Assessment in departments and programs

Instruments and ideas

The links below provide perspectives and practical examples of “inquiry in support of student learning” in majors, concentrations, conversations, experiential learning, study abroad, and other academic programs.

Backward design and utilization focus
A model of assessment that increases the likelihood that faculty and staff will be able to act on the evidence of student learning they collect

Instruments and approaches being used by St. Olaf departments and programs
Examples of program-level rubrics, test and exam questions, surveys and questionnaires, and external instruments currently in use at St. Olaf to assess student learning at the department and program level

AAC&U "Essential Learning Outcomes" rubrics
Rubrics developed by national faculty teams for assessing outcomes common to many programs, such as critical thinking, oral communication, quantitative literacy, and effective writing

IR&E assessment grants for departments and programs
Application materials for grants of up to $500 to support program-level assessment projects

College-wide assessment findings for department/program consideration
Reports that integrate institutional-level assessment findings from a variety of sources around specific topics or issues, providing context for program-level findings

Assessment resources from disciplinary associations and other external organizations
Annotated bibliography of resources