Strategic Assessment and Test Design in Higher Education

This course is designed for higher education faculty seeking to elevate the impact and integrity of their assessment practices. The participants will explore principles of strategic assessment, learning outcome alignment, and effective test construction. Guided by research-based models and accreditation standards, the course supports faculty in designing assessments that are valid, reliable, and reflective of deep learning.
Participants will learn to craft performance-based assessments, create scoring rubrics, embed formative feedback, and interpret student learning data to refine instruction and support continuous improvement. Whether teaching in-person or online, this course equips educators with strategies to ensure assessment drives—not just documents—student success. This course also delves deep into the art of item writing, exploring the intricacies of crafting effective and engaging questions for assessments. Participants will learn essential strategies for creating challenging yet fair items that accurately measure learners’ knowledge and skills. The course covers various item types, including multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions, offering practical insights and best practices for item development.

Key Highlights:

Crafting Effective Assessment Items

Exploring Different Item Types

Practical Insights and Best Practices

Alignment with Institutional and Program Accreditation Standards (i.e. HLC, SACSCOC, AQUIP, CAEP, ACBSP, AACSB, ABET, ACS, ACEN, NASAD, NASM)

Practical Assessment Planning, Rubric Design, and Item Writing Workshops

Action Planning for Sustainable improvement

Designed for Faculty, Instructional Designers, and Academic Leaders. 

Enhanced Item Writing Skills-Learn advanced techniques to create high-quality items that accurately measure learning outcomes.

Diverse Item Types-Explore various item formats and understand how to choose the most appropriate type for different assessments.

Assessment Best Practices-Discover the key principles of effective assessment design and item construction.

This course also offers webinars to provide practical activities, peer exchange, and toolkit development.