Assessment Tools
Resources to help your students excel.
This collection of assessment tools and resources is designed to help educators create more inclusive, effective, and student-centered assessments. From developing diverse assessment strategies that accommodate different learning styles to rethinking traditional grading methods, these resources offer practical guidance and innovative approaches to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. Explore a variety of tools, from alternative assessments to rubric examples, and discover new ways to engage students and foster deeper learning.
Essential Tools & Support
Inclusive Assessment Strategies
| This resource offers comprehensive guidance on enhancing your assessment practices to be more inclusive and effective. It includes advice on being explicit about assessment criteria, using diverse forms of assessment to accommodate different learning styles, involving students in peer and self-assessment, and providing low-stakes practice opportunities. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Inclusive Assessment Strategies | Georgetown University’s Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship |
| Crafting Assessments for Inclusion Video | Columbia University – Inclusive Teaching MOOC |
Assessment Design
| This resource provides a comprehensive overview of assessment design in teaching and learning contexts. It covers essential aspects such as aligning assessments with learning outcomes, selecting appropriate assessment methods, suggestions for alternate authentic assessment methods, developing multiple choice questions and writing prompts, and tips for using assessment as feedback. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Assessment Design | University of Connecticut’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning |
| Assess Teaching & Learning | Carnegie Mellon University Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation |
Best Practices for Creating Multiple Choice Questions
| This resource outlines best practices for creating effective multiple-choice questions in online teaching, emphasizing benefits like immediate feedback and efficient grading. It also discusses considerations such as focusing on learning objectives, iterative question revision, and avoiding common pitfalls like relying solely on factual recall. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Best Practices for Creating Multiple Choice Questions | NC State University |
Learning Outcome Types and Recommended Assessment Methods
| This resource outlines various learning outcome types and their corresponding assessment methods, ranging from lower-level thinking skills like recall and understanding to higher-level skills such as application, analysis, evaluation, and creation. It emphasizes aligning assessment methods with the specific cognitive demands of learning objectives, utilizing tools like quizzes, concept maps, problem sets, discussions, and projects to effectively measure student understanding and application of knowledge. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Learning Outcome Types and Recommended Assessment Methods | Cornell University’s CTI Learning Technologies Resource Library |
Alternative Assessments
| This resource highlights alternative assessments as authentic alternatives to traditional tests, offering a more nuanced evaluation of student learning. Emphasizing feedback and real-world relevance, these assessments support higher-order thinking and allow students to demonstrate knowledge in diverse, personalized ways, promoting equity and inclusive learning environments. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Alternative Assessments | The Catholic University of America’s Center for Teaching Excellence |
| Authentic Assessment Toolbox | John Mueller |
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
| This resource introduces Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) as activities embedded within classroom settings to assess ongoing student learning and foster metacognitive skills. CATs, as described by Angelo and Cross, are learner-centered, formative assessments that aid instructors in understanding student progress and guiding instructional strategies dynamically throughout the semester. You will also find a range of assessment techniques for evaluating course-related knowledge and skills. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| CATs | The Catholic University of America’s Center for Teaching Excellence |
| Example 1 | University of Minnesota Center for Educational Innovation |
| Example 2 | University of Connecticut’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning |
How to Write a Traditional Test
| This resource outlines the process of creating a traditional test, emphasizing the importance of a test blueprint to ensure comprehensive coverage of learning goals. It highlights the benefits of objective tests for assessing broad knowledge quickly while suggesting strategies to avoid overemphasis on certain content areas. The resource also provides best practices for writing effective multiple-choice questions, aiming to minimize ambiguity and ensure that questions align closely with learning outcomes. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Writing Traditional Test | The Catholic University of America’s Center for Teaching Excellence |
Rubric Examples
| This resource provides examples of educational rubrics, including an analytic rubric, and holistic rubrics such as the Reading Response Rubric for broader performance evaluation. It also offers 16 free rubrics (ranging from creative thinking to problem solving) for assessing a variety of skills that apply to most courses. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Rubric Examples | The Catholic University of America’s Center for Teaching Excellence |
| Value based rubrics | Association of American Colleges and Universities |
Mid Semester Feedback
| This resource provides essential mid-semester feedback questions categorized into Likert-scale, open-ended, and reflection prompts. These questions are designed to gather comprehensive insights from students about course structure, instructor effectiveness, and personal learning experiences, aiding in targeted improvements for the remainder of the semester. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Mid Semester Feedback | The Catholic University of America’s Center for Teaching Excellence |
Designing Student Assessments
| This resource explores the foundations of student assessment, emphasizing the importance of alignment with course learning outcomes, clear communication of expectations, and strategies to prevent academic misconduct. The module includes lessons on principles of assessment, alignment, grading, feedback, and academic integrity, along with worksheets, templates, and additional resources. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Designing Student Assessments | University of Calgary Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning |
Conversations about rethinking Assessments & Grading
| This resource offers perspectives on rethinking the notion of assessment, rubrics, and grading. It emphasizes the importance of trusting students, using self-assessment, and fostering a learning environment free from competitive and hierarchical pressures. | |
| Resource: | Source: |
| Why I don’t Grade | Jesse Stommel |
| How to Ungrade | Jesse Stommel |
| Peter Elbow Notes | Peter Elbow |