Assessment is a broad term, though at its heart, it is a tool for reflection and improvement, helping to design and cultivate meaningful learning experiences. At the Poorvu Center, we emphasize alignment, equity, and practicality in gathering and using data to support educational design. We think about data broadly, considering both qualitative and quantitative perspectives to capture the complexity of teaching and learning at Yale.
Rather than viewing assessment as an isolated process, we see it as an iterative and collaborative effort that informs decision-making, shapes curricula, and enhances learning experiences for students and educators. We also focus on sustainability, ensuring that assessment processes are realistic and responsive.
Classroom Assessment is the process through which instructors and students gather evidence of student learning and experiences in their course. The types of assessments used in classrooms vary and can serve different and often multiple purposes. They may be more formative in nature, allowing instructors and students to reflect on and adjust course structure or engagement during a given semester. These include examples such as mid-term feedback, asynchronous discussion posts, exit tickets, or drafts of projects. Classroom assessments can also be more summative in nature, taking the form of graded exams, final papers, projects, or presentations. No matter the format, classroom assessment provides feedback to instructors and students about what is learned in the course.
“Your presentation stood out for its innovation, applicability, and potential to advance the field of higher education assessment.”
Program assessment extends beyond individual classes to consider broader educational initiatives and long-term projects. The Poorvu Center’s Educational Program Assessment (EPA) team provides expertise in developing, implementing, and analyzing assessments that explore the impact of teaching and learning programs on campus. We emphasize mixed-method approaches based in educational research to craft assessments that are aligned with a program’s goals, respectful of the context in which data are collected, and that provide actionable steps for programmatic change over time.
The Poorvu Center relies on feedback from our community and colleagues to continuously improve our work. We intentionally build in mechanisms for center-wide feedback by establishing a faculty advisory board, student advisory board, external evaluations, and ongoing data collection from our offerings and events. Our team regularly reflects on this feedback to guide and structure our efforts. We also share our annual reports with the wider Yale community to demonstrate the many ways the center supports teaching and learning at Yale.
A guide on techniques that instructors can use to quickly evaluate student learning in class
Instructors can use assessments to test student learning and understanding of concepts throughout a course.
This page will provide recommendations and examples to guide you through the exam design process.
Reach out to the Poorvu Center team if you have any questions or to learn more about our programs.
