Creating Learning Outcomes and Assignment Descriptions

Today’s Learning Outcomes

Respond to common misconceptions regarding the design of instruction

Identify and utilize resources for setting measurable and achievable course goals related to communication competency

Distinguish between activities and assignments

Develop appropriate assignments for measuring students’ achievement of learning outcomes

Develop appropriate activities for helping students to master learning outcomes

Communicate learning outcomes, assignments, and activities clearly to students

Confronting Misconceptions

Common Misconceptions

1. Teaching is about sharing content

2. Creating a class is about deciding what content to cover

3. I only write learning outcomes because they are required by administrators

4. Most of the time I devote to a class is spent actually in the classroom or grading assignments

5. There’s an ideal teaching strategy

The Reality

1. Teaching is about helping students to become competent in an area• Both what they know and what

they can do2. Creating a class involves a

process of deciding what skills students need and how best to teach them

3. Learning outcomes are the driving force of the course4. Designing a great class requires a lot of time up front, but this can reduce the time you spend lecturing and re-teaching later.5. How you teach depends on what you are trying to accomplish

Creating Learning Outcomes

Purpose?

Good, Better, Best

Move from a focus on what you want students to “know” or “understand” to what you want students to be able to do as evidence

Example: Faculty will understand how a learning outcome is structured

Better: Faculty will:define learning outcomes

identify action verbs that they can use in creating learning outcomes

Avoid Phrases You Can’t Measure

• learn how to

• develop skills in

• discover

• appreciate

• value

• examine

• demonstrate understanding/knowledge of

• be aware

• gain the ability

• acquire

• grow/increase – unless you are really measuring this

Good, Better, Best

Make sure you really capture what you want students to do as a result of your class.

Best: Faculty will create measurable learning outcomes appropriate for their courses

Bloom’s Taxonomy1. Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application

Recall information Interpret information in one’s own words

Use knowledge or generalization in a new situation

arrange namedefine orderduplicate recalllabel relatelist repeatmatch reproducememorize

classify reportdescribe restatediscuss reviewexplain selectexpress sortidentify tellindicate translatelocate

apply operatechoose practicedemonstrate preparedramatize scheduleemploy sketchillustrate solveinterpret use

4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

Break knowledge into parts and show relationships

Bring together parts to form whole and build relationships for new situations

Make judgments based on criteria

analyze differentiateappraise discriminatecalculate distinguishcategorize examinecompare experimentcontrast inventorycriticize questiondiagram test

arrange manageassemble organizecollect plancompose prepareconstruct proposecreate set updesign synthesizeformulate write

appraise evaluateargue judgeassess predictattack ratechoose scorecompare selectdefend supportestimate value

Morr

ison,

Ross

, K

alm

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(201

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Expanded Performance-Content Matrix

ContentPerformance

Recall Application

Facts

Concepts

Principles and Rules

Procedures

Interpersonal

Attitude(Morrison et al., 2011)

Components of Learning Outcome

Behavior• Create a visual aid

Context• for a 3-5 minute speech on

treating a health condition

Performance criteria• that shows an awareness of

patient needs, is visually appealing and communicates treatment options clearly

Norm Referencing• National Communication As

sociation

• Field-specific

• What does communication competency involve in your field?

Types of Teaching Knowledge

• Content knowledge• General pedagogical knowledge• Curriculum knowledge• Pedagogical content knowledge• Knowledge of learners and their

characteristics• Knowledge of educational contexts• Knowledge of educational ends, purposes,

and values(Shulman, 1987)

Task Analysis

Terminal Learning Outcomes

Employ language that enhances the speaker's credibility, promotes the purpose, and the receiver's understanding.

Enabling Learning Outcomes

• Define credibility• Identify language that makes speakers

appear more credible within a profession

• Identify the language that is understood by the audience

• Relate professional terminology to audience expectations

Task Analysis

Terminal Learning Outcomes

Communicate in a style appropriate to the professional nurse, through writing, speaking, and group participation.

Enabling Learning Outcomes• Choose appropriate technical vocabulary to

communicate concepts• Exhibit empathy for patients through nonverbal

gestures• Apply standard academic grammar principles to

written reports• Determine group members’ perspectives on a

topic through active listening and identify points of consensus

Assignments vs. Activities

Assignments

Activities

Learning Outcomes

• Listening• Reading• Researching• Writing• Presenting• Discussing• Designing• Building• Drawing• Graphing• Evaluating• Defending

Etc

Instruction

Developing Assignments• Focus on learning

outcomes

• What is proper evidence?

• Feasible for you?

• Feasible for your students?

Developing Activities

No magic formula

Round the learning cycle

Match activity to outcome

Learning Strategies

Content StrategiesFacts

Concepts

Principles and Rules

Procedures

Interpersonal

Attitude

Learning Strategies

Content StrategiesFacts Drills, lecture, mnemonic devices

Concepts Hear/view examples, sort into categories, compare and contrast, lecture, drills

Principles and Rules

Hear/view examples, complete worked examples, solve a problem, computer simulation, drills, paraphrase

Procedures View a demonstration, complete worked examples, solve a problem, computer simulation, list steps, paraphrase, practice

Interpersonal View a demonstration, mental rehearsal, role-playing, computer simulation, practice

Attitude Defend a position, mental rehearsal

In General

• Don’t just do one thing

• Carefully sequence activities

• This requires:• Clearly defining

learning outcomes• Listening to

students• Providing feedback

Communicatingwith Students

Assignment Description

• What will students need to do

• What are you expecting

• Think about your student’s perspective

• Get some feedback from actual students

- Be clear

- Be explicit

Giving Feedback

Good teaching requires good listening. • Pre-assess

• Periodically check for understanding

• How will students know how they are doing?

One Final Note

Evaluation

How will you know your class was successful?

• Formative Evaluation – ongoing checkpoints• Midterm evaluation

• Summative Evaluation – end of semester• Student products?• Student Feedback?• Self-reflection?

References

Morrison, G.R., Ross, S.M., Kalman, H.K., & Kemp, J.E. (2011). Designing effective instruction. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 5, 1–22.

Questions?