Kingsborough Community College Assessment

Assessment of Student Learning Overview

Assessment of student learning is an iterative, reflective process that uses student-generated materials (e.g., papers, presentations, responses to a discussion board prompt) in order to answer these two questions:

    1. What do we want students to know and be able to do as a result of their participation in a course/activity/program?
    2. How do we know if our students are achieving these things?

To learn more about how assessment is used across the College, use these buttons below:

Course instructors often think a lot about what their students know and can do and use that knowledge to provide grades, feedback, and support for their students. But Assessment as we mean in this context is a little bit different in a few key ways. Assessment of Student Learning:

  • Looks at the big picture. While grading student work and providing feedback gives an in-depth account of where students are and what they need to do to reach their goals, assessment in this context means taking a big-picture approach: What percentage of students are meeting the learning outcomes? Are there specific skills or knowledge that are particularly easy or challenging for students?
  • Prompts larger discussions. The data is important, but its value comes in the conversations it sparks and how it helps guide changes to curriculum, pedagogy, or resources. Do students need additional support in a particular area that can be filled with an additional module or service? Are there gaps in the curriculum or areas of overlap that can be addressed? Are there particular pedagogical approaches that work best for a content area? The purpose of the data is to bring faculty and staff together to identify areas for improvement and brainstorm solutions to potential issues.
  • Is cyclical. Assessment is more than a simple reporting mechanism. Rather, it is a cyclical process that involves using the results of assessment studies to drive improvement (see the diagram below). The data collected will be used to create an action plan, including a description of any changes to be made as well as a plan for following up to see whether the changes are effective.


cyclical assesment

Continual assessment of student learning is crucial to fulfilling the Kingsborough Community College mission and vision:

  • Responding to the needs of the diverse community. By assessing student learning, the school can better understand the needs of the students, identify best practices for supporting those specific needs, and analyze the impact of programs, supports, and resources on student learning.
  • Ensuring equity and striving to provide each student with the appropriate resources and supports. Kingsborough strives to create equitable assessments that help better understand where students are and ensure that they receive the resources and support they need to succeed when transferring to a new school or entering the workforce.
  • Striving for high quality and continuous improvement in all areas related to student learning. Systematic, sustainable, and continual assessment practices ensure that all programs are continually focusing on ways to maintain high quality and continually strive to make improvements to the student experience.