Embedded Process Overview

Embedded assessment represents one approach for documenting the School of Accountancy’s teaching and learning effectiveness. Embedded assessment means that learning assessment tools are "embedded" into regular course exams and assignments. In addition to providing a basis for grading students, these assessment tools allow faculty to evaluate approaches to instruction and course design. The embedded assessment process will generally include the following steps:

• State the program learning goals (competencies) at a conceptual level.
• For each learning goal, identify the courses within the program in which the learning goal is expected to receive significant emphasis.
• For each course providing a significant emphasis, define the learning goal operationally in terms of measurable outcomes.
• Identify the learning activities that support the learning goal being examined.
• Describe the assessment measure(s) to be used, including grading criteria (rubrics) that are to be employed.
• State the desired level of outcome performance quantitatively (i.e., success rate in achieving desired outcomes).
• Implement the assessment measure and gather the data (for example: embed the measure as part of an exam, or other course requirement).
• Analyze the results of the assessment activity and summarize findings on the students’ level of performance.
• Draw a conclusion based on the analyses.
• Suggest recommendations for improvement.
• Be able to demonstrate a continuous improvement feedback loop (over time).
• Maintain appropriate documentation (student work used to conduct assessment, rubrics, and analyses). A separate set of assessment documentation should be maintained for each program learning goal addressed in a given course.

Course-embedded assessment results are generally compiled using the School of Accountancy’s Course-Embedded Assessment Learning Form. The purpose of this form is to provide a common format for summarizing embedded assessment activities. Individual instructors may modify the form to better reflect the assessment methodology deployed in a specific course. Instructors complete one form for each program-level learning goal assigned to their course. Using the form, instructors enter the learning outcome objectives for their course that support the assigned learning goal. For each learning outcome objective, instructors enter the learning activities employed, the assessment methods used, the criteria employed to assess the learning activity. Finally, the instructor prepares an analysis of the results and makes recommendations for improving learning activities to raise student performance levels. The instructor may also recommend changes to outcome objectives and/or assessment methods based on the findings. Assessment results are included within the Outcomes Data section/links.