It shall be the responsibility of faculty members to assess student learning outcomes in tandem with guidelines set by the University. Student assessment shall be both formative and summative, meaning faculty members shall assess students during the learning process in the semester (i.e. formative assessment) so as to modify their teaching and instructional activities and at the end of the semester (i.e. summative assessment).
The principles that guide faculty members when planning and executing student learning assessment are as follows:
- The University core objectives and educational values. In assessing our students, we consider the core objectives of the University. We keep in mind what the University values most in light of preparing students to become good and productive citizens. We do not ignore the mission of the University as a higher institution of learning. We see student assessment as a process through which we improve upon what the University truly cares about.
- Vision, mission, and objectives of the Department. In addition to considering the broader mission of the University as the nation’s highest center of learning, our faculty considers the Department’s vision, mission, and objectives when assessing student learning.
- Learning as being multidimensional and performance-focused. The Department recognizes that learning is a process involving not just what students know, but also what students can do with what they know. The Department recognizes that effective learning involves cognitive and affective processes that influence the performance and success of a student beyond the walls of the classroom. In assessing our students, our faculty, with these understandings, adopt and use a variety of integrated methods and approaches, including those that are performance-focused.
- Assessment as being about outcomes and experiences. We are aware that good student learning outcomes assessment entails answering two basic questions – 1) What became of the students cognitively and affectively at the end of the unit? In other words, what cognitive and affective changes or improvements did the course induce in the student? 2) What were the experiences of the students (experiences about the curriculum, teaching, instructional materials, etc.) along the way that led to the outcomes achieved? Through assessment faculty members come to understand which students learn best under what conditions. Such awareness helps the faculty make revisions and changes that enhance student learning.
- Assessment as being formative and summative. It shall be the policy of the Department for faculty members to plan and carry out both formative and summative assessment during the course of the semester. A formative assessment involves both formal and informal assessment procedures carried out by the teacher with the aim of modifying teaching and learning activities so as to improve student learning. Its goal is to determine how well students are progressing in the course. Summative assessment will be aimed at evaluating students at the end of an instructional unit. Examples of this type of assessment are mid-term and final exams.