CNSL 6160 Assessment and Testing

This course examines the introduction to the history and theory of measurement as it applies to counselors. Students will learn the basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments, and group and individual assessments. Basic statistical concepts will be explored and the use of assessment results in diagnosis and treatment planning will be discussed.

Registration Name

Assessment and Testing

Lecture Hours

3

Lab Hours

0

Credits

3

Offered

Online: Fall

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this course, students will:

1. Know the historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment and testing in counseling.
2. Utilize basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques, including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, individual and group test and inventory methods, psychological testing, and behavioral observations.
3. Apply statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations reliability (i.e., theory of measurement error, models of reliability, and the use of reliability information).
4. Understand reliability and validity in the use of assessments (i.e., evidence of validity, types of validity, and the relationship between reliability and validity).
5. Examine culturally sustaining and developmental considerations for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessments, including individual accommodations and environmental modifications.
6. Apply ethical and legal strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling.
7. Understand the use of culturally sustaining and developmentally appropriate assessments for diagnostic and intervention planning purposes.
8. Explore the use of assessments in academic/educational, career, personal, and social development.
9. Understand the use of environmental assessments and systematic behavioral observations.
10. Familiarize with the use of structured interviewing, symptom checklists, and personality and psychological testing.
11. Familiarize with the diagnostic processes, including differential diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic classification systems.
12. Gain knowledge of procedures to identify substance use, addictions, and co-occurring conditions.
13. Gain knowledge of procedures for assessing and responding to risk of aggression or danger to others, self-inflicted harm, and suicide. 
14. Understand procedures for assessing clients’ experience of trauma.
15. Learn procedures for identifying and reporting signs of abuse and neglect.
16. Learn procedures to identify client characteristics, protective factors, risk factors, and warning signs of mental health and behavioral disorders.
17. Understand procedures for using assessment results for referral and consultation.