Assessment Blueprint

All new degree or major proposals must have assessment blueprint. To make this process as efficient as possible, please visit the following resources:

• Student Learning Outcomes

  Learning Outcomes (LOs) describe what you hope students will be able to know, do, and value by the time they graduate from your program. 

  There are three types of outcomes and their relationships that should be considered when developing a program blueprint. 

  • First, there are the university outcomes for undergraduate and graduate programs. You can see these outcomes at: https://academicaffairs.du.edu/about/learning-outcomes  These outcomes are the university stated goals for students at the end of their time at DU.
  • Second, there are the program learning outcomes. These are the outcomes you expect students to achieve a level of growth toward by the end of the program.
  • Third, there are the course level outcomes for each course in the program.  These are the outcomes a student should achieve a level of growth toward at the end of a course or experience included in the program’s curriculum. 

  There should be alignment between the three sets of outcomes. Alignment in an assessment blueprint ensures that course-level outcomes contribute to one or more of the  program-level outcomes, which in turn support the university-level outcomes. Alignment occurs when a course level outcome and assignment are determined to meet a program level outcome.  The program level outcome should be related then to one or more of the university level outcomes. 

  If your program has external specialized accreditation, then you should consider how the accrediting body’s requirements shape your program level outcomes.

  To jumpstart the process of writing SLOs, visit this link: https://otl.du.edu/plan-a-course/teaching-resources/writing-learning-outcomes/

  You can also arrange a meeting with the Director of Academic Assessment to consult on how best to write or align outcomes.

• Data Sources

   After you have drafted SLOs, we invite you to think about data sources, or the assignments, surveys, or other pieces of evidence that faculty can collect and analyze to reflect on student learning. 

  There are two main types of data that can support assessment of student learning during program reviews.

  • Direct Evidence: which includes student work directly related to course and program outcomes. 
  • Indirect Evidence: which includes student reflection about their learning.  This can be in the form of survey or interview responses.

  Visit this link: https://otl.du.edu/advance-my-practice/assessmentdu/assessment-evidence/  to strategize what data will best support your faculty in this reflection of student learning. 

  Please identify at least one assignment from one class that your department will use to conduct program assessment for each program outcome.

• Program Assessment Plan

  Creating an assessment plan helps ensure that the work of assessment is an ongoing process of reflection and growth rather than a one-time event.  Assessment plans should be organized around the program learning outcomes and the necessary data to show how students are doing in each outcome. A plan can include a simple explanation of when each outcome will be analyzed, what courses will be examined to support the particular outcome, and who will lead the efforts of collecting and analyzing the data.  Some programs do this with a curriculum map. 

  In the plan, be sure to include every agreed upon program learning outcome and any required course within the curriculum for the assessment plan.  The Director of Academic Assessment recommends putting your program learning outcomes on a 3-year rotation of evaluation unless required otherwise by an accrediting agency.  This will ensure that outcomes will be evaluated every three years and assessment will not become an overwhelming task. 

  Please contact the Director of Academic Assessment for assistance in developing your program assessment plan.

  Example Program Assessment Plan Template

  Please fill out the table with a line per outcome and source of evidence.

  Program Name: _______________________

  Program Learning Outcome	Assessment Evidence	Related Courses or Experiences	Evaluation Year	Responsible Person
  PLO1	Assignment	Course 1	Year 1	Person
  PLO2	Survey	Graduating Seniors	Year 2	Person