We apply the results of assessment to improve student learning and unit-level effectiveness.
Assessment consists of four essential steps:puzzle piece
- setting goals
- developing and implementing strategies
- reviewing findings
- acting on what we've learned to improve outcomes.
No matter what we're assessing—an academic program, a single course, a co-curricular program or a unit's contributions to University-wide goals—we use the results to improve student learning and unit-level effectiveness.
All UBalt learning outcomes at every level are consistent with and derived from a set of learning goals established by the UBalt Faculty Senate in 2011 and are listed in the Assessment Handbook.
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THE CORE ASSESSMENT TEAM
The Core Assessment Team guides assessment at UBalt. The associate provost for institutional effectiveness leads the team, which includes representatives from each of UBalt's four schools/colleges, student affairs and all nonacademic units as well as the vice provost and the director of institutional research.
Goals
- strengthen the quality of student learning outcomes
- strengthen the use of evidence to enhance programs and to make programmatic decisions
- provide forums for continually using and sharing data
- provide ongoing opportunities to enhance assessment skills for all faculty and staff
- develop an academic community that strives for evidence-based improvement
- capitalize on UBalt's capacity to provide students with distinctive programs
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ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW
The University System of Maryland requires academic programs to be reviewed every seven years; cycles may be adjusted with approval to accommodate program accreditation schedules or other similar situations. Learn more at the UBalt program review page.
Current Program Reviews are located in Sharepoint -
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning outcomes are statements of what students are expected to know or to be able to do after they have engaged in a learning activity. Learning outcome statements typically are expressed as knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors or values. Assessment of student learning occurs at the program and course levels as well as in units outside of academic affairs. All UBalt learning outcomes at every level are consistent with and derived from a set of learning goals established by the UBalt Faculty Senate in 2011.
- Degree-Granting Programs (access via Taskstream in the MyUB portal; login required)
- General Education
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ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK
This handbook includes:
- timelines
- forms
- details about designing and implementing assessment
- membership of the Core Assessment Team.
Additional Resources as referenced in the handbook
- Assessment Plan Worksheet
- Assessment Report Worksheet
- Curriculum Mapping Worksheet
- Dos and Don'ts of Writing SLOs
- Course Embedded Assessment
- NSSE Toolkit for Middle States
- Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs
- AAC&U Value Rubrics
- Inquiry and Analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Creative Thinking
- Written Communication
- Oral Communication
- Reading
- Quantitative Literacy
- Information Literacy
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Civic Engagement
- Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
- Ethical Reasoning
- Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning
- Global Learning
- Integrative Learning