Assessment of student learning is the systematic collection of information about student
learning for the purpose of better understanding and improving learning. Academic
programs articulate program learning outcomes, that is, they identify what knowledge,
skills, and/or attitudes students are expected to demonstrate at the satisfactory
completion of a course of study. Programs also develop and implement measures to gauge
the extent to which students are mastering the stated outcomes. Data are collected
regularly, and program faculty uses these data to inform decision making about teaching
practices and the curriculum. The following diagram illustrates this assessment "loop."
