Across UMass Amherst, departments are continually finding practical, creative ways to strengthen student learning, improve the student experience, and use evidence to inform program decisions. This page highlights a curated set of exceptional practices shared by departments and programs that may be useful models for others—whether you are revising Student Learning Objectives, strengthening curriculum alignment, building meaningful assessment routines, or improving how results are communicated and used.
Each example includes a short description of what the department implemented, why it was useful, and (when available) considerations for adapting the practice in other contexts. We also include a departmental contact so that colleagues across campus can connect directly to learn more. ASER’s goal in sharing these examples is to support cross-unit learning, reduce duplicative effort, and make it easier for departments to identify ideas they can adapt to their own goals and capacity.
Scroll down or click one of the links below to reach specific content:
(Below each section description the individual exemplary activities are listed within a gray box, you can click on this box to expand and view the details about the exemplary activity.)
Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum mapping is the process of aligning individual courses and learning activities with a program's Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) to create a clear picture of where and how students develop key knowledge and skills across the curriculum. A curriculum map typically takes the form of a matrix that identifies whether each course introduces, reinforces, or allows students to demonstrate mastery of each SLO. This process helps departments identify gaps where an SLO may not be adequately addressed, redundancies where multiple courses cover the same objective without building on one another, and opportunities to scaffold learning more intentionally from introductory to advanced coursework. By making the structure of a program visible and explicit, curriculum mapping supports evidence-based conversations among faculty about course sequencing, resource allocation, and curricular revision.
Curriculum Mapping to the Concentration Level: A Model of Precision and Collaboration
The Natural Resources Conservation undergraduate program (NRC), within the Department of Environmental Conservation, undertook a comprehensive curriculum mapping initiative with support from Assessment, Survey, Effectiveness, and Research (ASER). This project not only aligned courses with program-level Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) but went a step further, mapping learning objectives all the way down to each undergraduate concentration. The result is a clear, visual roadmap of where and how students have the opportunity to engage with each SLO throughout their academic journey. This detailed mapping has supported NRC work on scaffolding student learning, identifying gaps or redundancies in their curriculum, and making data-informed decisions about program development.
Contact person: Lena Fletcher
Direct and Indirect Assessment
Direct and Indirect assessment are the various methods or ways to collect evidence (beyond GPA) to determine that students are achieving departmental SLOs. Direct assessment involves evaluating student work (e.g., exams, projects, essays, portfolios) to measure learning objectives, while indirect assessment gathers perceptions of learning (e.g., surveys, interviews, faculty reflections about student learning). By consistently analyzing evidence of student progress and identifying areas for improvement, departments can make informed decisions that enhance educational outcomes. (Direct and Indirect assessment resources and examples coming soon.)
Assessing Learning through Course-Embedded Evidence: Biomedical Engineering’s Integrated Approach
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at UMass Amherst has developed a well-structured and sustainable method for assessing student learning by embedding direct assessments into required coursework. Each Student Learning Objective (SLO) is supported and assessed through clearly mapped course activities across multiple courses. For example, one of their SLOs that focuses on experimentation, data analysis, and engineering judgment is assessed through lab reports, exams, and final project components embedded in several courses .
This approach ensures that assessment is grounded in authentic student work and aligned with the department’s educational objectives. The results are reviewed each semester by course faculty and more broadly as part of the department’s ABET accreditation cycle. The department complements these efforts with annual senior surveys to gather students’ self-assessed progress for each SLO. By integrating assessment into the curriculum itself, the department has built a sustainable model that informs instructional improvement and supports the continuous assessment of the program’s SLOs.
Contact person: Sam Wojda
Direct and Indirect Assessment of Student Learning Objectives
The Department of Art History has demonstrated a strong commitment to student success and educational effectiveness through the implementation of two exemplary initiatives. The department created a rubric that faculty within the department use to assess student learning objectives (SLOs). In addition, the department also engages in qualitative indirect assessment using faculty reflections on student work to also assess SLOs. Combined, both activities present a great example of how to implement different ways of knowing the level of SLO achievement that Art History students have developed throughout their time in the program.
