Why can student course grades be used as a measure of student learning?
Actually, grades are a measure of learning in a general sense; course grades provide a composite look at student success. Oftentimes, however, these grades are a reflection of factors other than content knowledge and/or skills (i.e. attendance, participation, extra credit), which are all important parts of the learning process, but they do not indicate student knowledge or skills. We are measuring specific student learning outcomes so that we can pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. In discovering weak areas, we are able to focus energy and resources in those areas and make the needed modifications to increase learning.
