Among the most frequently discussed areas in student outcomes assessment are the data collection instruments and the process of data collection.
Academic units use many different assessment measures.
They reflect differences in normal practice from discipline to discipline, differences in the particular faculty members and their experiences, and the practical constraints of the department, university, college and environment. Some of the general types of assessment measures and methods are described briefly below. To determine what a student has learned, a test or assignment is given at the beginning of a course or program and a similar test or assignment is given at the end. This type of measurement is especially useful at the undergraduate level when there are large numbers of transfer students and at all graduate levels since, in both instances, faculty need to determine the knowledge and skills of entering students. To make effective use of portfolios, departments must develop protocols for their use including information on what will be collected, how will it be assessed, by whom, and when.