Assessment CyberGuide for Learning Goals and Outcomes



	(TOPSS) Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (PT@CC) Psychology Teachers at Community Colleges

	Reports

APPLYING ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES IN PSYCHOLOGY

Linking Assessment to the
Psychology Learning Goals and Outcomes

The Task Force members believe that the Undergraduate Psychology Learning Goals and Outcomes and assessment planning are inextricably intertwined. Specifying performance criteria in the absence of well designed plans to gather evidence on program effectiveness is likely to be an unproductive enterprise. The development of the Undergraduate Psychology Learning Goals and Outcomes was driven by our belief that each goal with its associated outcomes must reflect measurable aspects of the undergraduate psychology major.

After drafting the goals and outcomes, we discussed appropriate assessment methods that could be applied to each goal and its related outcomes. We considered a wide variety of both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods (e.g., objective tests; essays tests; formative assessments; projects; student portfolios; self-assessment practices; surveys of current students, alumni, and employers; and unobtrusive/archival measures). We also examined the potential advantages and disadvantages of each strategy for measuring specific outcomes listed for each goal. Ultimately, we estimated how optimal the various methods might be in producing a viable assessment strategy for a specific learning goal.

Principles of Assessment in Psychology

á	A set of outcomes is meaningful and useful in improving instruction only if student abilities are measured thoughtfully with the specific intent of improving teaching and learning. Whenever possible, students should receive direct feedback to facilitate their learning from completing assessment activities.
á	Assessment planning should encourage systematic improvement rather than concentrate on deficiency. Depersonalizing the potential threat imposed by assessment may make it easier for faculty members to embrace assessment practices.
á	Although some aspects of assessment can be accomplished using multiple-choice testing formats, other approaches to assessment often provide a richer picture of student achievement.
á	Departments may choose to focus only a few goals on an annual basis. The document proposes ideal goals and outcomes under optimal conditions with appropriate resources to support assessment activity. Departments can craft assessment plans that provide feedback on targeted dimensions that will help improve or maintain high quality education. One strategy may involve assessing a subset of desired goals and outcomes in a given year with the expectation of assessing other goals and outcomes in later years.
á	Departments will benefit from discussions that compare existing curricula to the Undergraduate Psychology Learning Goals and Outcomesto establish departmental expectations. Examining how individual courses contribute to achieving departmental expectations will help departments identify their relative strengths as well as areas that need improvement or are less highly valued in the mission of the department.
á	Wherever possible, assessment is most beneficial when embedded within existing coursework. Such strategies reduce the burden for faculty and increase the motivation for students to take assessment activities seriously.
á	In assessment-unfriendly departments, individual faculty may still be able to participate in assessment activities by using the Undergraduate Psychology Learning Goals and Outcomes to facilitate individual course planning.
á	Assessment deserves to be treated as a legitimate area of applied scholarship for faculty. To the extent that the results of an assessment activity receive an external review, such work should count as part of the faculty scholarship portfolio.
á	Departments will need to ask specific individuals in the department to assume overview responsibilities for departmental assessment. Assessment planning is energy and time intensive. This important work should be supported with release time and recognition for service to forestall deteriorating attention to assessment concerns.
á	Assessment activities are expensive. Departments should not be expected to implement assessment plans without appropriate financial support.
Ą	Assessment activities can involve activities that are not class-room based. Co-curricular activities, advising measures, and conference attendance represent viable venues for the collection of data that can influence program planning.
Ą	Successful strategies in assessment may begin with the recognition that faculty are looking for an acceptable minimum of contribution. Departments may want to start from the proposition of the least intrusive activities and determine how satisfying the answers to curricular evolution might be. Arguing for more complex strategies may emphasize saving time and aggravation in the long run by adopting a proactive stance of curriculum evaluation.

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