Assessment Toolkit & Resources

The purpose of academic assessment at the University of Maine is to improve student learning. The primary goal of our academic assessment is to further develop an environment that supports student learning and continually reflects on the efficacy of our programs. Below are helpful resources to use for program assessment. For a more detailed description of program assessment at UMaine, please refer to the University of Maine Assessment Plan.

University of Maine Assessment Documents and Templates 

The following are the required documents for assessment planning and documentation at the University of Maine:

• Program Assessment Template
• 3-Year Program Assessment Reporting Template

 

Assessment Planning

Helpful documents for assessment planning:

• Assessment Calendar (coming soon!)
• Assessment Planning Document (coming soon!)
• Helpful Tips for Starting Assessment Conversation in your Unit (coming soon!)
• Assessment 101 – Quick video overview of learning outcomes assessment.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

• University of Maine Student Learning Outcomes workshop info: Click here
• University of Maine Leveling Program Learning Outcomes: Click here
• Measurable Verbs to use for writing student learning outcomes
  • Action Verbs for Assessment Techniques 
  • National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) Language and Syntax of Learning Outcomes PDF
  • University of New England Verb Suggestions: (University of New England Assessment Resources)
    • Cognitive Domain Verbs
    • Affective Domain Verbs
    • Psychomotor Domain Verbs

 

Curriculum Mapping

Resources that help identify, within an academic department’s curriculum, where and how learning objectives are addressed:

• Curriculum Mapping Toolkit PDF
• UMaine Curriculum Mapping workshop info: Click here

 

Collecting Data & Evidence

Collecting data and evidence occurs once a program has identified their program learning outcomes and mapped them to the curriculum.  Below are some helpful resources on collecting data and evidence for program assessment purposes:

• Brightspace Learning Outcomes Tools
  • Overview of Brightspace Tools – CITL Workshop Spring 2021 (video & slides)
  • Instructions
    • CITL: Learning Outcomes and the New Mastery Gradebook
    • OIRA: Importing Program Learning Outcomes to a Course
    • OIRA: Aligning Learning Outcomes to Assessments
• Rubrics: UMaine General Education Rubrics
• Strategies: There are numerous strategies for data collection in and out of classrooms that gather information on how to meet department goals and student learning outcomes.
  • Direct and Indirect Measuring Strategies (University of Michigan)
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Collection Strategies (Washington State University)
  • Longitudinal and Cross Sectional Designs (James Madison University)

 

Communicating Assessment Results: 

Building a narrative through evidence-based storytelling can help the audience more effectively understand the data being communicated.

8 Step Toolkit for Building a Narrative

• Communicating Assessment- Outside Resources
  • University of Iowa – Presentation on Using Assessment Results to Improve Practice 
  • Messiah University – Presentation on engaging stakeholders in the assessment of Student Learning
  • Communication is Key: Unpacking “Use of Assessment Results to Improve Student Learning

 

Assessment Models and Examples from Other Institutions

• James Madison University: Assessment Cycle
• College of San Mateo: Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment 
• University of Hawai’i Manoa Curriculum Mapping
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst: Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Undergraduate Programs
• University of Rhode Island: Assessment for Graduate Programs

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

For more information on the topic of assessment, including academic readings and national organizations, please click here.