Multiple approaches give us a chance to get valid, reliable, and meaningful results. Also, you don't have to stay with your first-chosen measures forever. As assessment plans evolve, you will discover more about student learning. A small project with high validity and reliability is better than a massive project that sprawls out in too many directions. There are others available and the Counseling and Testing Office can advise you on this.
Competence requires the simultaneous application of knowledge and skills.
Often, classroom tests don't ask students to demonstrate competence. Methods are needed that directly assess students' knowledge and skills and their change over time and which connect to overall goals. These tasks, usually designed by departments, include writing, researching, discussing, analyzing, and debating. The assessment tasks ask students to demonstrate their understanding and to thoughtfully apply knowledge in situations similar to settings outside school. Assessment takes the form of oral exams, performance appraisals, performance simulations, portfolios, and self-evaluations.