Faculty Resources - Learning Outcomes Assessment - Undergraduate Studies

Campus Resources

Consultations, workshops, and resources for course design and learning outcomes.

Support for assessment plans, evidence collection, and program improvement.

The university's institutional outcomes framework and its four pillars.

The university’s curriculum that serves every undergraduate student at the U.

1Express broad aspirations

Describe qualities and capabilities for all graduates - not specific content.

2Ensure scalable assessment

Design outcomes so evidence can be aggregated from programs and courses.

Align with institutional mission

Outcomes should directly reflect the university's strategic priorities.

Communicate to all stakeholders

Use language accessible to students, faculty, families, employers, and accreditors.

Start with disciplinary standards

Use professional organizations, accreditors, and peer institutions as a foundation.

2Map curriculum coverage

Show which courses address each outcome. Identify gaps in teaching or assessment.

Distinguish I/R/M

Map where outcomes are Introduced, Reinforced, and where Mastery is expected.

Connect to institutional outcomes

Align with each PLO with one or more E³ pillars.

Involve faculty collaboratively

Shared ownership leads to meaningful assessment.

Use measurable action verbs

Ground outcomes in Bloom's Taxonomy (analyze, design, evaluate) - avoid vague terms like understand.

2Include three components

Conditions (how/when), performance (action verb), and criterion (expected level).

Align outcomes with assessments

Every outcome should be directly assessed. If you can't measure it, revise it.

Keep outcomes student-centered

"By the end of this course, students will be able to..." Focus on demonstrated skills and knowledge.

Aim for 4-7 outcomes per course

Enough to capture scope; few enough to assess meaningfully.

Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing. Longman.
Revised Bloom's taxonomy for writing measurable outcomes.
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for Quality Learning at University (4th ed.). Open University Press.
Constructive alignment of outcomes, activities, and assessment.
Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I. David McKay Company.
Original taxonomy of cognitive learning objectives.
Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-Impact Educational Practices. AAC&U.
Practices that significantly improve student outcomes.
Maki, P. L. (2023). Assessing for Learning (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Building sustainable institutional assessment culture.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. (2020). Standards for Accreditation. NWCCU.
Accreditation standards for defining and assessing outcomes. View →
Suskie, L. (2018). Assessing Student Learning (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Comprehensive guide to assessment in higher education.
Walvoord, B. E., & Anderson, V. J. (2010). Effective Grading (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Connecting grading to outcomes assessment.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). ASCD.
Backward design from outcomes to curriculum.