Thinking about Learning outcomes

Questions to ask before starting writing learning outcomes:
- What will my students know?
- What will the students be able to do with their knowledge at the end of the course?
- What are the students beliefs, opinions, and attitudes
(measurable domains of learning on different domains: cognitive, behavioral, and values)

A well-designed course assessment will provide feedback on the important intended learning outcomes. The feedback students receive from assessments should deal directly with the learning to be acquired. Assessment results in feedback that learners can use not only to know how they are doing, but also to provide them with information in order to improve their performance.
Using learning outcomes will provide information on what students are expected to achieve at the end of the course, and after each class period. The intended outcomes of a course should be always be included in course syllabi at the beginning of the course.



Formulating effective statements of intended learning outcomes

Characteristics of effective learning outcomes statements:
- Are student-focused rather than professor –focused
- Focus on the learning resulting from the activity rather than on the activity itself
- Reflect the program, school, and institution mission
- Are in alignment at the course, program, department, school, and institutional levels
- Focus on important aspects of learning
- Focus on skills and abilities central to the discipline and based on professional standards of excellence
- Are general enough to capture important learning skills, but specific enough to be measurable
- Focus on aspects of learning that provide lifelong learning skills but that can be assessed in some form now


Several examples from different domains:

“Students will
- organize ideas in a way that increases the effectiveness of a message
- work effectively in problem-solving teams
- develop an erosion control policy based on plant, soil, water, and climate principles
- be able to communicate their message to others in written, verbal, and artistic medium
- reason using simplified economic models such as supply and demand, marginal analysis, benefit-cost analysis, and comparative advantage
- be able to design and conduct original and independent biological research
- as team members will reveal their commitment to the team through effective use of group problem-solving techniques

Note:
The learning outcomes should focus on the learning resulting from an activity not on the activity itself!
Learning outcomes should focus on important aspects of learning that are credible and valuable to the discipline and field.



Learning outcomes that promote lifelong learning:

1. complex thinking standards: students ability to use various reasoning strategies to deal with situations
2. information processing: information-gathering techniques, interpreting and analyzing, assessing the information, interpreting and synthesizing
3. effective communication with diverse audiences in a variety of ways for different purposes
4. collaboration and cooperation to complete an effective performance in group situations, using interpersonal skills
5. habits of mind: students’ ability to control their own thought process and behavior including self-regulation, critical thinking, and creative thinking



Learning outcomes in practice

1. Writing measurable objectives for learning outcomes: the planned goals of a course, materialized in knowledge, skills, and competencies that students are expected to exhibit upon successful completion of a course
2. Writing learning outcomes assessment measures in order to measure what is the level of knowledge, skills, and competencies the students master in the time of learning for the respective course (assignments, testing)
3. Documentation of learning outcomes results – a comparison of outcomes and objectives, that will be the base for further changes in the education process

Resources:
Huba, E. M., & Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-Centered assessment on college campuses. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon