Lc. Petty et al., A TOOLBOOK COMPUTER-PROGRAM TO DEVELOP COURSE OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT MEASURES, Behavior research methods, instruments, & computers, 25(2), 1993, pp. 281-286
College courses are generally developed because of current fashion in
the field and/or student and faculty interest in some topic without re
ference to departmental or programmatic goals. Current calls and needs
for accountability in higher education demand a more organized approa
ch. A computer program, ToolBook 1.53, which provides information to t
he instructor about systematic development of courses and assessment o
f student outcomes, is described. The program supports the constructio
n of outcome-oriented learning objectives and corresponding assessment
techniques. Instructors who used this program to learn about how to c
onstruct such objectives showed an increase in knowledge and evaluated
the program positively. Using the information provided in this progra
m leads to an integrated approach to course design and development in
which course objectives are linked to the college mission statement th
rough departmental or program objectives.