Writing Learning Writing Learning OutcomesOutcomes

Best PracticesBest Practices

What are learning outcomes?What are learning outcomes?

Formal statements that Formal statements that articulate:articulate:– WhatWhat students are able to students are able to

do after instructiondo after instruction

– WhyWhy students need to do students need to do thisthis

Why assess?Why assess?

It builds evidence for accountability, It builds evidence for accountability, accreditation and improvement.accreditation and improvement.

– Shows evidence of how well our Shows evidence of how well our students learn.students learn.

– Uses evidence for continuous Uses evidence for continuous improvement.improvement.

Simply putSimply put

Know what you are doingKnow what you are doing

Know why you are doing itKnow why you are doing it

Know what students are learning as a Know what students are learning as a resultresult

Make changes in the curriculum Make changes in the curriculum based on that informationbased on that information

Shifting focus fromShifting focus from

Teaching to learning Teaching to learning

Teaching effectiveness to Teaching effectiveness to learning results learning results

Private affair to community Private affair to community propertyproperty

Some benefits of learning Some benefits of learning outcomesoutcomes

select contentselect content

develop instructional strategydevelop instructional strategy

develop and select instructional develop and select instructional materialsmaterials

construct tests and other construct tests and other instruments for assessing and instruments for assessing and evaluatingevaluating

improve the overall programimprove the overall program

Writing Learning OutcomesWriting Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes FormulaLearning Outcomes Formula

Bloom’s TaxonomyBloom’s Taxonomy

Characteristics of Good Learning Characteristics of Good Learning OutcomesOutcomes

Learning Outcomes ExerciseLearning Outcomes Exercise

Write Your Learning OutcomesWrite Your Learning Outcomes

1. What do you want the 1. What do you want the student to be able to do?student to be able to do?

This question asks you to develop This question asks you to develop the outcome.the outcome.

For Example:For Example:

Students will evaluate reference books Students will evaluate reference books appropriate to the topic in order to appropriate to the topic in order to locate the best background locate the best background information and statistics.information and statistics.

ACRL’s IIL Immersion Summer 2005

Learning Outcomes Learning Outcomes FormulaFormula

Verb

Or

Action Phrase“In Order To”

=Great Learning Outcomes

What students need to know?

“Student evaluates reference books appropriate to the topic”

Why do they need to know this?

“locate background information and statistics.”

“In Order To”

+

OR

Why?

ACRL’s IIL Immersion Summer 2005

Importance of VerbsImportance of Verbs

Behavioral OutcomesBehavioral Outcomes

– Affective DomainAffective Domain

– Psychomotor DomainPsychomotor Domain

– Cognitive DomainCognitive Domain

Cognitive DomainCognitive Domain

Involves knowledge and the Involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skillsdevelopment of intellectual skills

Bloom’s TaxonomyBloom’s Taxonomy– Hierarchy of objectives according to Hierarchy of objectives according to

cognitive complexitycognitive complexity

– Higher-level objectives include, and are Higher-level objectives include, and are dependant on lower level cognitive skillsdependant on lower level cognitive skills

Bloom’s TaxonomyBloom’s Taxonomy

KnowledgeKnowledge

ComprehensionComprehension

ApplicationApplication

AnalysisAnalysis

SynthesisSynthesis

EvaluationEvaluation

Bloom’s – Lower LevelsBloom’s – Lower Levels

KnowledgeKnowledge– Recalling previously learned information Recalling previously learned information

such as facts, terminology, rules, etc.such as facts, terminology, rules, etc.

– Answers may be memorized or closely Answers may be memorized or closely paraphrased from assigned material.paraphrased from assigned material.

– Define, list, name, recallDefine, list, name, recall

Bloom’s – Lower LevelsBloom’s – Lower Levels

ComprehensionComprehension– Ability to comprehend the meaning of Ability to comprehend the meaning of

material.material.

– Answers must be in the student’s own Answers must be in the student’s own words while still using terminology words while still using terminology appropriate to the course material.appropriate to the course material.

– Explain, summarize, distinguish Explain, summarize, distinguish between, restatebetween, restate

Bloom’s – Lower LevelsBloom’s – Lower Levels

Demonstrate rote or surface learningDemonstrate rote or surface learning

Declarative or Procedural KnowledgeDeclarative or Procedural Knowledge

Answers found in the assigned materialsAnswers found in the assigned materials

80% of HS teachers test at these levels80% of HS teachers test at these levels

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsBloom’s – Higher Levels

ApplicationApplication– Requires recognizing, identifying, or applying Requires recognizing, identifying, or applying

a concept or principle in a new situation or a concept or principle in a new situation or solving a new problem.solving a new problem.

– May require identifying or generating May require identifying or generating examples not found in assigned materials.examples not found in assigned materials.

– Demonstrate, arrange, relate, adaptDemonstrate, arrange, relate, adapt

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsBloom’s – Higher LevelsAnalysisAnalysis – Ability to break material down into its component Ability to break material down into its component

parts and to understand its underlying structureparts and to understand its underlying structure

– May require students to compare and contrast or May require students to compare and contrast or explain how an example illustrates a given concept explain how an example illustrates a given concept or principle.or principle.

