Identifying and Articulating Outcomes

Outcomes can be at the university, program or course level. Learning outcomes may be defined as the change in a student’s knowledge or skills as a result of the student’s experience(s). The focus of the learning outcomes should be on the results of learning, and not on the process used to accomplish the learning. The learning outcomes should be communicated with students so they understand the expectations. Having too many outcomes can be confusing and harder to achieve and assess. It is often advantageous to keep it simple with a core set of learning outcomes that make sense and have clear benefits for the students.

Try keeping the following questions in mind when developing learning outcomes:

  • What are your goals? What knowledge or skills do you want students to possess when they finish the course/program?

  • How will you know when a change in the student’s knowledge or skills has occurred? What specifically will be different about the students?

  • How will you assess the degree to which the students have achieved the learning outcome?

What is the difference between a learning outcome, a program outcome and process/operational outcome?

  • Learning Outcomes Defined

    Learning outcomes describe the measurable skills, abilities, knowledge or values that students should be able to demonstrate as a result of a completing a course. They are student-centered rather than teacher-centered, in that they describe what the students will do, not what the instructor will teach.

    Examples:

     

  • Program Outcomes Defined

    Program outcomes are statements conveying the intent of a program of study. They are often seen as the knowledge and skills students will have obtained by the time they have received their intended degree.

    Specifically, program outcomes should be:

    1. Relevant and tailored to meet the specific needs of a discipline, ensuring students are gaining skills and knowledge essential to the field.

    2. Clear and measurable in order to identify if a student has achieved the outcome.

    3. Written to accommodate a variety of teaching and learning approaches so that there are multiple ways to teach to the outcome.

    Examples of program outcomes:

    • Graduates of the program will collaborate effectively as a part of teams and in interdisciplinary contexts.
    • Graduates of the program will deliver effective presentations in which they combine visual communication design with oral arguments and/or written word.
    • Graduates of the program can describe ethical issues in conducting research.
  • Process/Operational Outcomes Defined

    Process/operational outcomes document how effectively or efficiently the operational aspects of a departmental program or activity are functioning by assessing, for example, buildings, budgets, attendance, number of programs, satisfaction, wait times, etc. (Henning & Roberts, 2016)

    Examples:

    • 80% of all First Year Seminar students will participate in at least 3 career resource workshops before the end of the year.
    • 150 students will participate in the at least one Wellness Workshop in the fall semester.
    • Conference attendees will report high satisfaction with the conference facilities.

Frameworks and Taxonomies of Learning

Guides for Developing Outcomes

  • Learning outcomes worksheet - Complete this worksheet to help you to learn how to and practice creating meaningful and measurable learning outcomes. (Resource from Campus Labs now Anthology).
  • Guide on designing effective learning objectives - This guide will provide strategies for crafting clear, measurable, and impactful learning outcomes that enhance the teaching and learning process. It emphasizes the importance of aligning objectives with instructional design and assessment practices to optimize educational experiences for students. (Carnegie Mellon University, Eberly Center.)