What is a course assessment plan?
An assessment plan illustrates a course’s alignment of student learning outcomes (SLOs) to broader program (PLOs), GE (GE PLOs), and/or institutional learning outcomes (ILOs). It specifies a methodology and schedule for assessing student learning outcomes over an accreditation or five-year review cycle. It must include direct assessment of student learning experience, based on activities and assignments directly produced by the student over the course of the learning experience. These activities and assignments can reflect the approaches of the discipline. Examples include but are not limited to course-embedded work, pre/post testing, licensure examinations, performances and exhibitions, and portfolios of student work. An assessment plan may also include indirect assessment of the student learning experience, such as surveys and focus groups. Each SLO should be assessed at least once during a given review period.
Begin with the course student learning outcomes (SLOs). For more about locating and creating course SLOs, go here.
MAP Course SLOs to PLOs and outline the assessment tools
If you are doing this as part of a program proposal or self-study, you may want to use the resources located on the Program Review webpages.
Here is an example of what this might look like for a course assessment plan:
| Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) | Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| PLO 1: [Describe PLO] |
SLO 1 SLO 2 |
Exam, Project, Assignment, etc. Quiz, Lab Report, etc. |
|
PLO 2: [Describe PLO] |
SLO 2 | Quiz, Lab Report, etc. |
| PLO 3: [Describe PLO] |
SLO 3 SLO 4 |
Essay, Presentation, etc. Case Study, Research Paper, etc. |
Map course assignments and activities to SLOs
Look at the significant assignments for the course and determine which SLOs they support.
Here is an example of a map of SLOs and course assignments generated by ChatGPT
| Assignment | Description | Mapped SLO(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Research Paper | Students write a 5-page research paper on a psychological theory (e.g., cognitive psychology) using peer-reviewed sources. |
SLO 1: Describe psychological theories and concepts SLO 2: Analyze research and evaluate methods |
| Quiz on Key Concepts | A multiple-choice quiz covering fundamental psychological theories, terminology, and historical figures. | SLO 1: Describe key psychological theories and concepts |
| Case Study Analysis | Students analyze a case study where psychological principles are applied (e.g., mental health treatment). They then write a report evaluating the case. |
SLO 3: Apply psychological principles to real-world situations SLO 2: Analyze research methods |
| Group Presentation on Psychology Topic | Small groups present on a psychology topic (e.g., social psychology), summarizing key concepts, research findings, and applying the theory to real-world examples. |
SLO 4: Demonstrate effective communication SLO 1: Describe psychological theories and concepts |
| Class Discussion Participation | Regular participation in class discussions where students critique articles, ask questions, and discuss course material in a group setting. |
SLO 4: Demonstrate effective communication SLO 2: Analyze research and evaluate methods |
| Midterm Exam | A combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions on major psychological theories, research methods, and key terminology. |
SLO 1: Describe key psychological theories and concepts SLO 2: Analyze research and evaluate methods |
Develop Rubrics for Data Collection
Once you have mapped Activities and Assignments to SLOs, you can create rubrics for your assignments and set up Canvas Outcomes with those rubrics to assess each SLO for each mapped assignment.
Determine a Schedule
Determine a schedule that ensures that all SLOs are assessed at least once during the five-year review cycle. Outline when you will assess each SLO and begin collecting data. Coordinate with your program chair to ensure that SLOs corresponding to PLOs are assessed with the program review schedule.
Here is an example for how you might organize your schedule for the SLOs from the example above:
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
SLO 1: Describe psychological theories and concepts |
SLO 2: Analyze research and evaluate methods | SLO 3: Apply psychological principles to real-world situations | SLO 4: Demonstrate effective communication | Review data from entire review period to create an action plan for using the data gathered for continuous improvement. |