– Require students to identify logical errors or to Require students to identify logical errors or to differentiate among facts, opinions, assumptions, differentiate among facts, opinions, assumptions, hypotheses and conclusionshypotheses and conclusions

– Expected to draw relationships between ideasExpected to draw relationships between ideas

– Differentiate, estimate, infer, diagramDifferentiate, estimate, infer, diagram

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsBloom’s – Higher LevelsSynthesisSynthesis– Opposite of AnalysisOpposite of Analysis

– Ability to combine parts to form a new whole; to Ability to combine parts to form a new whole; to synthesize a variety of elements into an original synthesize a variety of elements into an original and significant whole.and significant whole.

– Produce something unique or originalProduce something unique or original

– Solve some unfamiliar problem in a unique waySolve some unfamiliar problem in a unique way

– Combine, create, formulate, constructCombine, create, formulate, construct

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsBloom’s – Higher Levels

EvaluationEvaluation– Ability to Ability to evaluateevaluate a total situation, to a total situation, to judgejudge

the value of material for a certain purpose, the value of material for a certain purpose, combining elements of all the other categories combining elements of all the other categories and also value judgments based on defined, and also value judgments based on defined, fixed criteria.fixed criteria.

– The most important part of the answer is the The most important part of the answer is the justification and rationale for the conclusionjustification and rationale for the conclusion

– Judge, critique, justify, discriminateJudge, critique, justify, discriminate

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsBloom’s – Higher LevelsMeaningful or deep learningMeaningful or deep learning

Go beyond textual material in that they must be Go beyond textual material in that they must be inferred or extrapolated from the material in the inferred or extrapolated from the material in the assigned material.assigned material.

Students’ creativity, originality and critical Students’ creativity, originality and critical thinking is required at higher levelsthinking is required at higher levels

More authentic than lower levelsMore authentic than lower levels– Thinking at this level is more likely to represent Thinking at this level is more likely to represent

types of performances required in the real worldtypes of performances required in the real world

ActivityActivityYou will each be assigned a You will each be assigned a

level of Bloom’s taxonomy.level of Bloom’s taxonomy.1.1. Develop an appropriate Develop an appropriate

learning outcome for each learning outcome for each level of learning to teach level of learning to teach students to cite works in a students to cite works in a term paper using the term paper using the appropriate format (APA, appropriate format (APA, etc.)etc.)

2.2. Share with the group Share with the group

Characteristics of Good Characteristics of Good Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes

Measurable/AssessableMeasurable/Assessable

Clear to the student & instructorClear to the student & instructor

Integrated, developmental, transferableIntegrated, developmental, transferable

Use discipline-specific Use discipline-specific competencies/standards competencies/standards

““In order to” gets to the uniqueness and In order to” gets to the uniqueness and real world application of the learningreal world application of the learning

Use a variety of Bloom’s Taxonomy Use a variety of Bloom’s Taxonomy levelslevels

ACRL’s IIL Immersion Summer 2005

Example 1Example 1

Bad OutcomeBad Outcome– Students will name the three types of Students will name the three types of

rock in order to differentiate among the rock in order to differentiate among the three.three.

Example 1Example 1

Good Learning OutcomeGood Learning Outcome– Students will compare and contrast the Students will compare and contrast the

characteristics of the three types of characteristics of the three types of rocks in order to differentiate among the rocks in order to differentiate among the three. three.

Example 3Example 3

Bad OutcomeBad Outcome– Use Illiad and Texshare in order to Use Illiad and Texshare in order to

access materials not available at the access materials not available at the UNK Library.UNK Library.

Example 3Example 3

Good OutcomeGood Outcome– Utilize retrieval services in order to Utilize retrieval services in order to

obtain materials not owned by the UNK obtain materials not owned by the UNK Library. Library.

Last ExampleLast Example

Bad OutcomeBad Outcome– Students will construct bibliographies Students will construct bibliographies

and in-text references using discipline and in-text references using discipline appropriate styles in order to contribute appropriate styles in order to contribute to academic discourse in their discipline.to academic discourse in their discipline.

Last ExampleLast Example

Good OutcomeGood Outcome– Construct bibliographies and in-text Construct bibliographies and in-text

references using discipline appropriate references using discipline appropriate styles in order to correctly attribute styles in order to correctly attribute others' work and ideas. others' work and ideas.

Let’s Write a Learning OutcomeLet’s Write a Learning Outcome

Choose specific information or a skill that Choose specific information or a skill that you teach in a classyou teach in a class

What does the student need to know?What does the student need to know?

Why do they need to know this?Why do they need to know this?

What is the appropriate learning level?What is the appropriate learning level?

Write an appropriate learning outcomeWrite an appropriate learning outcome

Learning Outcomes as the Basis for Learning Outcomes as the Basis for Designing CoursesDesigning Courses

5 Questions for Instructional Design5 Questions for Instructional Design

1.1. What do you want the student to be able What do you want the student to be able to doto do? (Outcome)? (Outcome)

2.2. What does the student need to know in What does the student need to know in order to do this well? (Curriculum)order to do this well? (Curriculum)

3.3. What activity will facilitate the learning? What activity will facilitate the learning? (Pedagogy)(Pedagogy)

4.4. How will the student demonstrate the How will the student demonstrate the learning? (Assessment)learning? (Assessment)

5.5. How will I know the student has done this How will I know the student has done this well? (Criteria)well? (Criteria)

Revising Your Learning OutcomesRevising Your Learning Outcomes

1.1. Review all of your department’s Review all of your department’s current learning outcomes using the current learning outcomes using the checklist providedchecklist provided

2.2. Identify problem areasIdentify problem areas

3.3. Revise the learning outcomes to Revise the learning outcomes to reflect what you’ve learned about reflect what you’ve learned about writing “good” outcomes.writing “good” outcomes.