Assessment Resources
Dartmouth-specific Resources
The Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness hosts a folder of evaluation tools currently used by Dartmouth programs, shared internally with permission. If you do not have access to this folder, please contact Gareth Cordery (Gareth.JE.Cordery@Dartmouth.edu). In addition, if you would like examples of evaluation tools, learning outcomes, or data collection approaches pertaining specifically to your discipline, please ask!
If your department or program would like additional assistance at any stage, members of the Institutional Research, Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL), and Learning Design and Innovation teams are available for specialized consultations and offer workshops. In addition, Dartmouth Teaching Resources has extensive information about course-based assessment that is nonetheless highly relevant for learning outcomes assessment, including about learning outcomes, planning for assessment, and assessing group work.
General Resources
Working with faculty from institutions across the country, the American Association of Colleges and Universities launched the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) initiative. A collaborative process involving faculty from over 150 US institutions, VALUE resulted in a set of rubrics covering the central themes of a liberal arts education that have been adapted by innumerable colleges and universities across the country. These VALUE rubrics, which were designed to be a starting point for institutions to modify and make their own, are a useful reference for articulating seemingly abstract knowledge and skills. The rubrics cover the following liberal arts skills:
- Civic Engagement
- Creative Thinking
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical Reasoning
- Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning
- Global Learning
- Information Literacy
- Inquiry and Analysis
- Integrative Learning
- Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
- Quantitative Literacy
- Reading
- Teamwork
- Written Communication
A number of texts discuss the role of assessment, rubrics, and learning outcomes, including several that are cited across this website. While some of these works are dated, they remain fundamental and influential sources. Links are provided to Dartmouth Libraries versions of these resources.
Banta, Trudy and Catherine Palomba. Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2015.
Barkley, Elizabeth and Claire Howell Major. Learning Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2016.
Bowen, Tracey. “Assessing Visual Literacy: A Case Study of Developing a Rubric for Identifying and Applying Criteria to Undergraduate Student Learning.” Teaching in Higher Education 22, no. 6 (2017): 705–19. doi:10.1080/13562517.2017.1289507.
Brookhart, Susan M. “Appropriate Criteria: Key to Effective Rubrics.” Frontiers in Education 3 (2018). doi:10.3389/feduc.2018.00022.
Carriveau, Ronald S. Connecting the Dots: Developing Student Learning Outcomes and Outcomes-Based Assessment. Sterling, VA: Routledge, 2016.
Conrad, Dianne and Jason Openo. Assessment Strategies for Online Learning: Engagement and Authenticity. Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press, 2018.
Fulcher, Keston, et al. Assessment 101 in Higher Education: The Fundamentals and How to Apply Them. New York: Routledge, 2024.
Furman, William. “Rubric Design: A Designer’s Perspective.” The Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 24, no. 4 (2024). doi:10.14434/josotl.v24i4.35789.
Grainger, Peter, Michael Carey, and Craig Johnston. “Why Not Rubrics in Doctoral Education?” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 49, no. 8 (2024): 1061–73. doi:10.1080/02602938.2024.2338924.
Haagsman, Marjolein, et al. “Examiners’ Use of Rubric Criteria for Grading Bachelor Theses.” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 46, no. 8 (2021): 1269–84. doi:10.1080/02602938.2020.1864287.
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Henning, Gavin, et al., eds. Reframing Assessment to Center Equity: Theories, Models, and Practices. New York: Routledge, 2023.
Hundley, Stephen and Caleb Keith. Trends in Assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and Issues for Higher Education. New York: Routledge, 2024.
Maki, Peggy L. Assessing for Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2004.
Middaugh, Michael F. Planning and Assessment in Higher Education: Demonstrating Institutional Effectiveness. San Francisco: Josey-Bass, 2010.
Souza, Jane Marie and Tara A. Rose. Exemplars of Assessment in Higher Education, Volume Two: Strategies for a Changing Higher Education Environment. New York: Routledge, 2024.
Stevens, Dannelle D. and Antonia J. Levi. Introduction to Rubrics: An Assessment Tool to Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback, and Promote Student Learning. New York: Routledge, 2012.
Suskie, Linda. Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2018.
Walvoord, Barbara E. Assessment Clear and Simple: A Practical Guide for Institutions, Departments, and General Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.