Assessment Tools

Also known as “assessment instruments.” These refer to the methods of gathering data about learner performance and understanding, and may include questionnaires, written tests, portfolios, checklists and rating scales for projects or performances.  Cited from, Ohio Arts Council Arts Learning Definitions

Assessment tools or instruments can be categorized as either direct or indirect methods  for assessing:

• Direct Methods are used for students to demonstrate specific knowledge and abilities. These methods include standardized tests--such as CAAP tests; rubrics; portfolios; capstone projects, and certification/licensure exams.
  
• Indirect Methods demonstrate student perceptions about learning, including focus groups, asking people’s opinions of whether learning occurred, and asking how attitudes about a certain issue have changed. Surveys provide an indirect method for assessing outcomes.  Depending on the outcome being assessed, one of these techniques or both may be used.

Dimensions of each General Education Outcome by Assessment Methods
OCC ‘s list of assessment tools for general education outcomes is provided in this section. More...

OCC Annotated List of Assessment Tools
OCC reviewed assessment tools are described in this section. More...

Portfolios
Portfolios are a systematic and organized collection of a student’s work that exhibits to others the direct evidence of a student's efforts, achievements, and progress over a period of time. More...

Rubrics
A rubric is a scoring and instruction tool used to assess student performance using a task-specific range or set of criteria. To measure student performance against this pre-determined set of criteria, a rubric contains the essential criteria for the task and levels of performance (i.e., from poor to excellent) for each criterion. More...

Internet Sites for Assessment Methods and Tests:

An Annotated List of Critical Thinking Tests
Capstone Teaching Method
Community College of Allegheny-- Toolkit
Field Tested Learning Assessment Guide--Lists of CAT Tests
CATs - Classroom Assessment Techniques
ETS - Tests Directory
Insight Assessment
Kansas State--Assessment Plans/Measures/Actual Tests  
National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (NCPI)
Northeastern Illinois University Chart of Assessment Tools
NSSE National Survey of Student Engagement