Purpose of Assessment?

Most fundamentally, assessment seeks to support and improve student learning. It is the result of a movement toward accountability and involves a paradigm shift from the traditional view of what teachers provide (inputs) to a concern for what students actually learn, do, and achieve (outputs).

What is Assessment?

Assessment is an ongoing process of setting high expectations for student learning, measuring progress toward established learning outcomes, and providing a basis for reflection, discussion and feedback to improve University academic programs. It is a systematic and cyclic process that makes expectations and standards explicit and public.

At the heart of assessment are the Eight Learning Outcomes developed by a core of representatives from all University programs in the summer of 2002. All assessment activities are based on these outcomes. For example, the 8th University Learning Outcome is "Competence in One's Discipline". Each of our University programs develops its specific criteria upon which to base a critical look at the skills and knowledge that students can demonstrate for this outcome. For instance, in the chiropractic program, assessment could help answer the question. "Can our students take a meaningful patient history?" After data are collected, we reflect on and discuss the meaning of the information and this discussion may generate additional questions. In what ways does our curriculum provide the student with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need in order to achieve a useful patient health history? Previously held notions of the best way to teach and learn health histories can be challenged or supported by data analysis. Conclusions are drawn and changes are made in the curriculum to help students more effectively learn these skills.

What Assessment is NOT:

1. Student grades. Many assume that a midterm or final examination constitutes assessment. Results of those exams can be used to give feedback to an individual student and add generally to understanding class achievement for that subject. A robust assessment program seeks to understand all influences on student learning including the relationship between student learning, curriculum development and institutional learning outcomes.
2. Faculty/Course evaluations. Again, these are only a small part of a broad-based objective to support and improve student learning. For example, results of evaluations may highlight ways to improve teaching techniques, ways to redesign a course or course sequence in the curriculum.
3. Part of an accreditation process. It is not just a period of intense activity in preparation for a visit from an accrediting body that subsides when the visit is over. While periodic accreditation visits are often the impetus an institution may need to begin to work toward an assessment program, a healthy institution perpetuates the program and begins to embrace it as a worthwhile endeavor in the name of student learning. It becomes part of the culture of the institution.

What is the connection between Institutional Assessment, Program Assessment and Course Assessment?

NWHSU Learning Outcomes are based on the University's core mission and vision. Benchmarks and criteria upon which to measure the effectiveness of student learning are developed by each program for its students. Each course within a program supports the institutional outcomes by developing clear course objectives stating publicly at the outset the skills, knowledge and attitudes the course seeks to develop within each student.