Academic Programs Assessment

Assessment of student learning at Davis & Elkins College has two levels.

1. Assessment is conducted at the departmental level to evaluate students' achievement of the learning goals of the academic programs or majors
2. Assessment is also carried out at the institutional level to evaluate students’ achievement of the general educational goals .

The process of assessment compares student learning objectives (desired learning) to student learning outcomes (what was actually learned). This involves more than evaluating the learning that occurs in a particular course. The curriculum of a program encompasses many courses and learning experiences as the student progresses through the program.

At the conclusion of a program, students are expected to have developed knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are the result of having experienced the entire curriculum.

Assessment at this level documents learning that has occurred as a result of the student having encountered the total curriculum, and helps to establish the efficacy of the program of learning.

The information gathered can be used to make programmatic changes to improve student learning. Further, assessment data are useful to the college in other ways. These data can document the congruence of the department mission and goals with those of the institution, noting fundamental characteristics that flow from one to the other. Assessment data can indicate the strengths that students possess at the conclusion of a program that might be of interest to potential employers.

Data collected can also be used for recruitment of students and faculty.

Steps in the Assessment Process:

The steps in the process of assessment are as follows:

1. Define program goals/objectives/outcomes
2. Identify instruments or methods for assessing (measuring) student achievement
3. Implement the plan and revise as needed
4. Data collection
5. Determination of how results will be used for program improvement

Academic Program Assessment
A well-organized assessment plan conveys what the program is doing, why it is being done, and how the results will be used. The objectives should include knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are specific to the major.

Each academic department in the college has developed an assessment plan that contains all of the steps outlined in the assessment process. Each is responsible for implementing the plan as outlined, documenting results, and utilizing those results for program review and improvement.

Students will automatically participate in this process in his/her major field of study. Often this process progresses as a part of the student’s requirements within the declared major.