Program Assessment Toolkit

Program assessment is the collection, review, and use of information about student learning undertaken for the purposes of improving academic programs. It is the summative assessment of student learning at the end of a four-year degree program. Assessing at the program level lets faculty know if students are mastering the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the program to be successful after graduation. Conducting program assessment is a five-step iterative cycle:

The following resources provide guidance for planning your assessment work. They include an overview of the topic, guidelines, and a process for creating or revising materials related to the topic. There are also examples and additional resources for the topic.

UNC Assessment Standards of Practice
Academic Unit PLO-ILO and Curriculum Mapping Templates
UNCO Assessment Plan Matrix Template
UNCO Assessment Plan Outline Template

Plan

• Developing a Program Mission Statement
• Developing & Revising Program Learning Outcomes

Align

• Developing & Analyzing a Program Curriculum Map

Assess

• Determining & Implementing Program Assessment Methods

Collect and Analyze Data

• Planning for Data Collection and Analysis

Close the Loop

• Closing the Loop for Program Assessment

Resources

• Work Cited
• UNC Assessment Series Videos
• Generative AI in Higher Education
  • UNESCO (2023) ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Quick Start Guide
• Bloom's Taxonomy documents
  • Bloom's Verbs, Domains, and Levels of Learning
  • Cognitive and Knowledge Domains Matrix
  • Bloom's Question Prompts
• Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) resources
  • DQP 3.0 Bachelor's Level
  • DQP 3.0 Master's Level
  • DQP--Questions to Ask About an Assignment
  • DQP--Questions of Learning
• AAC&U Reports
  • How College Contributes to Workforce Success, AAC&U Employer Report 2021
  • Fulfilling the American Dream, AAC&U Employer Survey Report 2018
  • On Solid Ground, AAC&U VALUE Report 2017
  • How Liberal Arts and Sciences Majors Fair in Employment, AAC&U Report 2014
• National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) resources
  • NILOA--A Simple Model for Learning Improvement
  • NILOA--Embedding Equity in Assessment Praxis
  • NILOA--Evidence Based Story Telling
  • NILOA--Mapping Learning
  • NILOA--Program Theory and Implementation Fidelity
  • NILOA--Assessment Glossary