Assessment of student academic achievement is the process of evaluating whether students are learning what we say they are learning. More specifically, assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information to increase students' learning and development. Through a variety of measures, students are assessed to determine whether or not they are achieving the learning outcomes that faculty have determined for their courses and programs.
Assessment is important for several reasons:
- Assessment results provide qualitative information that helps faculty determine how they might improve courses and/or programs through changes in curriculum, teaching methodologies, course materials, or other areas. When integrated into the planning cycle for curriculum development and review, assessment results can provide a powerful rationale for securing support for curricular and other changes.
- Assessment may provide comparative data that can give you valuable information on how well your students are meeting the learning outcomes for your course or program, or may show how WCC students perform compared to those at similar institutions.
- An effective assessment program is required by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for continuing accreditation as evidence of the College's efforts toward continuous improvement of effective teaching and learning.