Assessment Handbook

• Introduction
  • Characteristics of Assessment
  • Necessity of Assessment
  • Benefits of Assessment
  • Glossary

• Assessment at HCC
  • Future Direction
  • Flowchart of Assessment
  • Timeline
  • Evaluation
  • Principles
  • Grades and Assessment
  • Success and Retention

• Assessment of Learning Outcomes
  • Course Assessment
    • Course Outcomes
    • Verbs for Writing Outcomes Using Bloom
    • Assessment Instruments
    • Resources on Assessment
    • Evaluation Methods
    • Resources on Methods of Evaluation
    • Level of Achievement
    • Course Outcomes Matrix
    • Example of Completed Course Matrix
  • Program Assessment
    • Program Curriculum Map
    • Completed Program Curriculum Map
  • Institution-Wide Assessment
    • Institution-Wide Outcomes Matrix
    • Completed Institution-Wide Matrix
  • Reporting
    • Online Report of Outcome Assessment
    • Completed Online Reporting Form
  • Assessment Plan Checklist

Course Outcomes

Before beginning to plan for assessment, the course outcomes on the master course syllabus need to be written as assessable outcomes. Those outcomes are based on what students do rather than what the instructor does. Realistically, the course outcomes should be limited to the three to nine things that all students completing the course successfully should be able to do, know, or feel. Outcomes that students are not expected to master during the course or that they are expected to have mastered before coming into the course should not be listed as course outcomes. Additionally, assessable outcomes should comply with the SMART model.

S:       Specific

Enough detail is provided so that there is no question in students’ minds as to what they need to do in order to be successful.

M:      Measurable

Tangible evidence exists at the end of the course to evaluate students’ success in reaching the outcome.

A:       Active

The behavior expected of the student should be observable. “To understand,” “to be aware of,” “to feel” are not observable, and, therefore, are not acceptable in course outcomes. The verbs used in writing course outcomes should indicate student action.

R:       Relevant

Extraneous or pet topics should not be part of course outcomes. The course assessment team should keep outcomes to those everyone completing the course successfully should be able to do, know, or feel.

T:       Time Bound

Even though faculty may have many goals for their students, the goals expressed in the course outcomes should only be those that can be attained within the time-frame of the course.

An example of course outcomes for General Psychology that follow the SMART model might be the following:

Students who successfully complete General Psychology will:

Writing outcomes according to the SMART model requires using active verbs as does writing outcomes that address the array of Bloom’s taxonomy. The table on this webiste at "Verbs for Writing Outcomes Using Bloom's Taxonomy" suggests active verbs that may be used to write learning outcomes in the various categories of the taxonomy.