How to Align Outcomes and Build a Robust Assessment Plan in Higher Education

Student success goes beyond traditional teaching practices. It requires a systematic approach to designing assessment plans, aligning learning outcomes and engaging faculty in a continuous improvement process. By creating a multi-level assessment framework and a comprehensive assessment plan, institutions can improve quality, accountability and learning outcomes.

What are Learning Outcomes

Assessment starts with clear, well-defined learning outcomes. At the broadest level are the institutional outcomes—the skills and values every student should develop. These often include critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement. Program outcomes narrow the focus to discipline-specific knowledge and competencies; while program accreditation-specific outcomes are developed by program accreditors based on industry standards and professional competencies. Course outcomes articulate the specific skills and knowledge students should master in individual courses, often aligned to general education or core competency standards. Ensuring coherence across these layers is key to building a framework that guides both teaching and assessment.

Building a Multi-Level Assessment Framework

A multi-level assessment framework is a structured way of evaluating student learning at different stages of an educational program. This can be broken down into 5 steps:

1. Clarify Foundations: Go back to the institution’s mission and vision. Confirm the broad learning outcomes reflect current institutional values and priorities. This foundational step sets the stage for subsequent alignment across all levels of education.

2. Engage Stakeholders: Involve faculty, deans, academic leaders and even students early in the process. Their diverse perspectives ensure the outcomes are academically rigorous and practically relevant. Collaboration across departments builds a sense of shared ownership and continuous improvement. Don’t forget about accreditors, either - including them at this stage can save institutions a lot of time and struggle down the road.

3. Align Outcomes Across Levels: Use curriculum maps to connect the institutional, program and course outcomes. Two key forms of alignment to consider:

   • Vertical Alignment: Ensure program and course outcomes build on the foundational skills in the institutional outcomes.

   • Horizontal Alignment: Maintain consistency in learning outcomes across different programs so students transitioning between disciplines face minimal gaps in their knowledge base.

4. Map Assessments to Outcomes: Identify and categorize all assessments and align them to the corresponding learning outcomes. Mapping can be done using matrices or tables to visually show the relationship between assessments and outcomes. Focus on key assessments such as capstone projects, major exams and significant assignments rather than every minor classroom exercise.

5. Review and Revise: The final step is to continuously review the assessment framework. Regular review helps identify gaps or imbalances in the assessment strategies, so each outcome is addressed. This iterative process allows data driven adjustments and supports the evolution of instructional practices over time.

   
   

Building an Assessment Plan

A comprehensive assessment plan brings together the elements of the multi-level framework into a cohesive strategy. Key components of an effective plan:

• Executive Summary and Alignment: Clearly state the mission, goals and purpose of the assessment plan. Explain how the plan aligns to broader institutional priorities and educational values.

• Outcome Mapping Details: Include curriculum maps and multi-level frameworks that show the connection between institutional, program and course outcomes.

• Assessment Methods and Tools: Define the types of assessments—formative and summative—and the tools or software used for data collection. If you're just getting started, your LMS may suffice, but a specialized assessment platform - like HelioCampus - offers more specific feature-sets to track outcomes across all layers, help you compile insights, and encourage stakeholder collaboration, ensuring consistency across the institution. This process often also includes developing rubrics and scoring guides that can be used to measure success.

• Timeline and Roles: Establish an assessment calendar with deadlines for data collection, analysis and reporting. Clearly assign roles to faculty, department heads and assessment coordinators. This organized approach keeps momentum and accountability.

• Data Analysis and Reporting: Develop standards for analyzing assessment data and use the findings to inform curriculum revisions and teaching practices. The process of “closing the loop” is key. Assessment data should drive meaningful change rather than be an administrative task.

• Professional Development: Recognize that assessment is a team effort. Ongoing training and professional development opportunities are crucial to ensure all stakeholders understand the process and can contribute.

• Review and Evaluation: Finally, just like with an assessment framework, an assessment plan also requires review in order to ensure it’s successfully meeting goals and supporting continuous improvement.

Engaging Faculty in Continuous Improvement

Any assessment strategy relies on faculty engagement. It’s essential to communicate the reasoning behind the assessment process, that the goal is to improve student learning not just satisfy accreditation requirements. Respect faculty expertise, leverage peer influence and celebrate small wins to overcome resistance and build momentum. By approaching data with empathy and a focus on growth, institutions can create a culture where assessment is seen as a collaborative tool for continuous improvement.

Assessment in higher education is not a one-off exercise but an ongoing process. By clarifying learning outcomes, building a multi-level framework, creating an assessment plan and engaging faculty, institutions can create a culture of continuous improvement that benefits students, faculty and the institution as a whole. This will drive academic quality and prepare students for the world. Technology that supports your strategy wherever you are in this journey is essential. Learn more about HelioCampus Assessment & Credentialing.