Contact person: Meg Vickery
Philosophy Department Demonstrates Strong, Ongoing Assessment of Graduate Learning
The Philosophy Department has developed a thoughtful and well-structured approach to assessing learning in its graduate program. Their current graduate-level Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) guide progression from foundational coursework to independent research, professional communication, and effective teaching. Faculty review the SLOs regularly, discuss graduate student progress multiple times each year, and provide clear pathways for students to meet expectations through coursework, advising, writing milestones, and supervised teaching. The department also continues to refine its processes, including work on graduate writing requirements and structured evaluation of teaching. Their submission serves as a strong model of meaningful, sustained assessment practice in graduate education.
Contact person: Kevin Klement
Innovative Assessment and Pathway Development in TECS
The Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies (TECS) has developed a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to program assessment and student support. Using the Watermark/TK20 platform, TECS has implemented a structured direct assessment process that enables systematic data collection and continuous program improvement. In addition, the department regularly gathers feedback through surveys of students and internship supervisors, ensuring that multiple perspectives inform their practices.
TECS has also leveraged a teaching Quality Grant to create a unique pathway for paraeducators to meet licensing requirements. This initiative provides critical support for individuals already working in educational settings, making professional advancement more accessible and addressing a key workforce need. Together, these efforts reflect TECS’s commitment to innovation, responsiveness, and inclusive excellence in educator preparation.
Contact person: Ruth-Ellen Verock-O’Loughlin
Assessing Learning through Student Artwork: The Department of Art’s Direct Assessment Approach
Career Preparation
Career preparation refers to the intentional integration of career-relevant competencies—such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and professional skills—into the academic curriculum and co-curricular experiences within a program. This can take many forms, including embedding career competency language into course syllabi, connecting Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) to employer-valued skills (e.g., through frameworks like NACE career readiness competencies), offering experiential learning opportunities (e.g., internships, capstone projects, undergraduate research), and helping students articulate how their academic training translates to professional contexts. By explicitly linking coursework to career outcomes, departments help students recognize the value of their education beyond the classroom and strengthen the program's ability to demonstrate its contribution to student success after graduation.
Engaging Students' Learning Expectations from Day One
The Department of Resource Economics has developed a student-centered approach to increasing awareness of learning expectations. To ensure students understand the career competencies and skills developed in their courses, the department faculty created PowerPoint slides that all faculty are encouraged to share on the first day of class. This presentation introduces students to the department’s Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), career competencies, and skills they will gain through their coursework, helping them see how course content connects to broader goals. Faculty are also encouraged to revisit the slides at the end of the semester to reinforce what students have gained and how it connects to their future endeavors.
Contact person: Nathalie Lavoie
Student Support
Departments highlighted in this section have implemented thoughtful and effective initiatives to support student success, engagement, and well-being. Their work offers examples of how programs can respond to student needs in practical, meaningful ways while strengthening the overall student experience.
Peer Mentoring through Departmental Collaboration: Fostering Community in Astronomy
Educational Effectiveness Plans as a Catalyst for Innovation
Departments highlighted in this section have used the Educational Effectiveness Plan as a framework for evidence-based improvement and innovation. By revising Student Learning Objectives, mapping curriculum, and using direct and indirect assessment results to inform decision making, these programs have strengthened alignment between their goals, curriculum, and student learning. Their work illustrates how assessment can serve as a meaningful tool for continuous improvement.
Evidence-Based Program Development in Linguistics
The Linguistics Program at UMass Amherst has demonstrated a thoughtful and effective use of the Educational Effectiveness Plan (EEP) process to support program growth and refinement. Through the EEP, the program revised its Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), conducted a curriculum mapping exercise to align courses with learning objectives, and used the results to guide preparation for its Academic Quality Assessment and Development (AQAD) review. These efforts have strengthened the program’s ability to support student learning and identify areas for strategic improvement.
Importantly, the program has also used student feedback to guide the creation of a new major in Computational Linguistics, reflecting growing interest in quantitative and data-driven approaches to language research. In addition, the department also changed the curriculum of the existing major by expanding course offerings based on student feedback. Together, these efforts showcase how sustained attention to assessment and student voice can drive meaningful curricular innovation and academic planning.
Contact person: Joe Pater
An Exemplary Educational Effectiveness Plan from Public Health
The Department of Public Health developed an Educational Effectiveness Plan report that stands out for its clarity, organization, and level of detail. The report offers a strong example of how departments can communicate their work in a way that is both thorough and accessible. As an exemplar, it can help other programs see what effective EEP reporting can look like in practice.
View Report (University login required)
Contact person: Sofija Zagarins
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EEP Resources
- EEP Submission Example (SSO Sign-in Required)
- EEP Calendar