The term assessment in higher education encompasses both academic programs and administrative support units, as Trudy Banta and Catherine Palomba describe in their book, Assessment Essentials, 2/e:
Assessment is the process of providing credible evidence of
undertaken for the purpose of improving the effectiveness of
in higher education.
Therefore, we can categorize assessment into two broad categories: operational and student learning.
Operational assessment examines the effectiveness of processes and programs offered. This type of assessment helps institutions to determine whether their programs are meeting their goals and objectives.
Student learning outcomes assessment focuses on measuring the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students acquire as a result of their educational experiences.
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