Ohio University College Portrait

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Students
Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend OU.
Admissions
See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at OU. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.
College Costs & Financial Aid
Learn about costs to attend OU and how much financial aid is typically awarded.
College Cost Estimator
Estimate your cost to attend OU in a few simple steps.
Classes and Campus Life
Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at OU.
Student Experiences
Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at OU – inside and outside the classroom.
Majors, Graduation and Next Steps
See which majors are most popular at OU and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.
Student Success & Progress
Discover how many students who start at OU finish their bachelor's degree and how long it takes.
Student Learning Outcomes
Figure out what learning gains to expect in critical thinking, writing, and other important subjects at OU.

Student Learning at Ohio University

All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.

Ohio University has a long history of assessing its students, beginning formally in 1981. Assessment of teaching, learning, and student services has been done in a variety of ways. All academic departments and schools have assessed their students, and the Office of Institutional Research does ongoing University-wide assessments. In 2007 Ohio University created its Student Success Plan, in which each academic program identified student learning objectives. Assessments are under way to identify the extent to which students are meeting those learning objectives in academic disciplines and in general education. At Ohio University assessment is a collection of activities designed to continuously improve the ways it helps students succeed. Student assessment is a tool to help faculty and staff enable Ohio University to achieve its mission to help students succeed through continuously improving teaching, learning, and student services.

Learning Assessment Examples

Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes

Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

2009-10 Results from the College Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP)

The Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) measures critical thinking and written communication using two test modules -- critical thinking and a writing essay. The critical thinking and writing scores are reported separately below.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Critical Thinking Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 61
Senior Score: 66
CAAP score range: 40 to 80

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 24
Senior Score: 25

Writing Essay Results for First-time, Full-time Students