Effective assessment requires "beginning with the end in mind.” As Mary Huba and Jann Freed observe in Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses (2002, pp. 92-93):
Focusing on student learning requires that we specify the goals or intended outcomes of the experiences students have at our institutions. Intended learning outcomes can be written for…a course, an academic program, or an entire institution. [They] describe the kinds of things that students know or can do after instruction that they didn’t know or couldn’t do before.
Consistent with our aspirations for our assessment program as a whole, we aim to articulate learning outcomes that are mission-driven, meaningful, and manageable. Below is information about the intended learning outcomes of a St. Olaf education.
Intended learning outcomes for General Education
Intended learning outcomes for majors and concentrators
Developing effective statements of intended learning outcomes
Using intended learning outcomes to strengthen student learning
