1 / 72

Writing Learning Outcomes

Writing Learning Outcomes. Dr Debbie Custance Goldsmiths College. I’d better Practice what I preach! Learning Outcome for this Workshop.

tia
Download Presentation

Writing Learning Outcomes

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Writing Learning Outcomes Dr Debbie Custance Goldsmiths College

  2. I’d better Practice what I preach!Learning Outcome for this Workshop On successful completion of today’s Workshop you will be able to identify and write clear and comprehensible learning outcomes by applying principles discussed in the lecture, group discussions and practical exercises such that you can pass a short quiz at the end of the session.

  3. A Quick Survey • Hands up: • How many of you have already written learning outcomes for a module you teach on? • How many of you have written learning outcomes for a programme specification?

  4. What are Learning Outcomes? Learning outcomes state what a student should be able to do in order successfully to complete a course of study. [NB: ‘Course of study’ might mean a whole degree; a year of study; a module; or a discrete unit of study e.g., a lecture and its associated reading.]

  5. Bloom’s Three Domains of Learning Outcome • Cognitive: What do we want our students to know, understand, and think about? • Psychomotor: What do we want our students to be able to do? • Affective: What values or attitudes (dispositions) do we want to instil in our students?

  6. Programme Specifications: HEA Domains • Knowledge and Understanding (Cognitive) • Cognitive and Intellectual Skills (Cognitive) • Professional and Practical Skills (Cognitive and Psychomotor) • Transferable Skills (Cognitive and Psychomotor)

  7. ACTIVITY What is the difference between “learning aims” and “learning outcomes”? After all, you are required to write module or programme aims. How are these different from learning outcomes? I would like you to work in groups of 4. Imagine that you are about to teach a weekend course entitled: “Bicycle riding for absolute beginners.” Write the possible aim(s) and learning outcome(s) for the course. You have 10 minutes.

  8. GROUP FEEDBACK So, what are the differences between “aims” and “learning outcomes”.

  9. “Aims” and “Outcomes”:What is the difference? • Aims are teacher-centred: they state what the teacher hopes to do. • Outcomes are learner-centred: they state what the student can expect to be able to do after a course of study.

  10. GROUP FEEDBACK So, what are possible “aims” for the weekend course on “Bicycle riding for absolute beginners”?

  11. Bicycle riding for absolute beginners • AIM: The aim of this course is to teach students who have never ridden a bicycle before the basics of how to ride a bicycle. • However, a potential student is likely to ask, “But what exactly will I be expected to do or learn by the end of the course?

  12. GROUP FEEDBACK So, what are possible “learning outcomes” for the weekend course on “Bicycle riding for absolute beginners”?

  13. Bicycle riding for absolute beginners LEARNING OUTCOME: On successful completion of this two day course, you will be able to ride a bicycle along a straight, flat, 100 metre long and one metre wide path without wobbling off the path, putting your foot down or falling off.

  14. The Benefits of Learning Outcomes • So, we have a better sense of what learning outcomes are, but why bother? • What are the benefits of writing learning outcomes?

  15. The Benefits of Learning Outcomes • Good learning outcomes can: • help guide students in their learning in that they explain what is expected of them • help staff to focus on exactly what they want students to achieve • provide a useful guide to inform potential candidates and employers about the knowledge, understanding and skills that graduates will possess

  16. Over to You Again...What features characterise good and bad learning outcomes? GOOD BAD

  17. Good and bad features of learning outcomes GOOD BAD Obscure and overblown language Learning is implicit Impossible to achieve Set too high or low Linked to inappropriate teaching method and assessment Too many • Clear and comprehensible language • Observable and measurable • Achievable • Set at the correct level • Linked to appropriate teaching method and assessment • Limited in number

  18. Good Learning Outcomes are SMART • They should relate to explicit statements of achievement. They should be: • Specific • Measureable • Achievable • Realistic • Timebound

  19. Learning Outcomes • S = Specific • Concrete, not locked inside the student’s head (avoid using words in which the learning is implicit, e.g., know, appreciate) • Use Observable, Behavioural, Action Words • Learning outcomes must contain a verb • These verbs should denote observable behaviour.

  20. Demonstrate Analyze Describe Evaluate Assess Build Measure Create Behavioural Verbs

  21. Wording to avoid (implicit learning) • appreciation for • know • awareness of • has knowledge of • comprehend • capable of • conscious of • understands

  22. Learning Outcomes • M = Measurable • In other words, related to assessment. You should be able to observe the student’s learning or performance, and evaluate it in relation to the stated outcomes so that one can provide feedback that indicates the standard of the student’s work, skill or learning.

