WEAVEonline Basics for
Academic Assessment
Part Two: How to Establish
Mission, Outcomes, Objectives,
and Measures for Your TCC
Division or Discipline
Steven H. Wilson, Ph.D.
Dean, Academic Assessment
Objectives
 Learn how to enter, review, edit, and use goals,
outcomes, measures, and results
Assessment Tools & Tabs
Mission
Term
Synonyms
WEAVE definition
Mission
Purpose
Vision
Highest aims, intentions, and activities of the
entity.
An academic program mission/purpose statement should identify what the
program will help students and others learn and do within a particular context
and state how the program contributes to its wider communities.
An administrative unit mission/purpose statement should focus on the reason
the unit exists within the institution, the people it serves, and the value its work
brings to the institution.
A mission/purpose statement should be specific, identifying the important
things a unit or program does that separates it from others.
Mission / Purpose1
Mission / Purpose2
Mission / Purpose3
Mission / Purpose4
Goals vs. Outcomes/Objectives
Goals
Outcomes/Objectives
General intent
Specific intent
Long term
Short term
Can’t be measured as precisely
Measurable
Where we want to be
Steps to get to goal
Example: Students will learn
conversational Spanish.
Example: Students will use 50
vocabulary words in conversation with
another student.
Goals and Outcomes
Term
Synonyms
WEAVE definition
Goals
Objectives
Outcomes
Initiatives
Priorities
Broad statement about desired ends; what
you aim to achieve. More the destination
than the path.
Outcomes/
Objectives
Goals
Active-verb description of a desired end
result related to the entity mission – can be
assessed.
Student Learning Outcomes are the
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of
mind that students take with them from a
learning experience.
Program Outcomes are not directly related to
what students learn or can demonstrate.
Outcomes/Objectives Worksheet
Assessment Worksheet
Academic Division:
Contact person:
Discipline or Program:
Email address:
Assessment cycle/year:
Mission/Purpose
Mission/Purpose: highest aims, intentions, and objectives.
[Course, Discipline, or Program] Goals:
Goal: broad statement(s) about desired ends.
Goal 1.
Goal 2.
Goal 3.
Assessment Summary
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcome:
measurable active-verb
description of a desired result
related to goal(s).
Measure(s)
Measure: method to gauge
achievement of expected outcome.
Achievement Targets
Achievement Target: faculty-set
level for satisfactory performance
on a Measure-Outcome
combination.
Findings
Findings: assessment results for
comparison of actual vs. expected
achievement level. Plus: # of
students assessed.
Action Plans
Action Plan: specific activity
designed to help accomplish
intended outcomes in future.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Questions [Longer-term needs or objectives developed by faculty/discipline/division]
Ex. Based on your findings and action plans, what primary changes will you make for student learning? Program outcomes? Changes to the assessment
process?
Annual Report Items [developed by Assessment Office]
Ex. Contributions to other initiatives, Executive Summary, Annual Highlights, Teaching and Research Activities, etc.
Administrative Unit vs. Academic Program
Outcomes/Objectives1
Outcomes/Objectives2
Outcomes/Objectives3
Outcomes/Objectives4
Measures, Targets, and
Findings, i.e.,
What data you are looking for,
How you will weigh it
Measures, Targets, Findings
Term
Synonyms
WEAVE definition
Measures
Metrics
Assessments
Instruments
Sources of
evidence
Indicators
Tools
Method to gauge achievement of
expected results. Measures are related to
Outcomes/Objectives, and split into
categories – Direct and Indirect, and
Administrative and Academic.
Achievement Levels of success
Targets
Benchmarks
Overall level for satisfactory performance
on a Measure-Outcome/ Objective
combination.
Findings
Assessment results for comparison of
actual vs. expected achievement level.
Results
Data
Outcomes
Measures & Findings1
Measures & Findings2
Types of Evidence
Direct
 Tangible, visible, selfexplanatory, compelling
 Skeptics usually accept
 Scores and pass rates on
licensure / certification
exams
 Portfolios of student
work
 Capstone experiences
Indirect
 Proxy signs, indicators,
less convincing
 Grades
 Student self-ratings
 Student / alumni
satisfaction with learning
 Honors, awards, and
scholarships
Sources of Evidence
Measures & Findings3
Measures & Findings4
Measures & Findings5
Measures & Findings6
Measures & Findings7
Measures & Findings8
Measures & Findings9
Examples of how
Goals, Outcomes, etc.,
can be useful for an
Administrative Unit
Associations, i.e., Accrediting
and Certification Standards,
Regulations, and the TCC
Strategic Plan
Associations
Term
Synonyms
WEAVE definition
General
Education
Core Curriculum
Selected General Education / Core
Curriculum associations.
Institutional
Priorities
Vision
Items of urgency or importance to the
institution.
Standards
Accreditation,
regional or
discipline-specific
Acknowledged set of requirements
fostering excellence.
Strategic
Plans
Alignment
Planning
A long-term, practical, action-oriented
document resulting from strategic
planning.
Examples of Associations
already available for TCC, and
how they appear and are used
in the goals & outcomes view
Document Repository
for Storage, Support, and
Reference
Document Repository1
Document Repository2
Document Repository3
Questions?
Contact:
Steven H. Wilson, Ph.D.
Dean, Academic Assessment
steven.wilson@tulsacc.edu
x7959