KEY DEFINITIONS PAGE

Trial definitions*:

• Goals = General expectations linked to university mission ("big picture" hopes).

• Objectives = Specific measurable expectations about what students will achieve

• Outcomes = Findings (specific knowledge, skills, or developmental attributes we can point to, that students actually develop through their experience in a course, program, college, etc)

• Measures = Instruments used for gathering information on student learning and development (e.g., observations, quizzes, papers, presentations, portfolios, surveys, self-reflections, etc)

Note: Multiple objectives could be covered by a single instrument (e.g., a paper or presentation) and multiple measures could be used to assess a single objective.

Goals = General expectations linked to university mission ("big picture" hopes).

Objectives = Specific measurable expectations about what students will achieve

Outcomes = Findings (specific knowledge, skills, or developmental attributes we can point to, that students actually develop through their experience in a course, program, college, etc)

Measures = Instruments used for gathering information on student learning and development (e.g., observations, quizzes, papers, presentations, portfolios, surveys, self-reflections, etc)

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