Using Exam Cover Sheets to Tally Course Assessment Data

One of the challenges of assessment is the extra compilation work required to collect and tally results of an entire class only on certain aspects of student work, specific to key learning outcomes. Entire exam grades generally represent a combination of outcomes and so do not provide good assessment information on specific outcomes. However, sorting out statistics on student performance data on only specific exam questions or aspects can be tedious and timeconsuming. By applying itemized grading sheets as an integral part of the exam-grading process, student scores are already sorted by questions and therefore can easily be compiled by applicable learning outcomes. Application of spreadsheet tools or other programming automates the tallying process. This paper provides practical examples of grading cover sheets on regular exams to sort and tally student performance of various learning outcomes.