Assessment Goals and Resources

Background Information

Learning outcomes assessment goals fall into three main categories: university, program, and general  education. They are aligned with the mission of the university, and serve as the basis for our student learning outcomes initiatives.

The Provost’s Learning Outcomes Assessment Advisory Committee reviewed the university learning outcomes goals as stated in our response to Middles States, May, 2007. After careful consideration, the committee recommended that the number be reduced from 10 to 8 outcomes. We shared our suggestions with the APRC, the dean’s council and the University Provost. In 2013 the additional outcome of Technology Literacy was added as an additional outcome, and distinctly separated from information literacy (under which it had been subsumed).

The following are the ones we will be using at the present time.

University goals:  Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Goals

  1. Written Communication:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to write documents that present and evaluate information and opinion in a logical and analytic manner, incorporating research and documentation, and using style, grammar, mechanics, and format appropriate to an educated audience.
  2. Oral Communication:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to prepare and  deliver effective oral presentations, incorporating suitable research and using presentation software, in a style appropriate to an educated audience.
  3. Information Literacy:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to carry out thorough and effective information search strategies using traditional print, digital, and Internet sources, evaluate information accessed, and use this information along with existing knowledge to create something new.
  4. Quantitative Literacy:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret quantitative information, and apply mathematical methods in solving problems encountered by an educated adult in daily life and within a field of study.
  5. Global Understanding:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to analyze important current global issues from multiple viewpoints, with an understanding of the inter-connectedness of political, economic, environmental and social systems.
  6. Cultural Understanding:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to understand and appreciate multiple cultures and global issues from historical, ethical and moral perspectives.
  7. Critical Thinking: An FDU graduate will demonstrate competency in critical thinking that encompasses dimensions of informal (natural language) logic and ethical analysis.
  8. Scientific Analysis:  An FDU graduate will demonstrate the ability to explain and summarize the scientific world view, explain and apply the scientific method of inquiry, and explain the nature of the scientific enterprise specific to at least one scientific content discipline.
  9. Technological Literacy: An FDU graduate will be able to use technology as a learning and communication tool that enhances productivity and professional practice.

Program/Department/School Student Learning Goals

Program/Department/School Student Learning Goals are developed by the faculty and are aligned to the program’s, department’s, and/or school’s mission and university’s mission.

General Education Student Learning Goals

The general education student learning goals are developed by the colleges, and are aligned closely to the university student learning goals. Becton, Petrocelli, and University College each have courses that students must take to develop basic competency on each of these outcomes. These requirements are structured differently depending on the unique needs of each college.

FDU Assessment Resources

The following materials have been developed for use by the FDU community, and in consultation with the PLOAAC committee.

Helpful Websites

Middle States Commission of Higher Education

The Middle States Commission of Higher Education website has a wealth of valuable information on student learning outcomes assessment. Of  interest is much of the material listed under events, in particular, the annual conference. This website provides notice of upcoming professional development workshops and reading materials that deal with the accreditation process and assessing student learning.

Office of Educational Resources and Assessment

OERA encourages a culture of engaged learning and assessment. We collaborate with faculty to foster thoughtful design and assessment practices that inform continuous improvement. We also partner with instructors to develop high quality-learning experiences that will best enable students to achieve the desired learning outcomes.

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment plays a key role in our assessment initiatives at the university. For more information on this unit, please check the following website.

Assessment Commons

The following comprehensive website has a good deal of information on what other colleges and universities are doing regarding learning outcomes assessment as well as other helpful resources.