The College Classroom (Fa14) Week 3: Learning Outcomes

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The College Classroom

Week 3: Learning Outcomes

October 28 – 30, 2014

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What is the Value of Course-Specific

Learning Goals

Learning Outcomes - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 3

What was the most important thing you learned from

Simon & Taylor? [1]

More about perceptions of learning than performance

Students liked having learning outcomes so they knew

what to study

LO’s helped instructors

LO’s allow students to connect ideas to the big picture

Outcomes

Learning Goals

What was the most important thing you learned from

Simon & Taylor? [1]

Students found them valuable

Faculty found them valuable in structuring courses and

making them consistent across instructors

Helped improve student learning but not necessarily

exam performance

Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

5 Learning Outcomes - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu

How People Learn:

Key Finding 2 (Expertise)

How People Learn:

Key Finding 3 (Metacognition)

diversity.ucsd.edu/policies-and-initiatives/teachingdiversityconference.html

Abstract deadline: extended to November 21, 2014

cirtl.net > E

vents > C

(Image: NASA) Learning Outcomes - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 11

Introductory “Astro 101”

Traditional Course Syllabus Course with Learning

Outcomes

This course covers Chapters

1. Mercury

2. Venus

8. Neptune

9. other objects

10. Formation of the

Solar System

deduce from patterns in the

properties of the planets,

moons, asteroids and other

bodies that the Solar System

had single formation event.

provide notable examples of

how comets influenced

history, art and science

Learning outcomes

completes the sentence, “By this end of this

lesson/unit/course, you will be able to…”

begins with an action verb (“deduce”) (more later)

tells the students what they must do to demonstrate

they “understand” the concept

Learning outcomes are valuable to…

students

reveal what the instructor is looking for (no more guessing what “understand” means)

big picture of the next part of the course

allows student to check that s/he has mastered the concept (especially when studying later)

instructors

crystallizes what the instructor cares about

helps the instructor choose questions for peer instruction (“clickers”) in class, write the final exam, decide what instructional activities to include

choose questions for peer instruction

Learning Outcomes - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 15 ClassAction http://astro.unl.edu/classaction/

write the final exam

(10 marks) List 3 patterns of the Solar System as a

whole. Then, outline in some detail the current model for

the formation of the Solar System. In particular, make sure

you explain how the observed patterns and regularities are

related to this theory of formation.

Teaching to

the test? Yes!

A course should have

Course-level LOs Topic-level LOs

Learning Outcomes - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu

several LOs giving big

picture, attitudes,

behaviors

(likely) can’t be assessed

with a single exam

question

supported by many

topic-level LOs

many LOs defining what

it means to “understand”

at this level (freshman,…)

can be (should be)

repeatedly assessed on

homework, exams

support one or more

course-level LOs

Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Course-level LO #4

Course-level LO #2

Course-level LO #3 Course-level

learning outcome (LO) #1

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-level

learning outcome

Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Course-level LO #4

Course-level LO #2

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

learning outcome

Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Course-level LO #4

Course-level LO #2

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

learning outcome

Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Course-level LO #4

Course-level LO #2

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO Topic-

level LO

Topic-

level LO

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

learning outcome

sync your LOs see ASTR 310 handout

Writing topic-level LOs

Writing learning outcomes is hard because you have to

recognize

declare

(admit)

what you want your students to be capable of doing.

A good start is picking the verb describing the

action the students will perform to demonstrate their

mastery of the concept.

Bloom’s Taxonomy [2,3]

transform or combine ideas to create something new think critically about and defend a position

break down concepts into parts

apply comprehension to unfamiliar situations demonstrate understanding of ideas and concepts

remember and recall factual information

6 Create

5 Evaluate

4 Analyze

3 Apply

2 Understand

1 Remember

Bloom’s Taxonomy [2,3]

higher order thinking

lower order thinking

6 Create

5 Evaluate

4 Analyze

3 Apply

2 Understand

1 Remember

Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs

develop, create, propose, formulate, design, invent

judge, appraise, recommend, justify, defend, criticize, evaluate

compare, contrast, categorize, distinguish, identify, infer

apply, demonstrate, use, compute, solve, predict, construct, modify

describe, explain, summarize, interpret, illustrate

define, list, state, label, name, describe

6 Create

5 Evaluate

4 Analyze

3 Apply

2 Understand

1 Remember

Please get out your multiplication quizzes.

Let’s try it…

Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy [5]

Multiplication quiz, Question 1

Each table, reach

consensus and then

use the laser pointer

Driver’s Ed 101: How to Drive in CA

Task: Write a learning outcome

that your group’s question assesses.

(refer to Wieman handout

for Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs)

1. Writing LOs – The Wrong Way

Astro 101 Learning Outcomes

1. understand how Saturn’s rings formed

Assess your LOs:

“Understand”? That could be a sentence…or a thesis

how does a student demonstrate to you s/he

“understands” at this level?

how does a student check that s/he has mastered the

Saturn part of the course?

1b. Writing LOs – More Effective Way

Astro 101 Learning Outcomes

1. give a detailed description of the size and structure of

Saturn’s rings

2. trace the gravitational feedback cycle that keeps

Saturn’s rings so thin

Assess your LOs:

Is this really what I want them to know?

Are they capable of that?

Do I have a question I can use to assess this LO?

2. “Back-engineer” LOs from exams

Use last year’s (or several years’) final exam. For each good

question, ask yourself

What is this question assessing? What is the learning

outcome I want students to demonstrate to properly

answer this question?

Is that the outcome I want, or is it too low (or high)?

When you have a list of LOs,

Does it cover everything I want for this course?

Have I over- or under-represented any concepts?

3. Draft LOs from course outline

Work your way through the list of topics. For each topic,

decide

What do I want students to be able to do, to

demonstrate they “get” this topic?

Don’t worry about drafting too many low-level LOs.

When you revise, you’ll start grouping them into

higher-level LOs.

Share your LOs with your students

(good) Publish your LOs as part of your syllabus.

(better) Publish them in your syllabus AND include relevant learning goals in your lecture slides at the beginning of each topic, even each class.

Be wary of reading them aloud: your students may not yet have the knowledge (or jargon) to appreciate the LOs. The LOs will be there when they study.

Don’t worry about “spoon-feeding” them – help the students do exactly what you feel demonstrates understanding

Watch the blog for next week’s

readings and assignments

Next time: Week 4

Fixed and Growth Mindsets and

Assessment that Supports Learning

References

1. Simon, B., & Taylor, J. (2009). What is the Value of Course-Specific Learning Goals? Journal of College Science Teaching, 39, 2, 52-57. PDF available at www.cwsei.ubc.ca/SEI_research/files/LifeSci/Simon_Taylor_ValueOfCourseSpecificLG.pdf

2. Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.

3. Adapted from edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy

4. Adapted from Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning. Teaching, and assessing: A revision of bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives.

5. Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/RevisedBlooms1.html

6. California DMV Sample Class C Written Test 5 www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/interactive/tdrive/clc6written.htm

7. Excerpt from Wieman, C. (2007). Slides from the Wieman Learning Goals Workshop. www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/learn_goals.htm

8. Clark, D. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

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