New Website for Assessment of Student Learning

As part of Northwestern’s continued efforts to develop a systematic approach to student learning outcomes assessment, the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching has launched a new Assessment of Student Learning website. The new site informs the community about learning assessment efforts at Northwestern and provides instructors and staff with useful resources for their own assessment of student learning.

The site represents a significant advance in Northwestern’s commitment to expand the infrastructure of online tools and resources for assessing student learning. A workgroup of faculty and staff serving on the Assessment/Accreditation Council and Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Subcommittee worked over several months to develop and organize the site content.

“How do we know that our students are learning?” asks Susanna Calkins, Co-Interim Director of the Searle Center and Director of Faculty Programs, who helped to facilitate the development of the site. “This question is at the heart of student learning assessment. The website is designed to help instructors and administrators reflect thoughtfully on the kind of learning they would like to elicit in their students, and to gather evidence about how well that learning has been achieved.”

The site’s most exciting potential is the wealth of resources, strategies, and practical examples made available to faculty and staff. For example, the Course Assessment Tools module provides an overview of classroom assessment techniques, grading, rubrics, and peer assessments. The Program Assessment Tools module provides tools for those looking to assess majors, minors, and certificates. Additionally, faculty and staff can learn about the assessment cycle or view examples of assessment in practice. 

One-on-one assistance is not far away, either. If you are in need of more personalized assistance, please attend one of the Searle Center’s workshops or programs, or schedule an individual consultation.