Types of Assessment

See also - Assessment Progress Report Guide

Direct Measures of Student Learning
Measures that directly assess student's actual abilities, skills and/or cognitive knowledge
Examples include:

Portfolios *
Research Paper or Project in a Capstone Course*
Essay Questions* or Selected Test Questions
Classroom Response Systems (clickers)
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Exhibitions and Performances in the Arts*
Standardized Tests such as the ETS Major Field Test
National Licensure or Professional Exam
Locally Developed Tests

*NOTE: Some of the examples listed above are only useful as direct measures of student learning within a program if reviewers have a “protocol” or rubric for evaluating student work. This allows the academic unit to gather and compare data across faculty, across courses, and across years. Learn more about Rubrics.

Indirect Measures of Student Learning
Indirect measures are those that provide information from the student (alumni or employers) on what they have learned rather than demonstrating it (surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.).  When used to supplement direct measures, these measures provide valuable information on what the direct measures are saying about student learning. Examples include:

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Student and Alumni Surveys
Mid-Course Evaluations
Employer Surveys
Exit Interviews
Self and Peer Evaluation
Graduate Follow-up Studies
Retention and Transfer Studies
Job Placement Data
Faculty Course Questionnaire (FCQ) Optional Questions

Non-Measures of Student Learning
These measures do not provide evidence of student learning in program assessment. Examples include:

Course Grades
Quiz, Text or Exam Overall Score
Faculty/Student Ratios
Enrollment Trends
Diversity of Student Body
Faculty Publications and Recognition
Curriculum Review Report
FCQ Standard Questions

Last Updated : July 25, 2008