Quick Tips for SLO IntegrationWriting Learning Outcomes

A Definition of Outcomes • “Learning outcomes are the essential and enduring

knowledge, abilities (skills) and attitudes (values, dispositions) that constitute the integrated learning needed by a graduate of a course or program.” PIDP 3210

• “The learning outcomes approach to education means basing program and curriculum design, content and delivery on an explicit identification of the integrated knowledge, skills and values needed by both students and society.” Battersby (1998)

The importance of context• Learning outcomes presuppose at least one context.

• These could include: • The mission, ends, and values of an institutional • A particular program department or school • An environmental context (society or culture)• The creative capacity of students to learn by constructing learning

An institutional context

• “In order to understand Outcomes-Based Education (OBE), it is necessary to first… understand the framework in which the OBE exists, and in particular, the framework in which it exists for you the developer or instructor…. Outcomes reflect a different way to think about curriculum and a different way to think about teaching and learning.”

• “In addition, it is important that people working together on an outcomes-based curriculum project develop and share a ‘common sense’ of this context in which they are all operating. Project leaders must ensure that time is taken to ensure that such contexts are made explicit. Giving a person a definition of OBE without context is like giving them a goldfish in a plastic bag without any water.” PIDP 3120

An environmental context • “The approach we advocate is for faculty to always think first

about what is essential that students know or be able to do after the course or program - what students need to know and could make powerful use of to enhance their lives. We believe that such reflection will lead instructors to focus on a broad synthesis of abilities that combine knowledge, skills and attitudes into a whole that reflects how people use what they really know.” (Battersby, 1998)

• What do students need to be able to do 'out there' that we are responsible for 'in here' (i.e., in the learning environment)?“

• In other words, ‘What is the nature of the sea, upon which the ship we are building, will sail’?

Outcomes and Assessment

• "Key to the outcomes approach [in BC] is an approach to assessment that emphasizes 'authentic assessment' ...[i.e.,] creating assignments that stimulate as much as possible the [real-life outside-of-class] situations in which students would make use of the knowledge, skills and values emphasized in the course."(Battersby, 1998)

Outcomes and Assessment• “In fact, such 'authentic' or 'model' assignments, derived

from real-life outside-of class workplace situations, are one of the initial places to begin the processes of discerning and developing learning outcomes; i.e., first deal with the reality of the so-called 'real world' and then reflect in order to discern the outcomes. This is in contrast to traditional models which suggest defining the objectives or competencies of a particular course and then determining the appropriate learning experiences and evaluation strategies.” (Battersby, 1998).

Outcomes Express Alignment • Outcomes of individual courses are aligned with the global Student

Learning Outcomes of Trinity Western University and these reflect its mission, ends and values.

• Outcomes of individual courses are also aligned with the outcomes of a specific department, faculty or school.

• Outcomes of individual courses are aligned with what is needed ‘out there’ in society and culture,

• Because all pedagogy reflects anthropology, outcomes are aligned with the capacity of students to construct knowledge and application.

The Attributes of Outcomes

In summary, well-crafted outcomes:

• Integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes• Express alignment with various institutional contexts• Ensure relevance and application to ‘real world’ contexts• Foster student self-reflection.• Promote a student’s creative ability to take initiative and figure

things out for themselves

Types of Outcomes As we have noted, all outcomes describe what the students will do

Three types of learning outcomes:

• Performance outcomes : specify behaviour or performance, also known as competencies and include conditions and standards.

• Confluent outcomes: indicate what the learner will know and do

including both cognitive and affective (valuing/ feeling) domains.

• Expressive outcomes: foster a reflective process through which learners describe or ‘express’ what they have learned through, for example, examination and appraisal.

Writing Learning Outcomes • Typically we employ a stem phrase which states the intention of

the outcome: e.g. Students will be able to… A diligent student will be able to… A graduate of this program shall be able to…

• What follows that phrase is an active verb drawn from one of three domains:

o Cognitive - knowledge and dealing with that knowledgeo Affective - beliefs, attitudes valueso Psycho-motor – sequence of motion, prescribed task

Measurable Learning Outcome

• Learning outcomes are not about what the instructors can provide, but what the students can demonstrate.

