| Myth |
Explanation |
| Assessment results will
be used to evaluate the performance of faculty |
Successful program assessment depends on faculty
awareness, participation, and ownership. Assessment results
should not be used to evaluate faculty performance. The
results are to be used to improve programs. |
| If our program is doing
well and our students are learning, why should we assess? |
While a program may be doing well and the students
may be learning, there is always room for improvement. Additionally,
accrediting bodies, including SUNY and Middle States, require every
program to regularly assess its student learning outcomes and utilize
the assessment results for program improvements. |
| Assessment takes away
time from students |
The time and effort involved in conducting an assessment
should not be viewed as a “waste of time” since the
purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Programs
have the freedom and capacity to make the assessment process meaningful
to the program, the faculty, and the students. |
| Once the program assessment
is completed, there is no need for continued assessments |
Successful program assessment is an ongoing and
continuous process. Assessment plans and methods can and
should be improved as well. |
| Program assessment is
too complicated and takes too much time |
There is no dispute that effective program assessment
will take both time and effort. However, a well-developed
assessment plan will result in a more efficient and effective assessment
process. |
| Doesn’t assessment
interfere with the academic freedom of faculty? |
The assessment process is to be developed, implemented,
and utilized by the faculty. Faculty are responsible for
determining the standards for what a graduate is expected to know,
do, and value. Faculty are also responsible for determining
what changes in the curriculum and the program need to be made
in order to improve student learning |
| Isn’t assessment
teaching to the test? |
"Teaching to the test" and "teaching
for success" are not the same thing. The goal of teaching
is to help students to master certain concepts, ideas, and skills,
and then determine (through testing) if they have mastered what
was expected. Additionally, larger educational outcomes are
being assessed as well as course content. www.uwc.edu/resources/assess/FAQ/FAQ.htm |
