Assessment and Evaluation

Workshops
CTL hosts a variety of evaluation and assessment workshops for faculty, administrators, and staff to seamlessly embed assessment activities such as efficient information collection and analysis that can inform decisions about program efforts. In these two-hour sessions, participants discuss and apply various techniques for assessing learning outcomes, and gain insight on how to best use these results in the classroom and beyond.

Instructional Assessment
Through its component centers, CTL's staff and facilities are available to help UT Austin systematically examine particular aspects of classroom instruction.

Instructional Assessment Resources
Faculty, students, educational researchers, and staff assessing classroom instruction, instructional technologies, or instructional programs—or developing an evaluation plan for a research grant—will find guidance in planning, executing, and analyzing their assessment in CTL's Instructional Assessment Resources.

Outcomes Assessment
Outcomes assessment illustrates the effectiveness of a program in relation to program goals. With its focus on student learning, outcomes assessment indicates the extent to which students can demonstrate knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are consistent with program goals.  Like teaching, the purpose of assessment is to ensure that students are learning what you intend for them to learn.

Ongoing Course Assessment
Research on teaching shows that frequent feedback from students can help instructors better meet students' needs. CTL offers an online tool, the Ongoing Course Assessment (OCA) system, for course feedback. Alternatively, CTL staff can meet with instructors who would like to design midsemester and/or ongoing feedback instruments for their classes. Contact Dr. Karron Lewis at 232-1776 or kglewis@mail.utexas.edu.

Credit by Exam and Course Placement
CTL conducts the credit by examination program, through which students can earn credit for introductory courses. The Center also administers exams used to determine proficiency level for course placement purposes. In addition, CTL operates the College-Level Examination Program or CLEP Open Test Center for non-UT Austin students.

Testing and Grading Strategies
The Divison offers consulting as well as printed and online resources, most notably the Teachers and Students UT Austin sourcebook.

Course-Instructor Survey
The university's primary tool for surveying student opinions of courses and instruction is administered by CTL. Details on sign-up, using the survey, customizing it, and getting results are available here. Survey results from the last three years are available online to UTEID holders.

Test Scanning Services
Free Scantron answer sheet scanning services for classwork are available to UT faculty at the Bridgeway (BWY) building, 2616 Wichita Street. Research projects and surveys can be scanned and analyzed for a fee.