A primary goal of assessment is to deliver truthful and clear information that can be used to inform and improve outcomes. Although there are multiple ways to achieve this goal, common approaches can be broken down into two major categories: (1) direct assessment; and (2) indirect assessment. Indirect assessment typically relies on general measures and students' self-reports of what they have learned. Direct assessment, on the other hand, is a good way to observe very tangible evidence of assessment outcomes. Direct assessments are those using "structured, predetermined response options that can be summarized into meaningful numbers and analyzed statistically." Whereas indirect assessments provide a picture of student perspectives, direct assessments indicate what they actually know or are able to do. Direct assessment can take many forms, such as quizzes, commercial tests, and portfolios. All of these direct assessments share a common theme of being able to demonstrate the students' learning. Conducting direct assessment can provide assessment data that are viewed as more valid and legitimate by both staff and faculty alike. In this article, the authors outline how three separate departments at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) used direct assessments to develop a better understanding of what their students knew, as well as to enhance their trainings and workshops.