• When writing a measurable learning outcome, it is important to: o focus on student behavior o use simple, specific action verbs o select appropriate assessment methods o state desired performance criteria

Outcomes enable Assessment

Observable Performance • write• praise• operate• analyze• organize• demonstrate• describe

Non-observable Performance • understand• know • learn • remember • enjoy • perceive • become familiar with

Checklist for writing learning outcomes

• Focus on outcomes, not processes • Start each outcome with an action verb • Use only one action verb per learning outcome • Avoid vague verbs such as know and understand • Check that the verbs used reflect the level of learning required • Ensure that outcomes are observable and measurable • Write the outcomes in terms of what the learner does, not what the instructor does • Check that the outcomes reflect knowledge, skills, or attitudes required in society

and the workplace • Include outcomes that are woven into the entire course (such as work effectively in

teams) • Check that there are the appropriate number of outcomes (no more than three per

major topic) • List the sub-outcomes (learning tasks) for each outcome • Check that the outcomes fit within your program and TWU SLO’s Adapted from http://kb.bcit.ca/files/articles/fsr/teach/courseprep/ja_learningoutcomes.pdf

The use of taxonomies • Well-crafted outcomes not only employ active verbs, but verbs

that are deliberately chosen to reflect a certain levels - from simple to complex - of thinking or valuing or behaviour.

• Various authors have created an order of levels of learning within various domains.

• Perhaps the most commonly used of these taxonomies is Bloom’s taxonomy covering three domains, namely cognitive, affective and psycho-motor.

A taxonomy for the cognitive domain

Cognitive Domain

Category Associated Verbs/Actions

Remember Recall, remember, match, select, identify, choose, order, outline

Understand Plot, define, summarize, classify, describe, present, explain

Apply Propose, audit, edit, predict, construct, use, show, solve, compute

Analyze Distinguish, differentiate, investigate, scrutinize, consider, question

Evaluate Appraise, assess, judge, critique, comment, examine, interrogate

Create Develop, design, devise, generate, propose, build, form, assemble

Affective Domain

• 1. Receive - learner is aware of listening to or passively attending to certain stimuli

• 2. Respond - learner complies with expectations by participating or obeying

• 3. Value - learner displays behaviour consistent with a belief or attitude in situations with which he/she is not forced to comply

• 4. Organization - learner is committed to set of values and displays, provides rationale for, or communicates the value

• 5. Characterization – learner’s total behaviour is consistent with values and internalizing them.

Psychomotor Domain• 1. Imitation - learner can copy the action of another, observe

and replicate • 2. Manipulation - learner can reproduce action from written

directions or memory• 3. Precision – learner attains skill in performing an action

independent of either a visual, or verbal model, attains accuracy and control

• 4. Articulation – adapts and integrates expertise within a new context or task

• 5. Naturalization – learner can routinely instinctively and effortlessly perform an action, attains spontaneity automatically.

Simple Outcomes Verbs Psychomotor Cognitive Affective

DemonstrateCite Accommodate

Distinguish Copy AskComplete Define Describe

Hear Explain FollowIdentify Identify GiveLocate Indicate Hold

Move Itemize IdentifyPractice Label ListenPoint to List Locate

Press Locate Name Pull Match Point Push Mate Respond See Name SelectSelect Outline Set up Quote

