Writing Outcome

Based Learning

Objectives

Jeff Swain

Goldberry Long

Cathy Crotts

Maegen Dupper

By the end of this seminar you will be able to:

Identify LCME requirements for the UCR SOM

curriculum objectives

Know what a good objective looks like

Compose outcome-based Instructional Objectives

for your learning activity

Map your learning objectives to the appropriate

PCRS objectives

LCME Is Coming

LCME Is Coming

LCME Is Coming

Lodging

Clothing

Medical care

Eating

FUNCTIONS AND STRUCTURE

OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL

Standards for Accreditation of

Medical Education Programs Leading to the M.D. Degree

Standard 6: Competencies, Curricular Objectives, and Curricular Design

The faculty of a medical school define the competencies to be achieved by its medical students through medical

education program objectives and is responsible for the detailed design and implementation of the components of a

medical curriculum that enable its medical students to achieve those competencies and objectives. Medical education

program objectives are statements of the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that medical students are expected

to exhibit as evidence of their achievement by completion of the program.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

6.1 Program and Learning Objectives

The faculty of a medical school define its medical education program objectives in outcome-based terms that allow the

assessment of medical students’ progress in developing the competencies that the profession and the public expect of

a physician. The medical school makes these medical education program objectives known to all medical students,

faculty, residents, and others with responsibility for medical student education and assessment. In addition, the medical

school ensures that the learning objectives for each required learning experience (e.g., course, clerkship) are made

known to all medical students and those faculty, residents, and others with teaching and assessment responsibilities in

those required experiences.

FUNCTIONS AND STRUCTURE

OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL

Standards for Accreditation of

Medical Education Programs Leading to the M.D. Degree

Standard 6: Competencies, Curricular Objectives, and Curricular Design

The faculty of a medical school define the competencies to be achieved by its medical students through medical

education program objectives and is responsible for the detailed design and implementation of the components of a

medical curriculum that enable its medical students to achieve those competencies and objectives. Medical education

program objectives are statements of the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that medical students are expected

to exhibit as evidence of their achievement by completion of the program.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

6.1 Program and Learning Objectives

The faculty of a medical school define its medical education program objectives in outcome-based terms that allow the

assessment of medical students’ progress in developing the competencies that the profession and the public expect of

a physician. The medical school makes these medical education program objectives known to all medical students,

faculty, residents, and others with responsibility for medical student education and assessment. In addition, the medical

school ensures that the learning objectives for each required learning experience (e.g., course, clerkship) are made

known to all medical students and those faculty, residents, and others with teaching and assessment responsibilities in

those required experiences.

Medical education program

objectives are statements of the

knowledge, skills, behaviors and

attitudes that medical students

are expected to exhibit…[UCR SOM must]

define its medical

education program

objectives in

outcome-based

terms [L]earning objectives for each

required learning experience (e.g.,

course, clerkship) are made known

to all…

DTHP

DUPPER’S TAKE

HOME POINTS

Hierarchy of Objectives

PCRS objectives – these are the AAMC competencies that all medical schools need to map within the curriculum.

Program objectives – theses are the core educational competencies & objectives for UCR SOM.

Course/Block objectives – Block 1 course syllabus w/ learning objective

Event objectives – lecture learning objectives.

PCRS Objectives/ Ed. Program Objectives •2.2 Apply established and emerging bio-

physical scientific principles fundamental to health care for patients and populations.

Course/Block Objectives

• Block 1: Genetics. Understand the technical and ethical aspects of DNA-based screening and diagnostic testing for genetic variation and diseases.

Event Objectives

• Dr. Carson’s Gene Expression Lecture: Understand how epigenetic mechanisms can contribute to disease progression.

Exemplar Example

The student will be able to…

Apply principles of epidemiological sciences

to the identification of health

problems, risk factors, treatment strategies,

resources, and disease

prevention/health promotion efforts for

patients and populations

Another good one…

Students will explain and differentiate the

causes of disease (genetic, developmental,

metabolic, toxic, microbiologic, autoimmune,

neoplastic, degenerative, behavioral,

cognitive, psychosocial, and traumatic, how

they affect the body (pathogenesis) and

appropriate therapies.

Vague Example

Students will grasp the significance of the

principles of social-behavioral sciences to

provision of patient care,including

assessment of the impact of psychosocial

and cultural influences on health, disease,

care-seeking, care compliance, and barriers

to and attitudes toward care

Another mediocre one

Students will think critically about the

emerging principles of clinical sciences to

diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making,

clinical problem-solving, and other aspects of

evidence-based health care.

Poor example

Student will gain

Knowledge of the normal structure of the

human body (cells, tissues, and organs).

Putting it all together

By the end of this course…

• Students will demonstrate how the emerging

principles in the clinical sciences relate to the

diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making,

clinical problem-solving, and other aspects of

evidence-based health care.

What do you think?

Linking Objectives back to PCRSBlock 3 Content Theme: “Study Designs & Associated

Measures”

• Instructional Objective: Given instruction on study design

and associated measure, the student will be able to

(TSWBAT):

• identify and match study designs to clinical and

epidemiological problems

• and match study designs to their associated measures,

with a 70% accuracy or greater

PCRS 2.4 - Knowledge for practice: Apply the principles of

epidemiological sciences to the identification of health

problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and

disease prevention/health promotion efforts for patients and

populations

Linking Test QuestionsIn 1945, there were 1,000 women who worked in a factory painting

radium dials on watches. The incidence of bone cancer in these

women up to 1975 was compared to that of 1,000 women who

worked as telephone operators in 1945. Twenty of the radium dial

painters and four of the telephone operators developed bone cancer

between 1945 and 1975. What study design is this?

A. Cohort study

B. Experimental study

C. Clinical trial

D. Cross-sectional study

E. Case-control study

TSWBAT identify and

match study designs to

clinical and

epidemiological problems

PCRS 2.4 - Knowledge for

practice: Apply the principles

of epidemiological sciences to

the identification of health

problems

Learning Objectives should:

Guide curriculum development

Inform students of expectations

Provides measurable outcomes for

evaluation

LO Vocabulary

Measurable

Clear and precise

Observable

Let’s get to work.

Step One:

Consult Physician Competencies

Reference Set (PCRS).

Can you use any of the objectives verbatim as

your own Learning Objectives?

If not, can you borrow some of the language

from the objectives? (For example, the verbs).

If not, which competency will connect to your

learning objectives (LO)? (NOTE: the

competency is too broad to be in itself an LO

for your learning event, but feel free to borrow

from the language when you write yours.).

Step Two:

What should your students know and

understand by the end of your course?

Given that “remembering” is the least

permanent form of learning, if at all possible,

use this list to generate more ACTIVE

learning objectives (see below).

Step Three:

What should your students be able to do by

the end of the course? Consult the list of

verbs on the end of this handout. It may be

useful to ask yourself how students might

use the knowledge in #2.

Step Four:

From your lists above, select one skill or

knowledge area and compose your learning

objective using the following formula:

By the end of this

________________(learning experience)

students will be able to (active verb)

_____________ (object, usually a noun.)

The Student will be able to. . .

Active VERB

(intended skill/cognitive process)

26

NOUN (intended knowledge)

Specific, measurable,

observable outcome

Step Five:

Assess your Learning Outcome.

Ask yourself: is it specific? Is it observable?

It is measurable?

Does your learning objective contribute to the

student’s mastery of that competency? If it

links to more than one, good job!

If it does not link to any, start over!