University of Wisconsin - Superior College Portrait

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.

With the establishment of the Office of Assessment in Spring 2010 and the adoption of a campus-wide assessment plan by the Faculty Senate in December 2010, the institution began a systematic effort at assessment of student learning.  The Assessment Plan calls for assessing student learning on the following four levels: Level 1. Institution-wide assessment of liberal education learning goals – led by the HLC Assessment Academy Team; Level 2. General education assessment – led by the General Education Committee; Level 3. Academic program assessment – led by departmental assessment liaisons and the Office of Assessment; Level 4. Co-curricular program assessment by the standard set by CAS (The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education) -- led by the Vice Chancellor of Campus Life.

Student learning goals and outcomes have been established for each of these four levels and approved by the appropriate bodies.  Assessment of these outcomes are also being planned and implemented under the appropriate leadership, coordinated by the Office of Assessment.  

At the institutional level, students are expected to meet five Liberal Education Learning Goals (LELGs).  These goals were adopted by the Faculty Senate in December 2009, revised in October 2011, and include the following: ability to think and make connections across academic disciplines; ability to express oneself in multiple forms; ability to analyze and reflect upon multiple perspectives to arrive at a perspective of one’s own; ability to think and engage as a global citizen; and ability to engage in evidence-based problem solving.   The campus is currently undertaking the assessment of these learning goals under the leadership of the HLC Assessment Academy Team.  According to the plan developed by this team, the five goals are to be assessed over three years on the rotation bases, starting in 2011-12.  All involved in this assessment will choose various measures but apply common rubrics to measure the level of student achievement.  The assessment data and analysis for one of the LELGs “ability to express oneself in multiple forms” will become available by Fall 2012. 

Students at the UW-Superior are also expected to meet the General Education learning outcomes.  Our General Education Program aims to meet the following mission: “General Education at the UW-Superior integrates students into a community of creative learners rooted in the tradition of liberal arts education.  It does so by familiarizing students with the ‘ways of knowing’ associated with the various academic disciplines and by fostering the development of a set of habits of mind and academic skills associated with reflective and critical learning” (UW-Superior Undergraduate Catalog 2010-12).  The Catalog also lists specific learning goals for the General Education Program, which are to be achieved through the General Education curriculum comprised of the core curriculum and knowledge categories.  However, assessment of student achievement in relation to these goals is still an area that needs improvement.  With this need in mind, the General Education Committee proposed a revised set of the General Education learning outcomes and submitted it for the approval of the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Council and the Faculty Senate in January 2012.   Once these revised outcomes are approved, the committee will develop an assessment plan for these outcomes and facilitate its implementation starting in 2012-13.

As for the program-level assessment, each academic major program has established a set of student learning outcomes and submitted it to the Office of Assessment.  These outcomes will be assessed under a 3-5 year rotation plan determined by each program.  The faculty and staff in each academic program are to select appropriate tools for this assessment (e.g., methods, measures, and measurements) so as to make the assessment feasible and relevant to their respective program needs.  The Office of Assessment will keep track of the progress made in this program-level assessment and post it at its website.

The UW-Superior also plans to assess student learning in co-curricular programs, including Liberal Arts High Impact Practices (LAHIPs; e.g., first-year seminar, first-year experience, writing across the curriculum, global awareness, academic service learning, and senior-year experience) and various programs offered through the Campus Life.  Student learning through the LAHIPs are assessed mainly by indirect measures (such as the First Year Seminar student survey, the Academic Service Learning surveys of student as well as community agencies, and the Senior-Year Experience survey to the faculty/staff).   Student learning through Campus Life programs is to be assessed by the standard developed by the CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education).  This assessment plan is currently under development.

Overall, student learning assessment processes at the UW-Superior are effective in engaging the faculty and staff in the continuous improvement of the quality of education.  Because the faculty/staff participate in the development and implementation of student learning assessment plans at all levels, they are more likely to own the process and results of student learning assessment.  Through assessment activities, many of them became more cognizant of the alignment of curricular offerings and student assignments with student learning outcomes and more willing to improve the curriculum based on the evidence of student learning.   These indicate the culture of assessment is growing at UW-Superior. 

Learning Assessment Examples

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 - 11 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 above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 60
Senior Score: 63
CAAP score range: 40 to 80

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 22
Senior Score: 21

Writing Essay 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: 3
Senior Score: 3
CAAP score range: 1 to 6

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 20
Senior Score: 21