As part of Adler University’s continued commitment to institutional assessment and student learning, we are implementing an update to assignment rubrics across courses. This update involves the inclusion of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) in existing rubrics.
What Is Changing?
- Assignment rubrics will now include designated Student Learning Outcomes aligned with Adler’s program and institutional goals.
- These outcomes are being added to support our assessment efforts and to better understand student achievement at the course and program level.
- This change does not affect student grades. Learning outcomes will be visible in rubrics but will be recorded for internal assessment purposes only.
What Does This Mean for Faculty?
- You will continue to grade assignments as usual—no changes are required to your grading process.
- The outcome data will be captured during the normal grading workflow in Canvas.
- We ask that faculty remain realistic and consistent in their scoring, as this information informs institutional reporting and program-level improvements. You can identify the outcomes versus the assignment rubric items by looking for the little target icon on the rubric criteria. The target looks like this:
What Does This Mean for Students?
- Students will see additional outcome criteria listed in assignment rubrics, but these will not influence their assignment grades.
- The inclusion of outcomes is strictly for internal assessment and reporting purposes.
- Students are not expected to take any action or change how they approach their assignments.
Why Are We Doing This?
- To strengthen our ability to measure and report on student learning.
- To meet accreditation expectations and improve program quality through data-informed decisions.
- To streamline assessment by using existing teaching and grading practices.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any questions about this update or would like to learn more about the process, please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at oie@adler.edu.