Responsibilities for assessment support are now the responsibility of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. We will maintain these materials until all resources have been successfully transitioned to the OIE website.

How do we know what Loyola students are learning?

As part of our Jesuit Catholic heritage, we are not only educating students in their respective disciplines, but also educating them to become men and women for others. In accordance with our mission, a Loyola education entails expanding Loyola students' "knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice and faith." But how do we know that this learning is taking place?

When we engage in assessment, we seek to know more about what our students are learning and how our programs and services are performing. We recognize that for students, learning takes place both inside and outside of the classroom. Our students are gaining knowledge, skills, and abilities in classrooms, from face-to-face to our "wilderness classroom," and in experiences such as internships and living on-campus. Thus, it is all the more important to view assessment as an integrated process that takes into account the many diverse settings in which learning takes place.

This integrated process is reflected at Loyola in assessment efforts both between and within Academic Affairs and Student Development. It is also reflected in the Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy, which provides consultation and resources on assessment across the university. Our services include:

• Assistance with the writing of learning outcomes
• Guidance on completing assessment plans and reports
• Assistance with identifying appropriate assessment measures and data sources
• Resources on assessment-related technology, including ePortfolios and tools within Sakai
• Guidance on using assessment results to inform decision-making and curricular changes
• Resources on classroom assessment (including face-to-face, blended, and online courses)

If you'd like a brief introduction to the intersection of Ignatian pedagogy and assessment, please view The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm as a Framework for Assessment.

If you'd like assistance with anything assessment-related or have any general questions, please contact Dr. Carol Scheidenhelm and Shannon Milligan at assessment@luc.edu.