions of higher education.

Page Modeled on http://www.lincolnu.edu/~cairp/assessment/assessment_index.html