P ROGRAM O UTCOMES D EVELOPMENT

I NTRODUCTIONS Name, School, Program/Discipline Level of Experience with: Writing Course Learning Outcomes Writing Program Learning Outcomes Using Bloom’s Taxonomy

L EARNING O UTCOMES The participant will: Learn and apply the definition of learning outcomes to examples and then to one’s own program Write program learning outcomes for one program Improve own and others’ program outcomes by sharing and discussing drafts

W HAT IS THIS A DIAGRAM OF ? A bloated curriculum feeds the exploitation of adjuncts, increases professors' workloads, and hurts students in crowded majors. The solution, writes Michael Bugeja, is to balance the quality of course offerings with the demand. (Illustration by William L. Brown) A Bloated Curriculum Chronicle.com; Jan 28, 2008

BRAINSTORMING What are the most important topics to be addressed in your program? “Ultimately, what do I want students to learn throughout the program?” “What is most important for students to learn in this topic area?” “What should students ‘know’ by the end of the program?”

BRAINSTORMING What essential elements of knowledge should students possess? What basic skills should students be able to perform? What fundamental judgments should students be able to exercise at the end of the course? “What are the essential skills / knowledge / values that students should know at the conclusion of the program?” “What is it that we want our students to know and be able to demonstrate at the end of the program?”

W HAT L EARNING O UTCOMES R EALLY A RE Learning outcomes tend to be the expression of the best judgments about the content area in which a particular group or person has expertise Learning outcomes represent what instructors want students to learn, not what is to be taught An outcomes-based curriculum is simply a way for faculty to identify for themselves, and for their students, the specific aims of each course

W HAT L EARNING O UTCOMES R EALLY A RE When developing learning outcomes, educators define: who is to demonstrate the desired performance what observable performance the student is expected to demonstrate whether any special conditions (materials, environment, restrictions) are provided for the student at the time of assessment, and what is the minimal, acceptable response deemed appropriate (Cook, 1978)

L EARNING O UTCOMES - D EFINITION Learning Outcomes specify the observable and/or measurable knowledge, skills and judgment which a person is expected to have developed or acquired as the result of a course of study or a set of identifiable experiences. Innerd, Green & Towson, 1998

L EARNING O UTCOMES - C LARIFICATION Learning outcomes describe what a person should know or be able to do or demonstrate at a given point in their development.

L EARNING O UTCOMES - C HARACTERISTICS Learning Outcomes: are unambiguous use plain language use verbs that require verifiable performances

O NE MORE TOOL …B LOOM ’ S T AXONOMY Remembering ▼ Understanding ▼ Applying ▼ Analyzing ▼ Evaluating ▼ Creating

L EARNING O UTCOMES - R ECAP Learning Outcomes specify the observable and/or measurable knowledge, skills and judgment which a person is expected to have developed or acquired as the result of a course of study or a set of identifiable experiences. They describe what a person should know or be able to do or demonstrate at a given point in their development. Learning Outcomes: are unambiguous use plain language use verbs which require verifiable performances

P ROGRAM O UTCOMES - C RITIQUE As student, would this set adequately describe what you are to learn? As a faculty member, will your role in teaching courses in the program be clear? As an employer, is this set of program outcomes reflective of what you’d expect a graduate of the program to know and be able to do?

P ROGRAM O UTCOMES – N EXT S TEPS Review and finalize the outcomes you drafted today Write a complete set of outcomes for your program Identify how each of the courses fit into the program (mapping) Identify where/when/how you will measure students’ achievement of each program learning outcome

Original content developed by Donna H. Green, Ph.D. - adapted and shared with author’s permission