Definition
Measuring learning outcomes through proxy evidence like surveys and self-reports rather than direct demonstrations of skill, because sometimes you need to ask students if they learned something rather than actually testing if they did. The educational equivalent of asking people if they're healthy instead of running blood tests.
Example Usage
The department relied heavily on indirect assessment through exit surveys, which revealed that 95% of students believed they could write well, despite evidence to the contrary in their actual papers.
Origin
Emerged from accreditation requirements distinguishing between direct evidence of learning and perceptual measures
Fun Fact
Accreditation bodies typically require both direct and indirect assessment, because they've learned that student confidence doesn't always correlate with student competence.
Related Terms
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