This page provides a description of teaching and assessment resources. Click on a link for more information, or click a tag at the bottom of the page for a list of relevant articles. Please also visit the Teach+Assess Blog.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) describe the knowledge, skills, and abilities students will learn and be able to demonstrate by the completion of the unit, course, or academic program. Learning outcomes are listed at the start of a new unit or module (for online courses), on the syllabus (for course-level outcomes), and on the USF Catalog (for program-level outcomes). Outcome statements begin with an action verb (usually a verb from the Bloom’s Taxonomy) and contain a content area, skill, or ability.
At USF, outcome statements are included on the New Course Form and on the New and Revised Program Form – please contact the Dean for Teaching & Learning Outcomes for support and feedback on writing/revising outcome statements. (This section will contain links to future content about SLOs, or click one of the tags below.)
Relevant Tags: Outcomes, SLO
Assessment Plans and Reports
Each year, academic programs (majors, minors, certificates) assess program-level student learning outcomes, and they write an Assessment Report. New programs and programs that complete a Program Review also create a multi-year Assessment Plan. Assessment Reports and Assessment Plans are submitted to the University Assessment Committee, and the committee provides feedback for continuous improvement of outcomes assessment. Contact the Dean for Teaching & Learning Outcomes or a member of the Assessment Committee for support on writing assessment plans and assessment reports. (This section will contain links to future content about assessment, or click one of the tags below.)
Relevant Tags: Assessment, Assessment Plans, Assessment Reports
Program Reviews and Accreditation Self-Studies
Every few years, accredited programs submit an application for re-accreditation/re-affirmation. This accreditation report requires a “self-study,” which is a thorough description and analysis of the academic program. When the accreditation is approved (“re-affirmed”), the program submits the full accreditation report, a Program Review Checklist, and any supplementary material to the University Assessment Committee. The committee reviews this material and provides feedback for continuous improvement.
Non-accredited programs go through a similar process of self-reflection and analysis by completing a Program Review (a list of questions about the curriculum, students, learning outcomes, faculty, advising processes, etc.). The complete Program Review is submitted to the University Assessment Committee, and the committee provides feedback for continuous improvement.
Contact the Dean for Teaching & Learning Outcomes or a member of the Assessment Committee for information about Program Reviews. (This section will contain links to future content about Program Reviews and Accreditation Reports, or click one of the tags below.)
Relevant Tags: Assessment, Program Reviews
Teaching Strategies
Students achieve learning outcomes through effective teaching strategies. (This section will contain links to future content about Effective Teaching Strategies, or click one of the tags below.)
Relevant Tags: Teaching
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Science
This section will highlight scholarship about teaching and about the science of learning. (Click one of the tags below for related content.)
Relevant Tags: Learning Science
Click on a Tag from the Word Cloud to read additional posts about Student Learning Outcomes, Assessment, Teaching, and Learning Science.
Relevant Tags include: Outcomes, SLO, Assessment, Assessment Plans, Assessment Reports, Program Reviews, Teaching, and Learning Science.