Key Questions when Choosing Assessment Instruments

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

These questions from Middle States Commission on Higher Education, while aimed at institutions of higher education, offer insights all educators can use when choosing assessment instruments for their classes. They are included in the Commission's Student Learning Assessment: Options & Resources handbook, which "serves as a bridge between the Commission's standards for accreditation and the practical challenges of planning, assessment and continuous improvement."
 

• Is the evidence provided by the instrument linked to important learning outcomes?
• Is a standardized instrument appropriate for the learning goals of the institution?
• Is the evaluation method appropriately comprehensive?
• Are important learning outcomes evaluated by multiple means?
• Do questions elicit information that will be useful for making improvements?
• Are they clear and interpreted consistently? Does everyone interpret the responses the same way?
• Do the results make sense?
• Are the results corroborated by other evidence?
• Are efforts to use "perfect" research tools balanced with timeliness and practicality?
• Is evidence gathered over time and across situation? How much should be assessed?

Source:

Student Learning Assessment: Options and Resources, pages 39-41, 2007, Middle States Commission on Higher Education

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