Show Recite Specify Recognize

Sort Respond Touch Reproduce

Repeat Report Restate Select State Say Specify Translate

Intermediate Outcomes VerbsPsychomotor Cognitive Affective

Assemble Activate

Apply Convert Demonstrate

Assist Approve Choose Adjust

Build Calibrate Close

Distinguish Draft Dramatize

CommendComplete Comply

Construct Copy Draw Employ Conform

Describe

Demonstrate Estimate Form

Disassemble Explain FollowDisconnect Extend InitiateDraw Generalize Invite

Duplicate Give Example JoinExecute Fasten

Illustrate Infer

Justify Perform

Fix Operate Practice

Grasp Paraphrase ProposeInsert Lift

Predict Prepare Share

Study

Locate Rewrite Work

Loosen Schedule

Load Summarize

Manipulate Use

Measure

Open Operate

Perform Remove

Replace Rotate

Set Slide

Signal

Tighten

Trace

Turn

Twist

Complex Outcomes VerbsPsychomotor Cognitive Affective

DeviseAssess Act

Generate Analyse AdaptOrganize Compare Adhere

Plan Conclude ChangeRepair Contrast Defend

Adapt Convert DisplayCombine Create InfluenceCompose Criticize IntegrateConstruct Compose MediateDesign Design Organize

Diagram Revise Discriminate Solve Differentiate Verify Evaluate Formulate Generate Manipulate Modify Organize Originate Plan Predict Prepare Propose Rate Select Value

Verbs Related to Particular Tasks • Producing a

Sequence of Words• Dealing with two or

more stimuli• Using concepts• Producing a single

isolated response• Producing a

sequence of motion

• Using principles• Combining two or

more principles• Information

Collection and Processing Work• Decision-making

Work

Producing a Sequence of Words

• to cite• to copy• to enumerate• to letter• to list• to quote• to recite• to record

• to reiterate• to repeat• to reproduce• to (re)state• to transcribe• to type• to choose

Dealing with two or more stimuli

• to compare• to contrast• to couple• to decide• to detect• to differentiate• to discern• to distinguish

• to isolate• to judge• to match• to mate• to pair• to pick• to recognize• to select

Using concepts• to allocate• to arrange• to assign• to catalogue• to categorize• to characterize• to classify• to collect• to divide• to file• to grade • to group

• to index• to inventory• to itemize• to order• to rank• to rate• to reject• to screen• to sort• to specify• to survey• to tabulate

Producing a single isolated response

• to associate• to give a word for• to grasp (w/ hand)• to hold• to identify• to indicate• to label• to lift• to locate• to loosen• to move• to name• to pick up

• to place• to press• to pull• to recognize• to repeat• to reply• to respond• to rotate• to set• to signal• to slide• to tighten• to touch• to twist

Producing a Sequence of Motion

• to activate• to adjust• to align• to close• to copy• to (dis)assemble• to (dis)connect• to draw• to duplicate• to insert

• to load• to manipulate• to measure• to open• to operate• to remove• to stencil• to trace• to tune• to turn off/on

Using Principles • to anticipate• to calculate• to calibrate• to check• to compile• to compute• to conclude• to construct• to convert• to coordinate• to correct• to deduce

• to define• to demonstrate• to design• to determine• to diagram• to equate• to estimate• to evaluate• to examine• to expect• to explain• to extrapolate

Using Principles • to figure• to foresee• to generalize• to illustrate• to infer• to interpolate• to interpret• to monitor• to organize• to plan

• to predict• to prescribe• to program• to project• to schedule• to solve• to translate• to verify

Combining two or more principles

• to accommodate• to adapt• to adjust to• to analyze• to compose• to contrive• to correlate• to create• to develop• to devise• to diagnose

• to discover• to find a way• to invent• to realize• to reason• to resolve• to study• to synthesize• to think through• to troubleshoot

Supervisory and Management Work

• advise• analyze• appraise• approve• assess• assign• compare• conduct• contact• counsel• determine

• diagnose• draft• establish• estimate• forecast• implement• initiate• interpret• Interview• Investigate• maintain

Supervisory and Management Work

• manage• monitor• negotiate• observe• orient• participate• perform• plan• prepare

• process• recommend• review• schedule• sign• study• submit• supervise• verify

Information Collection and Processing Work

• analyze • ascertain• audit • calculate • check• compile• compute• confer• consult• count

• diagnose • gather • identify • inspect• interview• inventory• locate• measure• observe• obtain

Information Collection and Processing Work

• proof• receive• review• verify• weight

Decision-making Work• approve• compare• decide• determine• estimate• evaluate• judge• rate• test