What are learning outcomes? Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes are - PDF document

What are learning outcomes? Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes are statements that specify what learners will know or be able to Everybody Wins do as a result of a learning FYE 2007 activity. Dr. Carolyn Hopper Middle Tennessee State University Practicing College Learning Strategies, 4th edition Students Win Faculty Win Programs and Administrators Goals for Session Win • To arm participants with reasons for taking time to have measurable learning outcomes. • To provide information necessary to write measurable learning outcomes. • To provide practice for writing measurable learning outcomes. 1

We know that the brain Learning Outcomes for Session Learning Outcomes • Participants can state reasons for • Works through analogy and metaphor having measurable learning outcomes • Relates whole concepts to one another for classes, courses, and programs. • Looks for similarities and differences or • Participants can expla lain in the elements relationships between them. necessary for a measurable learning So that one of the best ways to make sure outcome. learners understand a concept to compare • Participants can writ ite a measurable it to something they already know. outcome to use in their courses. Going to class Learning Outcomes are like: without knowing the learning outcomes expected is like: Do we tell them? • Not just at the beginning of the course, • But every single class period. Buy a TICKET. 2

Most of teach Students not only WIN Goal Setting • Students NEED learning outcomes •Why? Faculty Win Experienced Faculty • Who teaches your course? • who know student learning is important, but may be teaching out of content area 3

Those without teaching Adjunct Faculty experience • many who will need structure and direction • All need to know what the outcomes should be. Programs / Administrators If we think it's important enough to COVER-- Win • proof that the course does what it says • Then we should care if students are able to • ways to know what the course is use what we teach. • Measuring helps us know if they learned it supposed to do the way we taught it? • accountability issues • accreditation What else?? What are the characteristics of What are the characteristics of Learning outcomes help instructors more precisely to tell students what is expected of them good learning outcomes? good learning outcomes? • help students learn more effectively. • Learning outcomes have three distinguishing • They know where they stand and the curriculum is made more open to them. characteristics: • make it clear what students can hope to gain from following a particular 1.The specified action by the learners must be course or lecture. • help instructors to design their materials more effectively by acting as a observable. � template for them. 2.The specified action by the learners must be • help instructors select the appropriate teaching strategy, for example lecture, seminar, student self-paced, or laboratory class. It obviously makes measurable. � sense to match the intended outcome to the teaching strategy. 3.The specified action must be done by the learners. • help instructors more precisely to tell their colleagues what a particular activity is designed to achieve • assist in setting examinations based on the materials delivered. • ensure that appropriate assessment strategies are employed. 4

How to write learning The ultimate test when writing a learning outcome is whether or not the action taken by the participants outcomes? can be assessed • Three components: If not, the outcome probably doesn’t meet all three of the characteristics. 1. behavior skill or knowledge to be gained. • 1.who is to perform; � Use an action verb, such as define, count, list, to describe what a learner will be • 2.what action they are to take; � doing. Choose from Bloom's Taxonomy • 3. some result that must come from their action. � according to levels of learning 2. conditions of performance under what circumstances will the learning take place. 3. measurable performance criteria how the learning will be evaluated. Example 1 Example 2 • � In an oral presentation, conditions of • Given a diagram of. . ., without performance student will consulting a reference sources, paraphrase behavior Dr. Martin � Luther conditions of performance King's I Have A Dream address, • student will be able to identify the…and…and write the correct terms mentioning at least 3 of the 5 major for the process behavior points discussed in class. measurable performance criteria • with 100% accuracy measurable performance criteria KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE • Things me memorized without Bloom’s Taxonomy necessarily having a full as Guide understanding . –Identif ifyin ing names, pla laces, dates, defi finit itio ions 5

KNOWLEDGE COMPREHENSION COMPREHENSION Action Verbs • You understand information enough to explain it in your list, defi fine, tell, describe, own words . identify, sh show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, qu quote, –Expla lain inin ing, summariz izin ing, describ ibin ing, name, de determine who, , when, where COMPREHENSION APPLICATION APPLICATION Action Verbs • You find some practical use for the information and use it to summarize, describe, interpret, solve other problems . contrast, predict, associate, – Using the information, solving distinguish, estimate, problems, examining, modifying, differentiate, discuss, extend relating, changing APPLICATION ANALYSIS ANALYSIS Action Verbs • You break complex ideas into parts and see how the parts • apply apply, demonstrate emonstrate, calculate alculate, work together complete complete, illustrate llustrate, show how, solve, olve, – Seeing patterns, organizing parts, examine, modify examine odify, relate elate, change hange, connecting, comparing,inferring classify, experiment classify xperiment, discover iscover 6

ANALYSIS SYNTHESIS SYNTHESIS Action Verbs • You make connections with things you already know . • analyze, separate, order, – drawing conclusions, making explain, connect, classify, predictions,designing, inventing, arrange, divide, co compare, generalizing select, explain, infer SYNTHESIS EVALUATION EVALUATION Action Verbs • You judge something's worth – assessing, ranking, grading, testing • combine, integrate, modify, recommending, explaining, rearrange, substitute, , plan, supporting,convincing create, design, invent, compose, formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite EVALUATION Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs • See chart with action verbs. assess assess, decide ecide, rank ank, grade rade, test est, • At what level do you want your measure, recommend measure ecommend, convince onvince, students to perform? select select, judge udge, explain xplain, discriminate discriminate, support upport, conclude onclude, • Where is it in the learning process? compare compare, summarize ummarize 7

Is it? • Specific Learning Outcomes • Measurable Action • Is there enough information given to Chapter 1 Apply lyin ing the Prin incip iple les follow directions? of Tim ime Management When you complete Chapter 1 Applying the Principles of Time Management, you are expected not only to understand the material presented but also you should be able to • List ways you can make use of time previously wasted and do the same task in less time. • Demonstrate time-management strategies, including constructing a master schedule for the semester. Learning Outcomes • Create an organized to-do list, and show evidence of using a planner. • Analyze a case study, and construct advice for students having difficulty with time management. Chapter 4 Memory Prin incip iple les When you complete Chapter 4 Memory Principles you are expected not only to understand the material presented but also you should be able to • Identify the function of parts of the • Name and explain ten memory principles. neuron: dendrite, axon, synapse, • Analyze examples of students using memory principles, and neurotransmitter, and nucleus identify which memory principles are being used. • Analyze a learning situation, and determin e several strategies • Discriminate among the levels of Bloom's that would be helpful. taxonomy when applying the memory • Construct mnemonic devices. principles. • Reproduce the flowchart for how the memory principles fit into the way the brain processes information. • Explain which memory principles are used in studying for a test. 8

Now It's Your Turn 9

Hopper FYE 2007 Writing Learning Outcomes You should obviously begin with big picture—what are program outcomes? course outcomes? However, for practice let’s start with a lesson you always teach in your course. Name of Lesson____________________________________ Now using the actions verbs in the Bloom’s Taxonomy list, write several MEASURABLE Learning Outcomes for lesson. chopper@mtsu.edu http://www.mtsu.edu/~studskl/