What are examples of objective criteria for the attainment of evidence based learning outcomes?

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It is increasingly important for educational organizations to document achievement of students’ learning outcomes.

Many of Insight Assessment’s customers use one or more of our instruments to gather the detailed evidence required to refine curricular approaches and to demonstrate educational success for accrediting bodies. Effective assessment programs identify goals for the attainment of critical thinking skills and habits of mind learning outcomes and create a plan to assess their achievement.

Specifying goals for your successful quality improvement programs is best done by first obtaining some baseline data for your student group.

This will allow you to target particular skills or habits of mind in the following years of the self-study project. Even so, it will be important to set realistic goals for your self-study learning assessment.

All of the following would be reasonable approaches to gathering objective evidence of critical thinking learning outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate the attainment of a mean critical thinking skills score for your assessed students that compares favorably to the appropriate national norm comparison group,
  2. Demonstrate the attainment of a mean critical thinking skills score for your assessed students that significantly improves over time (pretest/post test comparison for individuals and groups).
  3. Demonstrate support for learning by documenting that students who initially score in the deficient range now demonstrate moderate critical thinking skill sufficient to benefit from programs of post secondary education.
  4. For Honors Programs Assessment: Demonstrate the attainment of an increasing proportion of students with superior strength in critical thinking skills and disposition.
  5. General education goal: Demonstrate the attainment of a mean dispositional profile that is indicative of the habits of mind needed for strength in critical thinking.

Our mission at Insight Assessment is to assist educational institutions to achieve their goals for student learning. Test adoption includes a staff consultation to assist you in developing attainable learning outcomes goals that will have measurable benefits for your students. Contact us to discuss your assessment needs.

For further information about assessing learning outcomes:

Our mission at Insight Assessment is to assist educational institutions to achieve their goals for student learning. Test adoption includes a staff consultation to assist you in developing attainable learning outcomes goals that will have measurable benefits for your students. Contact us to discuss your assessment needs.

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