Introduction: why learning outcomes?

Raimonda Markeviciene

Why institutions resist change?It is usually easier and

less risky to do nothing than to attempt to change.

Universities exist in a culture of competition among institutions, programmes and faculty. Result - cooperation is often rarely rewarded.

Faculty and admin staff will rarely be willing to exchange what they already do, even if they are not happy with it, for the unknown.

Tradition is an extremely powerful force both within and outside of the academy.

Why institutions resist change?Assessment and

accountability are viewed by many as evils to be avoided rather than as tools for improving what they do or the quality of their institution.

Significant change will never occur until the

forces for change are greater in

combination than the forces preserving

the status quo.

Therefore

5 good reasons for the constant change

• Rapidly changing technology• Growing cooperation with professional world• Need for constant modernization of curricula• Mass education• Growing number of higher education

providers

Student-centred learning

Is it that we are moving from this…

...to this?

•The learner has full responsibility for her/his learning•Involvement and participation are necessary for learning•The relationship between learners is more equal, promoting growth, development•The teacher becomes a facilitator and resource person•The learner experiences confluence in his education•The learner sees himself/herself differently as a result of the learning experience.

Principles

Student-centred Learning – teaching & learning, knowledge & understanding

•‘the student is supported in making sense of their ‘journey’ through knowledge construction’•The teacher has already made an equivalent journey of his or her own•Support is informed by this experience•Learning proceeds through discussion and interaction, but it is not symmetrical

The teacher’s conceptual knowledge enriches the student

Reflection on the interaction with the teacher leads the student to modify his actions

reflection on the student’s performance also leads to adaptation of the teacher’s construction of the

world

Teaching and learning

The unique character of each student and the

abundance of

information sources in

the modern technologic

al age

•The focus is not just on what is taught but on how effective learning should be promoted•Student learning becomes the main preoccupation of the teacher (not the facts to be fed into the students)•The student is supported in making sense of their ‘journey’ through knowledge construction

Student-centred Learning – consequences for Competences and Learning Outcomes

Benjamin Bloom(1913 – 1999)

• He looked on learning as a process – we build upon our former learning to develop more complex levels of understanding• Carried out research in the development of classification of levels of

thinking behaviours in the process of learning. PhD University of Chicago in 1942.

• Worked on drawing up levels of these thinking behaviours from the simple recall of facts at the lowest level up to evaluation at the highest level.

The taxonomy consists of a hierarchy of increasingly complex processes which we want students to acquire.Provides the structure for writing learning outcomesBloom’s Taxonomy is frequently used by teachers in writing learning outcomes as it provides a structure and list of verbs.

Bloom (1956) - knowing is composed of six successive levels arranged in a hierarchy.

Bloom suggested certain

characteristic werbs verbs

These verbs are the key to writing learning outcomes.

This area is the cognitive

(“knowing” or “thinking”)

domain

1. Knowledge: ability to recall or remember facts without necessarily understanding them

Active verbs like: Arrange, collect, define, describe, duplicate, enumerate, examine, find, identify, label, list, memorise, name, order, outline, present, quote, recall, recognise, recollect, record, recount, relate, repeat, reproduce, show, state, tabulate, tell.

2. Comprehension - ability to understand and interpret learned information

Active verbs:

Associate, change, clarify, classify, construct, contrast, convert, decode, defend, describe, differentiate, discriminate, discuss, distinguish, estimate, explain, express, extend, generalise, identify, illustrate, indicate, infer, interpret, locate, predict, recognise, report, restate, review, select, solve, translate.

3. Application: ability to use learned material in new situations, put ideas and concepts to work in solving problems

Active verbs: Apply, assess, calculate, change, choose, complete, compute, construct, demonstrate, develop, discover, dramatise, employ, examine, experiment, find, illustrate, interpret, manipulate, modify, operate, organise, practice, predict, prepare, produce, relate, schedule, select, show, sketch, solve, transfer, use.

4. Analysis: ability to break down information into its components (understanding of organisational structure)

Active verbs:Analyse, appraise, arrange, break down, calculate, categorise, classify, compare, connect, contrast, criticise, debate, deduce, determine, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, divide, examine, experiment, identify, illustrate, infer, inspect, investigate, order, outline, point out, question, relate, separate, sub-divide, test.

5. Synthesis - ability to put parts together

Active verbs:Argue, arrange, assemble, categorise, collect, combine, compile, compose, construct, create, design, develop, devise, establish, explain, formulate, generalise, generate, integrate, invent, make, manage, modify, organise, originate, plan, prepare, propose, rearrange, reconstruct, relate, reorganise, revise, rewrite, set up, summarise.

6. Evaluation: Ability to judge value of material for a given purpose

Active verbs: Appraise, ascertain, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, conclude, contrast, convince, criticise, decide, defend, discriminate, explain, evaluate, interpret, judge, justify, measure, predict, rate, recommend, relate, resolve, revise, score, summarise, support, validate, value.

2nd - AFFECTIVE DOMAIN (“Feeling”) concerned with value issues : involves attitudes.

Integration of beliefs, ideas and attitudes

Comparing, relating, synthesising values

Commitment to a value

Active participation in own learning

Willingness to receive information

Active verbs:Appreciate, accept,

assist, attempt, challenge, combine, complete, defend,

demonstrate (a belief in), discuss, dispute, embrace,

follow, hold, integrate, order,

organise, join, share, judge, praise,

question, relate, share, support,

synthesise, value.