  23. Learning Outcomes • A = Actionable • Feasible • Appropriately limited in scope • Within the learner’s control and influence

  24. Learning Outcomes • R = Realistic • Able to be accomplished

  25. Learning Outcomes • T = Timebound • Says when the objective will be accomplished

  26. Good Learning Outcomes In addition, good learning outcomes should specify the minimum acceptable standard for a student to be able to pass a module or course (threshold level). Therefore, it is important to express learning outcomes in terms of essential learning for a module or course.

  27. Going beyond the minimum requirement: • For the weekend course on bicycle riding for absolute beginners: • By the end of the weekend, you will be able to ride bicycle well enough so that won’t be a danger to traffic. • This would require road proficiency testing which would be beyond the scope of a weekend course for absolute beginners.

  28. Going beyond the minimum requirement: For a first year undergraduate psychology module: • Students will be able to develop original lines of argument that show evidence of independent reading of the most recent cutting-edge research. This is more suitable for a final year student.

  29. Number of Learning Outcomes • You should have a small number of learning outcomes which are of central importance, not a large number of superficial outcomes. • Rough guide: three to six outcomes for each single module and no more than 24 for an entire programme.

  30. Hierarchy of Learning Outcomes • Individual unit (i.e., lecture, tutorial, or practical with associated reading and course work) • Module • Programme

  31. Learning Outcomes for Individual Units

  32. First, a few tips... • Ideally, learning outcomes are divided into four parts: • Stem statement • Behaviour: What the student will do to demonstrate learning • Context: The context in which the student will demonstrate learning • Criterion: How well she or he will have to demonstrate his or her learning

  33. Four parts of a LO • STEM: On successful completion of the module, you will be able to • BEHAVIOUR: design and draft a company report • CONTEXT: using information provided in the case study material such that • CRITERION: the final report is suitable for discussion at Board level.

  34. The Four Parts of the Workshop LO On successful completion of today’s Workshop, you will be able to identify and write clear and comprehensible learning outcomes by applying principles discussed in the lecture, group discussion and practical exercises such that you can pass a short quiz at the end of the session.

  35. Stem statement for individual sessions: In your groups of four write one learning outcome for either cooking a hard-boiled egg, or cooking rice, juggling three small balls, or you own idea: Use the STEM statement: “On successful completion of this session, you will be able to...” Provide the BEHAVIOUR, CONTEXT, and CRITERION. You have 10-15 minutes. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE...

  36. ACTIVITY Form into groups of four. Write one learning outcome for a practical session on: • How to cook non-sticky rice OR • How to juggle three small balls • You have 10-15 minutes! HERE IS ONE I PREPARED EARLIER!

  37. How to boil a hard-boiled egg STEM: On successful completion of this practical, you will be able toBEHAVIOUR: cook a hard-boiled egg CONTEXT: using skills and information acquired during the two hour sessionCRITERION: such that in the final test you can cook a non-runny boiled egg on demand.

  38. GROUP FEEDBACK Read out some of your learning outcomes for sessions on how to cook non-sticky rice or juggle three small balls.

  39. LO: How to cook non-sticky rice On successful completion of this class, you will be able tocook non-sticky rice using skills and information acquired during the two hour practical sessionsuch that in the final test you can produce rice that is “fluffy”, non-soggy and maintains separate grains.

  40. LO: How to juggle three small balls On successful completion of this class, you will be able tojuggle three small balls using skills and information provided during the two hour practical sessionsuch that in the final test you can continuously juggle the balls without dropping them for up to three minutes.

  41. Module Learning Outcome

  42. Module Learning Outcomes • Most of you at some stage will be required to write learning outcomes for a module. • You must bare in mind the level of the module (level 4, 5, 6 or 7 i.e., UG 1, 2, 3, or Masters) and pitch the learning outcomes accordingly.

  43. Cognitive Domain

  44. LEVEL 1: RECALL LEVEL 2: INTERPRETATION LEVEL 3: PROBLEM- SOLVING

  45. Level 4 Learning Outcome:Module on the Comparative Psychology On successful completion of this module, you will be able to define, discuss and provide empirical examples of the comparative method provided by the lecture material and essential reading so that you can orally answer questions on the topic and write a short (1,500 words) academic essay.

  46. Level 6 Learning Outcome:Module on Comparative Psychology On successful completion of this module, you will be able to critically evaluate the comparative method with respect to both its theoretical underpinnings and the empirical methodologies used. Information and insights gained from the lectures, discussion groups assigned and independent reading can be used to write the 5,000 word coursework essay.

  47. ACTIVITY Working independently, please write between one and three learning outcomes for a module you teach on. You have 10 minutes.

  48. ACTIVITY • Swap the module learning outcomes you just wrote over with your neighbours’. Evaluate them together according to how clear they are and if you think they are pitched at the right level. • You have 10 minutes.

  49. Programme Specification Learning Outcomes(These are tricky for everyone!)

More Related