Common methods that are used in assessing learning outcomes, processes, inputs, and context
Depending on the specific approach that one chooses, assessment of learning outcomes, processes, inputs, and context can be direct and indirect (Banta & Palomba, 2014). Among the most commonly used directs methods is, first of all, the evaluation of student learning, also known as performance assessment (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 95). This is, simply put, the grades that students receive for their work and that the faculty reviews at their meetings to identify any areas that need improvement. Rubrics is one of the most common methods to evaluate different aspects of students’ work, as opposed to holistic grading (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 100).
The indirect methods are built around receiving feedback from the students. Thus, instead of asking students to show their learning, assessors ask them to reflect on it. The advantage of such method is that it allows gathering information from different target groups on a variety of topics. One of the most popular approaches is surveying, or administration of pre-written questions to a certain group, allowing the researcher to gather comparable and usually quantifiable information (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 121). Apart from that, focus groups are also used, typically in cases when one wants to gather some qualitative insights (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 132).
Apart from these most commonly used methods, others can be employed to assess learning outcomes: for instance, curriculum mapping to examine how curricula fit within the learning objectives. Another method is the classroom assessment techniques (CATs) that help the instructors systematically receive feedback from students so they can make incremental adjustments on an everyday basis (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 142).
The pros and cons of each method discussed above
Assessment Methods
The main advantage of assessment methods is that they allow collecting large amounts of qualitative insights from the respondents when they participate in focus groups (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 121). However, they may be somewhat difficult to implement because the responses depend on the types of answers that are being asked. Thus, the moderator needs to be well-trained so that they guide the participants and stay on the topic.
Evaluation Methods
Evaluation methods are quite popular in assessment because they help give a score that is an understandable and easy to interpret so as to measure the performance results. For instance, surveys, when they are designed well, provide a quick and easy method to gather feedback. However, similar to assessment methods, evaluation methods need to be designed and administered carefully so as to ensure the quality of the data collected, which can be difficult and time-consuming (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 80).
Research Methods
Research methods include several different design types: for instance, cross-sectional or longitudinal. Their main advantage is that they provide analytical data such as changes in student performance over time or in different groups. However, one needs to be careful when interpreting the results because non-experimental research studies do not always control for other variables that may affect the outcomes. Practically, such studies are usually more difficult to implement (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 88).
Measurement Methods
The main advantage of the measurement methods is the kind of data they provide: quantifiable and easy to compare. Thus, such information can be used to make predictions about the phenomena and processes that are being measured. At the same time, such methods are not always appropriate depending on what exactly is being measured: in some cases, qualitative information is more suitable (Banta & Palomba, 2014, p. 141).
References
Banta, T.W., & Palomba, C.A. (2014). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education (2nd ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.