Draft 11/11/07 GLevy
Assessment Definitions and Rubrics
Some suggested definitions:
Student Learning Outcome (SLO) – a description of some significant student performance or
work-product that can be observed, and then evaluated against agreed-upon criteria.
SLOs describe broad, overarching outcomes that the student will be able to demonstrate
(in various ways) during and after participating in a focused learning experience (a course or
program).
SLOs “are clear and measurable statements that define what a student is able to DO at the
completion of a course or program” (Fulks, 2004).
These outcomes may be knowledge (cognitive outcomes), skills (general abilities or
behaviors) or attitudes (affective behaviors) that demonstrate that learning has occurred, at a
specified level of competency, as a result of a course or program. SLOs need to be appropriate
to the students’ developmental and educational levels, and the nature of the course or program.
Although the emphasis is on what the student can do upon completion of a course or
program, these behaviors may sometimes be observed and evaluated throughout the student’s
participation in a course or program.
Some of the key features of the definition of SLOs include:
1. They focus on what the student can do or demonstrate.
2. They represent significant, overarching, key learning outcomes. That is, they reach
across specific course content to describe general concepts, skills and attitudes that
can be used or applied after completion of the course.
3. They use active verbs (see Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive objectives). They do not
use verbs such as understand, realize, or appreciate, because these terms cannot be
directly assessed.
Method of Assessment – an instructor-generated task and situation that allows the student to
demonstrate his/her competency regarding the SLO.
Competency Levels – an agreed-upon set of terms that designate different levels of student
performance. An example of criterion-referenced, competency-based labels (without the
outcome criteria that actually describe each level) would be - Exceeds Expectations, Meets
Expectations, Shows Improvement, and Beginning Level. Generally, competency levels are not
quantitative and cannot be assigned numerical values or averaged.
Outcome Criteria – the characteristics of the performance or work product that describes a
given competency level. The outcome criteria need to be complete and mutually exclusive from
level to level. The student’s performance is compared to the outcome criteria and a competency
level determined.
Rubric – an approach to assessing cognitive or complex skills. A rubric usually involves a
matrix of competency levels against knowledge or skill components, with the boxes of the matrix
describing the criteria for determining whether the observed performance meets the designated
competency level. A blank sample rubric format for a single learning outcome and a sample
rubric for a learning outcome in general psychology are included below.
Sample Assessment Rubric for Assessing a Single Student Learning Outcome
Description of
Learning Outcome
Student Learning Outcome 1
(Describe)
Method of
Assessment
(Describe)
Competency Level
Exceeds
Expectations
Outcome Criteria
(Describe the specific outcome behaviors that match this
Competency Level)
Meets Expectations
(Describe the specific outcome behaviors that match this
Competency Level)
Needs
Improvement
(Describe the specific outcome behaviors that match this
Competency Level)
Beginning Level
(Describe the specific outcome behaviors that match this
Competency Level)
Sample Completed Rubric for a Single Student Learning Outcome
(Psy 110 - General Psychology)
Description of
Learning Outcome
Method of
Assessment
Competency Level
Exceeds
Expectations
Meets Expectations
Needs
Improvement
Beginning Level
Student Learning Outcome 1
Discusses current theoretical conceptions of the human naturenurture question, by defining what is meant by nature and
nurture, describing how these two concepts are related, and
explaining how current scientific understanding of interactions
between these two concepts can be applied to a practical example
or social issue.
A brief (5-10 minute) knowledge probe
(Cross and Angelo, 1988).
Outcome Criteria
Clearly describes the question at a general, conceptual level.
Correctly defines each term.
Describes how nurture can influence the expression of generic
predispositions, and also explains how genes can influence
individual experiences.
Clearly explains how current understanding of the question can
be applied to several practical examples or social issues.
Clearly describes the question.
Correctly defines each term.
Describes how nurture can influence the expression of generic
predispositions, and also explains how genes can influence
individual experiences.
Explains how current understanding of the question can be
applied to a practical example or social issue.
Generally describes the question using concrete examples.
Offers an incomplete definition of one or both of the terms, or
reverses the definitions.
Describes the idea that the two terms combine to influence
development, and may describe influences in one direction, but
cannot describe mutual interactions.
Identifies one practical example or social issue related to the
question, but does not explain how current understanding can be
applied or why the question is important.
Cannot describe the question or generally describes the question
using only concrete examples.
Cannot correctly define either of the two concepts.
Cannot correctly describe how the two concepts are related.
Cannot describe a practical example or social issue related to the
question or explain why the question is important.
Developing Student Learning Outcomes, Methods of Assessment and
Outcome Criteria
Developing Student Learning Outcomes, Methods of Assessment and Outcome Criteria is an
iterative process, as suggested by the chart below.
Developing Student Learning Outcomes, Methods of
Assessment, and Outcome Criteria
Student Learning Outcome
Method of Assessment
Outcome Criteria
Try it out
Which sections will use the same rubric?
General
Education Skill
SLOs
Section SLOs
Section SLOs
Section SLOs
Section SLOs
Section SLOs
Section SLOs
Sections that claim to teach a particular GenEd
skill will use the same rubric
Each GenEd group will have to develop SLOs, determine the method(s) of assessment and
define the criteria for each outcome. This process will have to be extended to GenEd knowledge
areas and specific discipline objectives. As I think about what we need to do, I’m overwhelmed.
This is an enormous effort and a significant task for faculty and CAS.
Competency Map
After the SLOs for each GenEd skill and knowledge area are established, the college needs to
develop a Competency Map for the GenEd Outcomes. A Competency Map helps identify which
courses and programs make substantive contributions to the relevant Student Learning
Outcomes. The map is simply a matrix which crosses references courses and programs against
the SLOs for each GenEd outcome. The map is a necessary tool for planning which sections
should participate in assessments for which GenEd outcomes (program-wide and college-wide).