The “Handbook”

This is not your typical section of the Academic Management Section! It is intended to be a resource for developing quality learning outcomes, mapping those outcomes to each other and to classroom learning and assessment, finding better ways to use assessment results to demonstrate and improve learning, and finally, supporting faculty development. It is presented as a handbook organized around four related topics (Figure 1).

Part 1: Learning Outcomes provides a foundation for developing good learning outcomes, and other sections will refer back to this first part.
Part 2: Aligning Classroom Teaching and Learning to Outcomes offers ideas to assure students are given the opportunities to achieve the outcomes in the classroom.
Part 3: Assessment of Learning Outcomes focuses on good measurement.
Part 4: Using the Results presents questions to consider in an approach to utilize outcomes achievement data to improve learning.

Figure 1. The Continuous Cycle of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Each section includes a single page with “need to know” information, a self-assessment, and content with applicable samples and resources. The final pages (appendices) include several templates to assist faculty in developing, mapping, assessing, and helping student achieve learning outcomes. As you move forward, review your program and course outcomes, revising when necessary. Then teach, assess, review, and use the results to repeat!

Let me know how I can help!

Dr. Karen Pain

Director, Assessment and Special Projects

paink@palmbeachstate.edu