Whose Standards? (B) Reaching The Assessment Puzzle

Abstract

Love it or hate it, assessment has become the new reality on college and university campuses. Although measuring student achievement of course outcomes is not an easy task, assessment does not need to be a complex or painful experience. This paper describes the methods used to assess student achievement of the stated course outcomes in introductory level economics courses at two different colleges, the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) and Siena College, during the 2007 academic year. Specifically, we outline the course assessment activities that are used. We examine whether there are differences in the attainment of the course objectives of the students at the two very different institutions. Finally, we argue that an assessment exam designed using the course objectives is a better assessment tool than a standardized test.