CREATING EFFECTIVE
AND MEASURABLE
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Emily Magruder, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Teaching and Learning
Reflection Activity
• Did the results of the poll or any of the
examples surprise you?
• What can faculty do to keep teaching and
learning linked?
What we know about learning
1. Prior knowledge matters.
2. Novices are not experts.
3. Metacognition (thinking about thinking)
can help bridge the gap.
Bransford, Brown, Cocking, How People Learn (1999)
Dee Fink’s Framework:
Adds Affect for “Significant Learning”
Dee Fink and Associates
http://www.aacu.org/peerreview/pr-wi07/pr-wi07_analysis3.cfm
Preparing to Write Objectives
1. Ask dean: Are outcomes mandated by an accreditor?
By the institution? Can I modify them?
2. Research the history of the course: Why was it
proposed? What other courses should it prepare
students for? Who are the students?
3. Are there ILOs and PLOs?
4. What should students who have taken this course be
able to know/do/value at the end?
Effective Outcomes are “Mapped”:
Measurable
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to [do something].
Begin with an action verb that describes behavior that can be observed or evaluated.
Example: At the end of this course, students will be able to deliver a carefully constructed persuasive speech to a well-defined audience.
Effective Outcomes are “mApped”:
Appropriate
Outcomes should match what is taught and
the means of assessment.
Example: A multiple-choice quiz can
measure ability to recall a definition, but it
cannot measure ability to explain a concept.
Effective Outcomes are “mApped”:
Appropriate
• Level 3. Problem-Solving –Evaluating and Creating
• Level 2. Interpretation –Applying and Analyzing
• Level 1. Recall –Remembering and Understanding
Effective Outcomes are “maPped”:
Precise
Outcomes should specify the behavior, the
conditions under which it will be performed,
and the degree of mastery expected.
Examples
• On all written assignments and exams, students will use
correct grammar and spelling.
• Students will walk the entire length of a balance beam set
to standard height without falling off within a 15 second
time frame.
• Students will correctly write and balance chemistry
equations using chemical equations.
Practice
Write (or rewrite) an outcome for one lesson.• Is it measurable?
• How will it be assessed?
• What foundation knowledge is needed?
• What process knowledge?
Wrapping It Up
• What’s one thing you learned today?
• What do you want to know more about?
• What’s one thing you will apply in your teaching?
“Learning results from what the
student does and thinks
and only from what the student
does and thinks.”-Herbert Simon, 2001
References
Susan A. Ambrose, et al., How Learning Works: Seven
Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Jossey-
Bass, 2010.
John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, & Rodney R. Cocking,
How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School.
National Academies Press, 2000.
Linda B. Nilson, Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based
Resource for College Instructors. Jossey-Bass, 2010.
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