ACE > Assessment Measures and Data > Direct Measures

Direct Measures

A direct measure is an assessment of student work products or performances (evaluated by faculty or other professionals) that provides demonstrated evidence of student performance on program-level student learning outcomes (SLOs) (i.e., skills and knowledge). In this way, direct measures reveal what students have learned and to what extent. A direct measure may be designed to assess each individual student or major in the program, or a direct measure may investigate the performance of a representative sample of students, as fits the program size and context. Regardless of the approach, direct measures can help programs gain insight into the achievement of program-level SLOs and the effectiveness of the curriculum.

Types of Direct Measures

Direct measures come in many forms and may vary to best meet the needs of the program. WSU encourages programs to choose measures that provide useful information to their faculty and fit with disciplinary expectations. Data from direct measures may be quantitative (e.g., ratings or numerical scores) or qualitative (e.g., open comments or observations). See Assessment Data Analysis for more information about quantitative and qualitative data.

Direct Measure TypeDescription
Evaluation of student courseworkCoursework that requires students to demonstrate their performance on specific program-level SLOs can be evaluated by course instructors, other program faculty, industry partners, and/or other professionals using a program rubric, rating scale, or similar tool to provide direct evidence of student performance on those SLOs. There are several approaches to evaluating student coursework that programs can implement to measure student performance on program-level SLOs, depending on the context of the program, coursework, etc.

Types of coursework to utilize for program-level assessment will vary, depending on a program’s context, and may include papers, presentations, posters, capstone or other culminating projects, portfolios, performances, demonstrations, exhibitions, short answer or essay type exam responses, or other types of assignments/activities.
Evaluation of student intern/trainee performanceFor program assessment, internships and other field/professional experiences may provide programs with opportunities to assess student performance on skills and knowledge aligned with program-level SLOs in a work setting. A carefully constructed form or survey completed by supervisors/preceptors near the end of the experience can provide direct evidence of student’s skills and knowledge based on supervisor/preceptor observations of student performance.
Course exam results/scoresThe results/scores of course exams that require students to demonstrate their performance on specific program-level SLOs can be summarized to provide direct evidence of student performance on those SLOs. Depending on the context, a program may choose to consider overall scores on a specific exam and/or the results of certain questions (or groups of questions) on a specific exam.
National exam results/scoresThe results/scores of national exams that require students to demonstrate their performance on specific program-level SLOs can be summarized to provide direct evidence of student performance on those SLOs. Depending on the context, a program may choose to consider overall scores on a specific exam and/or the results of certain questions (or groups of questions) on a specific exam.

Types of national exams may include professional certification exams, licensure exams, concept inventories, etc. National exams may be commercially developed and/or designed by national disciplinary societies.

ACE Services for Direct Measures

We’re here to help — contact us for more information or to request our services

  • Provide consultations and workshops to address specific needs
  • Collaborate on the design of direct measures (rubrics, rating tools, etc.)
  • Analyze assessment data and present results

Spotlights Related to Direct Measures

Highlighting program assessment in action

See more spotlights related to direct assessment measures and data in our News Blog.

Direct Measures Toolkit

The resources below are intended to help programs and faculty as they choose, develop, implement, and refine direct measures for assessing student performance on program-level SLOs. ACE is available to collaborate with undergraduate degree programs to design rubrics or other tools to measure program-level SLOs; contact us for additional information.

Sort by Topic, Type, Author, or Title to find what you need.

TopicTypeAuthorTitleDescription
Types of Direct MeasuresQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide: Overview of Types of Direct Measures for Undergraduate Program Assessment (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider advantages and challenges of various types of direct measures for assessing student performance on program-level SLOs
Types of Direct MeasuresExamplesVarious WSU ProgramsWSU Examples of Direct Measures Near End of CurriculumWebpage featuring a selected sample of direct measures collected near the end of the curriculum by WSU programs in various disciplines
Evaluation of Student CourseworkQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide: Approaches to Evaluating Student Coursework for Undergraduate Program Assessment (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider approaches to evaluating student coursework as part of program assessment
Evaluation of Student CourseworkQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide to Considering [CAPS] Assessment Reports for UCORE as Evidence for Degree Program Assessment (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider [CAPS] Assessment Reports for UCORE as a potential source of evidence for degree program assessment
Evaluation of Student Intern/Trainee PerformanceQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide to Internships and Other Field/Professional Experiences for Program-level Assessment (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider good practices for using internships and other field/professional experiences to assess student learning as part of program-level assessment
RubricsQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide: Types of Rubrics for Program Assessment (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider types of rubrics for assessing student performance on program-level SLOs
RubricsExamplesAssociation of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)VALUE RubricsWebpage with information about the AAC&U VALUE rubrics that address 16 skill areas and may be adapted for specific program needs; Contact ACE for more information
NormingQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide to Norming on Student Work for Program-level Assessment (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider a general approach for norming raters who will be scoring student work for program-level assessment
SamplingQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide to Sampling, Sample Sizes, and Representation (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider good practices for considering sample sizes and strategies for program-level assessment
Setting Performance ExpectationsQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide to Setting Meaningful Performance Expectations for Undergraduate Program Assessment (PDF)
Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider good practices for setting meaningful performance expectations for their majors near the end of the curriculum as part of program assessment
Data StewardshipQuick GuideACE - WSUQuick Guide to Assessment Data Stewardship for Academic Programs (PDF)Resource intended to help WSU programs and faculty consider good practices for collecting, managing, and using program assessment data that align with WSU’s Data Protection and Classification Policy (UPPM 87.53, formerly Executive Policy #8)

Additional Resources and Scholarship

Articles

Hutchings, P. (2010). Opening Doors to Faculty Involvement in Assessment (PDF) (Occasional Paper #4). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

Books

Note: Please contact ACE to borrow a book.

Barkley, E. & Major, C. (2016). Learning Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Suskie, L. (2018). Part 4: The assessment toolbox. In Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Other

Suskie, L. Blog posts categorized ‘How to Assess’, A Common Sense Approach to Assessment in Higher Education Blog.

University of Hawaii at Manoa Assessment and Curriculum Support Center. How To: Choose a Method to Collect Data or Evidence Website.