At Chesapeake College, course-level assessment is designed to measure and enhance student learning by evaluating how well individual courses meet their defined student learning outcomes (SLOs). This process is a key part of ensuring that instruction remains relevant, rigorous, and aligned with both program goals and institutional standards.

Course Assessment Plans

When new courses are proposed, departments develop measurable student learning outcomes (SLOs) that are captured in an Assessment Plan for each credit course. Most courses include 3-5 SLOs, with corresponding assessment strategies or assignments and an identified target for each outcome. For General Education Limited Distribution Core courses, the plan also includes the 4+1 program outcomes relevant to the course category.

These plans are submitted to the Academic Programs & Curricula Committee during the course approval process and serve as the foundation for ongoing course-level assessment. Assessment results and action plans are recorded in TracDat, Chesapeake’s assessment management system, and tracked by the Office of Academic Assessment.

Core Course of Study

A Core Course of Study document is created for each course, outlining the department-approved course description, goals, student learning outcomes, core material to be covered, and out-of-class requirements. This document ensures consistency across all course sections, regardless of modality or instructor. In courses with multiple sections, departments may implement common assessment strategies for core content and General Education SLOs.

Curriculum Mapping

Courses that are part of a program of study must align their student learning outcomes with the goals and outcomes of the overall program. Curriculum mapping ensures that course-level SLOs contribute to program outcomes, and alignment is maintained through the assessment process.

Student Feedback

Chesapeake College regularly collects student feedback through Student Response Surveys, which are conducted for all credit courses at the end of each semester. Students rate courses, instructors, and the mode of instruction through an online survey. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs compiles the results and shares them electronically with the appropriate academic dean. Faculty members receive their reports by course section after the semester concludes.

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (Yearly)

Student learning outcomes assessment is the process by which student learning is defined for a course and assessment methods are used to generate and collect information for evaluating overall educational quality.  Through course action plans, faculty compile evidence and build on existing efforts to improve student learning. The outcomes assessment process is an extension of the professional work regularly conducted by faculty and is intended to be meaningful, measureable, and manageable. 

The expectation is that all active courses will be assessed each academic year and will submit an assessment plan for the semester the course is offered or the semester they choose to assess. For conducting assessment, course faculty will design a common assessment tool and/or measurement instrument (i.e. rubric, checklist, exam) that assesses SLO competency near or at the end of a course. The assessment will measure student competency at a minimum baseline: 75% of students will demonstrate competency at a C or higher. Assessment results and reporting will be required for all of the following; Fall, Spring, Summer courses and for all modalities to include face-to-face, on-line and hybrid. 

This ongoing process records the assessment results, proposed changes, and the results of those changes.  Based on the results, new changes may be developed and implemented for the next assessment cycle.  Faculty conversations on course-level assessment results are designed to allow for the sharing of ideas among colleagues and collaboration on best practices.

Instructor Responsibilities

Single Section Course

  • With the Course Lead assistance, complete a yearly assessment plan.
  • Develop an assessment tool and measurement instrument to measure the Course and Gen Ed SLO’s indicated on the assessment plan.
  • Compile and then report the assessment data to Course Lead.
  • If the Course Lead, report data to assessment office.
  • Develop and implement improvement action plans if necessary.

Multi-Section Course

  • All full-time faculty (and adjuncts if available) teaching the course collaborate to complete a yearly assessment plan.
  • Develop an common assessment tool and measurement instrument to measure the Course and Gen Ed SLO’s indicated on the assessment plan.
  • Course lead distributes to adjuncts.
  • Course lead compiles and reports data to assessment office.
  • Develop and implement improvement action plans if necessary.