But if all graduating seniors must pass the senior capstone project, this would not be an especially informative table. Numerous styles of table are possible depending on the nature of the data to be reported. Remember that data should be collected so as to supply credible information about student achievement and to identify relative strengths and weaknesses. Tabular summaries of data should also support longitudinal comparison of departmental graduates and show how close the department is to assessing all of its graduates with that particular measure. Though there may be instances where tabular reporting is not appropriate, most data, including qualitative data, can be reported in tables if they are being analyzed within an explicit conceptual framework.
Tables help the reader take in the results of assessment at a glance.
However, tables should never be inserted into your report without comment. Analysis and interpretation are essential components of assessment, and the reader will want to know what you make of the data in the tables. A number of things. Analysis helps the reader understand the data by describing general trends in the data and pointing out differences and similarities among data points. Interpretation relates data to the objectives they are supposed to measure, explores the relationships between multiple measures of an educational objective, qualifies, amplifies, draws inferences, and evaluates.