Student Learning Outcomes: Ready, Set, Write

KATHY CLARK PETERSEN, PH.D.

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT, ASSISTANT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT MICHELLE CHEATEM ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENTS JASPA SUMMER INSTITUTE JULY 19, 2010

Program Overview

 Discuss Student Development division learning outcome development  Articulate what a learning outcome is and the purpose it serves in practice  Learn how to write a learning outcome  Develop learning outcomes for your specific program/experience

Student Development Division Learning Outcome Development

 2006 Began developing divisional outcomes  2007 Attended Learning Reconsidered 2 Institute  2007 Get others on board  In-service on learning  Developed workshop series – learning, learning outcomes, & assessment  At least one person from each department attended workshop  All new programs must have learning outcomes

Educational Aims Divisional Outcomes Departmental Outcomes Program/Experience Outcomes

When you hear the words “learning outcomes”…

 What comes to mind?

 What’s your experience thus far?

Why Learning Outcomes?

 Provides direction  Efficiency  Accountability  Ethical professional

Learning Cycle or Program Planning Cycle

Plan Improve Implement Assess

How Does It All Fit Together?

 Mission – The purpose of your program.

 Goal/Objective – What the program intends to accomplish or what students should learn, understand or appreciate.

 Learning Outcome – Describes the end result, what students should know, demonstrate, or produce as a result of what they have learned from the program.

Bresciani, Zelna, Anderson, (2004). Assessing Student Learning and Development: A Handbook for Practitioners, p.11.

Maki,, P. (2004). Assessing for Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution, p. 61.

What is a learning outcome?

“ Learning outcomes refers to the specific knowledge or skills that students actually develop through their college experience.” From: Dictionary of Student Outcome and Assessment http://people.jmu.edu/yangsx/Search/asp?searchText=outcomes+assessment&Option=Term

Outcome Development

“A variety of methods might be used to identify learning outcomes and prioritize the degree of emphasis placed on them. An entire campus (e.g., a functional area, a major) should begin by identifying the learning outcomes it seeks to develop in its students.” Komives, S. & Schoper , S. (2006). Developing learning outcomes. In Keeling, R. (Ed.) Learning Reconsidered 2, (pp.17-41).

Outcome Development

Before we develop learning outcomes, we must ask ourselves…

What is it that an ideal participant would learn from the experience or program?

Exercise borrowed from Learning Reconsidered 2.

What is a learning outcome statement?

 Describes what students should know, demonstrate, be able to do, or produce based on what and how they learn.

 Relies on active verbs such as create, compose, develop, calculate, articulate, etc. that target what we expect students to be able to demonstrate.

 Written for a course, program, experience, department, division, or institution.

Fried, J. (2007). Learning Reconsidered 2 Institute

Objectives and Outcomes

 Students will understand the needs of the community.

 As a result of participating in RoadTrip, students will communicate a process of determining the needs of a community.

Objectives and Outcomes

 Students will learn what it means to be attentive, reflective, and loving.

 As a result of participating in RoadTrip, students will articulate at a basic level what it means to be attentive, reflective, and loving.

Writing a Learning Outcome

Outcomes Include:

Audience – Your audience in student learning outcomes is always the student. Behavior - Use future tense action verbs.

Condition – Include the factors associated with the behavior.

Degree of Achievement – You may or may not include the degree or acceptable level of performance.

Busby, K. (2007).

Using LR2 to Develop Learning Outcomes.

Presented at Learning Reconsidered Institute.

Writing a Learning Outcome

Outcomes Include:

Audience, Behavior , Condition , Achievement and Degree of As a result of participating in RoadTrip , students

will

articulate

at

a basic level

means to be attentive, reflective, and loving.

what it

The degree does not have to be explicitly articulated in the learning outcomes statement. Often times, the degree is implied by the verb used in the statement. Bloom’s Taxonomy

Evaluation

Criticizes, compares, concludes

Synthesis

Creates, formulates, revises

Analysis

Differentiates, diagrams, estimates

Application

Demonstrates, computes, solves

Understanding

Explains, summarizes, classifies

Knowledge

Identifies, defines, describes

Steps to Writing Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the individual or population. Ex. Resident Assistants 2. What is your learning goal? What do you want students to achieve?

3. What will they know, be able to do, and/or explain? 4. Determine the degree(s) of learning. Ex. Knowledge (articulate, define); Evaluation (criticize, compare)

It’s time to write!

Write outcome statements that capture what students in your program or experience should learn or achieve.

Next Steps & Helpful Resources

 Assessment  Surveys, focus groups, journals, observations  Helpful Resources 

Learning Reconsidered 2: A practical Guide to Implementing a Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience.

 Maki, P. (2004). Assessing for Learning, Building a

Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution.

 Strayhorn, T (2006) Frameworks for Assessing Learning and Development Outcomes. Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

Questions?

Contact Information

KATHY CLARK PETERSEN, PH.D.

ASSISTANT TO VP, STUDENT DEVELOPMENT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND [email protected]

410-617-5402 MICHELLE CHEATEM ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENTS LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND [email protected]

410-617-5696