3rd - PSYCHOMOTOR (“Doing”) DOMAIN

*Work not completed by Bloom.*Involves co-ordination of brain and muscular activity. *Active verbs for this domain: bend, grasp, handle, operate, perform, reach, relax, shorten, stretch, differentiate (by touch), perform (skilfully).

Laboratory skillsOperate the range of instrumentation specified in the module safely and efficiently in the chemistry laboratory.Perform titrations accurately and safely in the laboratory.Construct simple scientific sketches of geological features in the field.

Clinical Skills Perform a comprehensive history and physical examination of patients in the outpatient setting and the general medical wards, excluding critical care settings. Perform venipuncture and basic CPR.

Presentation skillsDeliver an effective presentation.Demonstrate a range of graphic and CAD communication techniques. Perform basic voice and movement tasks (theatre studies).

20062007

BOLOGNA

TUNING EUROPE

PRAGUE

BERLIN

TUNING LATIN

AMERICA

LONDON

BERGEN

2001

19992000

2002

2004

2003

2005

Russia

Bologna Process and Tuning

2009

LEUVEN

Georgia

USA

AUSTRALIA

Tuning Academy – Deusto-Groningen: Tuning Academy – Deusto-Groningen: the initial structurethe initial structure

Five Units:

Unit 1: study, research and innovation

Unit 2: experimentation, training of trainers

Unit 3: policy & analysis, education- employment

Unit 4: implementation, dissemination & projects

Unit 5: organisational development

Tuning project/process that created tools:

Implementation ofBologna at subject

area level: Tuning action lines

Generic competences

Subject specific competences

ECTS for accumulation

Teaching, learning &

Assessment(TLA)

Learning Centeredness,

Common language,Flexibility

Employability and citizenship

Quality assurance

Competences and LO

Tuning vs traditional programme design: difference in approaches

Traditional: Teacher in the centre of the

learning activity; Content based programme; Individual teacher decides

on content and aims of the material;

Passive material presentation methods dominate teaching;

Passive role of the student;

Tuning: Student in the centre opf

learning activity; Study programme oriented

to result (learning outcomes) expressed through competences;

“Reverse” (top-down) approach;

Active role of the student.

60 ECTS

60 ECTS

FIRST CYCLE PROGRAMME

COURSE UNIT

60 ECTS

Degree programme according to the Tuning methodology:

• Programme based on profile, sets of competences to be obtained, desired learning outcomes to be achieved, ECTS credits to be awarded

• Programme design is team work, based on consultation, discussion, cooperation

• Learning outcomes / competences to be developed are the basis for credit allocation

• Teaching, learning and assessment approaches respect credit allocation: feasibility is key factor

Top-down

Tuning model

From Project to Process

THE TUNING DYNAMIC QUALITY DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE

Definition of academic and professional profiles

Identification of resources

Programme design: definition of learning outcomes / competences

construction of curricula:

content and structure +

balanced ECTS credit allocation

Evaluation and improvement (on the basis of feed back and feed forward)

Selection of types of assessment

Selection of teaching and learning approaches

Application of ECTS at micro level -a study programme perspective

Indication of the time students need to complete all learning activities

Statements of what a learner is expected to know , understand and be able to do after the process of learning

Expressed through competences

EQF for Lifelong Learning (an EC initiative)

(27 countries)

EQF for Higher Education

47 countries)

National Qualification Frameworks

Sectoral Qualification Frameworks

TUNING reference points for Higher Education programmes

Dublin descriptors

Types of learning outcomes

Programme

Module

General cycle

Meta frameworks NQF and Sectoral QF

Ba, Ma, PhD descriptors

LO for degree programme

Module/course unit LO

Tuning reference points for

subject area

Dublin descriptors as benchmarks for LO

Five aspects: Knowledge and understanding Applying knowledge and understanding Making judgement Communication skills Learning skills

Module LO

Module LO

European Qualification Framework

National Qualification framework

12345678

12345678

III cycle

II cycle

I cycle

III pakopa

II pakopa

I pakopa

Dublin descriptors

Lietuvos aukštojo mokslo pakopos

European qualification framework for Higher

education

Study programme competences and LO

Module LO

Module LO

Lithuanian HE levels

Employment area research consultations with employers, visionaries of profession

and/or researchers in the area

Place of the study programme in the context of HE legislation, Lithuania

What is a degree profile?

ProfileProfile A good profile takes into account different users’ perspectives &

interests

A description of the character of a degree programme or qualification explaining: -the main features of the programme which are based on the specific aims of the programme, - how it fits into the academic map of disciplines or thematic studies and - how it relates to the professional world

2. Each profile has an own identity based on specific elements developed by the institute:-mission, strengths, particular constraints and opportunities derived from the local and regional economy

Guidelines for degree profile description

Sections:General informationA – PurposeB - CharacteristicsC - Employability and Further EducationD - Education StyleE - Programme CompetencesF – Complete list of Learning outcomes

Overall guidelines Be readable in 5

minutes Maximum two pages Coherent impression of

the degree Succinct and to point,

yet detailed and informative

gathers the essence of what is - “should be” - the degree holder.

detects the occupations and tasks which can be carried out by the graduate.

focuses on the environment in which the gaduate is able to function successfully.

defines the main expected learning outcomes in terms of competences –generic and specific.

IDENTITY

IDENTITY

FUNCTION

CONTEXTS

EDUCATION

Key elements academic-professional profile

10 steps for designing a programme –Tuning approach

Implement, monitor, improve

External reference points NQF, subject benchmarks,

Programme specifications