University of Wisconsin - Whitewater College Portrait

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Students
Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend UWW.
Admissions
See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at UWW. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.
College Costs & Financial Aid
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College Cost Estimator
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Classes and Campus Life
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Student Experiences
Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at UWW – inside and outside the classroom.
Majors, Graduation and Next Steps
See which majors are most popular at UWW and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.
Student Success & Progress
Discover how many students who start at UWW 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 UWW.

Student Learning at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

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.

The assessment of student learning outcomes at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater provides feedback to facilitate the continuous quality improvement of individual courses and degree programs. Within the broader context of the five-year Audit and Review cycle, assessment data are regularly gathered internally and externally at the course, department, and university levels using both perceptual (indirect) and performance (direct) measures. Some of the indirect methods include surveys of alumni, graduating seniors, continuing and new students, employers, and interns, along with focus groups and advisory board or external consultant reviews. Beyond the common course level direct assessments such as research papers, exams, case studies and performance appraisals, Whitewater students demonstrate their learning by completing capstone courses, assembling portfolios of their work, passing professional licensure exams, graduate school admissions, satisfying internship or practicum supervisors, and securing work in their fields. The feedback from these sources has been used by academic departments to improve the curriculum, change procedures, update course content, modify instructional practices, and refine assessment methods. For students and parents, the most visible manifestation of utilizing assessment results to enhance the student experience at Whitewater is the Academic Advising and Exploration Center.

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: 65
CAAP score range: 40 to 80

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 22
Senior Score: 23

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