The objectives of the WVCTC Assessment Program
include the following:

 

	- Increase student learning and awareness of their own learning. Student learning outcomes give students a way to think and talk about what they have learned. Being able to state - either verbally or in writing - what they now can do helps students organize their own learning for themselves and actively involves them in assessment of their own learning.
	- Provide another avenue for faculty self-assessment. Use and assessment of student learning outcomes help faculty evaluate and improve their own teaching.
	- Promote course design and revision. Student learning outcomes can assist the design of new courses and help faculty revise courses they currently teach.
	- Provide a map for program and curricular assessment and change. Use of learning outcomes helps programs think about curriculum. When learning goals are defined, programs can determine in which courses each outcome is addressed, where excessive redundancy and overlap occur, and where gaps are present.  This further assists the CTC in continuous improvement in instruction, courses, programs, and student learning.
	- Clarify student expectations for learning outcomes. With well thought out and developed course outcomes that have been made public to students, it will be much easier to establish criteria for grading assignments and to develop and score examinations. Course outcomes are an important first step toward clear communications of expectations to students.
	- Improve Advising. The job of advising becomes easier when advisors have expected course and program outcomes that they can point to when advising students on either course or major selection.
	- Improve promotional materials. Departments will be able to promote their programs to students and other constituents via the presentation of the outcomes toward which they strive.