This appendix identifies common misperceptions about outcomes assessment that are typically encountered at any institution engaging in an outcomes assessment process. Accompanying each misperception is a clarification correcting the misperception. Quantitative measurement is the only acceptable method for collecting data and to conduct good assessment a department must do a lot of number crunching . A variety of methods both qualitative and quantitative can be used to collect evidence about student learning. A program should use those methods that their discipline finds most familiar and appropriate.
Evidence collected is used for accountability.
Once collected this evidence should be used by a department to formally appraise and document for itself how the department contributes to and could improve student learning. At the time of the Academic Program Review or Accreditation, this documentation can help highlight those contributions as well as indicate areas of improvement. When a department is trying to determine the best way to measure a learning outcome they should first look at what products already exist before creating new assessments. The exercise of assessment only needs to be conducted by an individual faculty member or a committee. There is no need for other faculty in a program to be involved.