Assessment Resources offers a curated collection of tools, guides, and frameworks to support instructors in designing, implementing, and interpreting meaningful assessment practices.
Certificate ProgramCourse-Based Assessment Certificate: This self-paced course comprises three modules that introduce participants to the foundations of assessment design and planning at the course level. Topics include assessment planning for student and instructional improvement, equity in assessment, and student-directed assessments. This course is beneficial for instructors interested in examining and recrafting their assessment practices to provide a student-centric approach to teaching, learning, and assessment. |
Experiential Learning Assessment
Assessment Guides for Faculty
- The assessment process for Experience Learning can feel complex and overbearing. To ease confusion, the Experience Learning team developed faculty assessment guides for Faculty Fellows, SCI faculty, faculty who teach S- and R-designated courses, and recipients of the Faculty-Staff-Student Support Grant.
Assessment Toolbox (Experiential Learning)
- A collection of guides and tools for assessing experiential learning, including direct vs. indirect assessment, reflection questions, collaboration rubrics, and strategies for selecting appropriate assessment tools.
Assessment Toolbox: Formative vs. Summative
- This page introduces the key differences between formative and summative assessment and offers a curated collection of low-tech and digital tools to gather meaningful feedback, support student learning, and make informed instructional decisions.
Direct Assessment (Experiential Learning)
- This assessment will use a series of rubrics, each designed around a student learning outcome and its associated benchmarks. The rubrics are adapted from the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics.
Indirect Assessment (Experiential Learning)
- Indirect assessments complement direct assessments by measuring changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors resulting from experiential learning. Whereas the previously described rubrics assess student learning in QEP-related classes, a series of indirect assessment tools will be used to evaluate Experience Learning’s influence on the campus community and the learning environment.
Experience Learning Student Learning Outcomes (Experiential Learning
- Student learning outcomes—expected results from specific inputs, activities, and outputs—represent the endgame of Experience Learning, which seeks to enhance student learning in four particular areas.
How to Assess Lifelong Learning in One Semester
- Learning does not stagnate after students complete their courses. Individuals must adapt to changing work environments, acquire new skills and knowledge, and engage in civic and social situations well after their studies are over. Individuals must strive to be lifelong learners to advance themselves beyond formal education.
Exam & Test Design
Best Practices for Online Exams
- Online exams can be effective assessments when they are designed to be reliable, valid, and supportive of student learning. This webpage shares practical strategies for building stronger exam questions, increasing test security in Canvas, and setting students up for success before, during, and after an online exam.
Designing Effective Exams & Test Questions
- One of the most challenging aspects of teaching a course is developing exams. Tests, when created effectively, can be very useful measures of student mastery of course concepts. This is especially true when they are specifically linked to course objectives or outcomes.
Writing Clear Learning Outcomes
- Learning outcomes are statements that describe what students should be able to demonstrate, know (knowledge), think (attitudes and values), or do (skills) by the end of the program/course. The recommendation is to use four or five outcomes per program.
Evaluation & Reporting Tools
Rubrics – An Introduction
- This webpage provides an introduction to rubrics, explaining why they should be used for certain assessments, outlining the components of a rubric, and describing the types of rubrics available.
Teaching Evaluation Frameworks
- No matter where you are in your career, it is always valuable to reflect on how your teaching practices impact student learning. In this resource, we have outlined three frameworks for formative evaluation: self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and self-reflection. These frameworks can be used independently or together.
Teaching Evaluation Toolbox
- This tool was created with both the reviewer and the person reviewed in mind. To this end, this guide is divided into two sections – one containing helpful tips for evaluators and the other with advice for those being evaluated. The latter includes faculty up for tenure and lecturers under review for promotion.
Top 10 Considerations When Reviewing an Assessment Report
- This checklist can be used during assessment report reviews to confirm that required elements are present, identify missing details, and provide clear, actionable feedback to report authors.
Top 12 Considerations When Writing the Annual Assessment Report
- Use this checklist when preparing your annual assessment report to ensure clarity, quality, and compliance with institutional expectations.
OIRA Assessment Resources
- The academic program assessment cycle at UT Knoxville consists of 6 steps in an iterative process.
Course-Level Assessment (Formative vs. Summative Overview)
- This page introduces the key differences between formative and summative assessment and offers a curated collection of low-tech and digital tools to gather meaningful feedback, support student learning, and make informed instructional decisions.