developing course-level learning objectives4.ppt

7/31/2019 Developing Course-Level Learning Objectives4.ppt

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Developing Course-Level LearningOutcomes: Enhancing Learning

Through Shared Expectations

A Workshop Hosted by:

The College of Arts and Science,the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching, and

the Assistant Provost for Assessment and Institutional

Accreditation

December 1, 2006University of Michigan-Flint


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Agenda:

Introduction (Definitions and Objectives)

Working Lunch (Critique and Share)

Writing Well Stated Outcomes

One Framework: Blooms Taxonomy

Independent Work 1:

Articulating your course objectives and outcomes

Course Alignment

Independent Work 2: Specifying Teaching & Learning Activities

Stating Assessments of Student Learning

Beyond Course Alignment


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Why transform to a language ofassessment?

Specific learning outcomes lead to:

More measurable outcomes Better assessment

Higher quality feedback

Improved courses and programs Improved student learning and

achievement


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IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Lesson

IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Unit

IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Course

Deliver Forward

Design Backward

Alignment Within Courses


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Outcomes Based Assessment: A processby which you

1. determine the indicators of an effective

program,2. use those indicators as criteria for

assessing the program, and

3. apply the results of the assessmenttoward the ongoing and continuousimprovement of the program.

The Language of Assessment


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Objectives vs. Outcomes1

Program/course objectives are general goals thatdefine what it means to be an effective program/course.They are general, indefinite, and not intended to bemeasured. They set the overall agenda for the

program/course.

Student learning outcomes are specific results theprogram/course seeks to achieve in order to attain thegeneral goals defined in the objectives. Outcomes aredefinite and intended to be measured. They establishthe particular means by which the agenda (as defined byobjectives) is achieved. The achievement of outcomesis evidence that our students are learning.


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Direct assessment of learning: gathersevidence, based on student performance,which demonstrates the learning itself. Examples: most classroom testing for grades

or evaluation of a research paper on specificcriteria

Indirect assessment of learning: gathersreflection about the learning or secondaryevidence of its existence. Examples: student, alumni, employer surveys

Direct vs. Indirect Assessment1


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Embedded assessment: a means of gatheringinformation about student learning that is builtinto, and is a natural part of the teaching-

learning process.

Example: as part of a course, expecting each seniorto complete a research paper that is graded forcontent and style, but is also assessed for advancedability to locate and evaluate Web-based information(as part of a program level, or a college-wide outcometo demonstrate information literacy).

Assessment is not always an add-on1


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Formative assessment: the gathering ofinformation about student learning - during theprogression of a course or program and usually

repeatedly - to improve the learningof currentstudents.

Summative assessment: the gathering of

information at the conclusion of a course,program, or undergraduate career to improvelearning of the next cohort of students or to meetaccountability demands.

Formative vs. SummativeAssessment 1


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Assessment for accountability: assessment ofsome unit (could be a department, program orentire institution) to satisfy stakeholders externalto the unit itself. Results are often compared

across units, compared to state and nationalnorms, and always summative.

Assessment for improvement: assessment

that feeds directly, and often immediately, backinto revising the course, program or institution toimprove student learning results. This can beformative or summative.

Accountability andImprovement1


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Assessment of individuals: uses the individual student,and his/her learning, as the level of analysis.

Assessment of programs: uses the department or

program as the level of analysis. Ideally program goalsand objectives would serve as the basis for theassessment.

Assessment of institutions: uses the institution as the

level of analysis. Ideally, institution-wide goals andobjectives would serve as a basis for the assessment.At this level it is essential to examine institutionaldocuments such as mission and vision statements, aswell as strategic plans.

Levels of Assessment1


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Lunch Activity

Share your experiences with writing learningoutcomes for courses or programs with those atyour table. Describe questions/challenges you face

Review the syllabi provided What do you like/not like with respect to the learning

outcomes in each syllabus?

Use Worksheet 1 (blue) to make individualobservations and the same worksheet (buff) forcollective observations


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Characteristics of Well StatedLearning Outcomes

2

student-focused rather than professor focused

focused on the learning resulting from an activityrather than on the activity itself

focused on skills and abilities central to thediscipline and based on professional standards ofexcellence

general enough to capture important learning but

clear and specific enough to be measurablefocused on aspects of learning that will developand endure but that can be assessed in someform now


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Common Problems withLearning Outcomes

Using vague terms, such as: Appreciate Become aware of Become familiar with Develop Know Learn Understand

Describing action taken by someone other thanthe learner. The program will... or The course will


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A Comparison of Poorly and WellStated Outcomes

Students will understandEriksons developmentalstages.

Students will be familiar with

the major sociologicalperspectives and how theyrelate to their daily lives.

Students will develop the skillsnecessary for conductingresearch in the naturalsciences.

Students will identify andsummarize each of Eriksonsstages of development.

Students will describe each of

the major sociologicalperspectives and will illustratehow each perspective relatesto events in their daily lives.

Students will design, conduct,and analyze a research projectusing appropriate scientifictheory and methodology


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Why Classify LearningOutcomes?

All learning outcomes are not developed,delivered, or measured equally


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Learning Domains

Three primary domains for classifyingeducational goals:

Cognitive (knowledge)

Affective (attitudes)

Psychomotor (skills)


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Blooms Taxonomy of

Educational Objectives3

(Cognitive domain)

A now classic system that classifies educationalgoals to facilitate the development andevaluation of college and university curricula.

A hierarchical taxonomy of student behaviors

that reflect the development of increasinglycomplex cognitive abilities and skills as a resultof instructional experiences.


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Blooms Taxonomy of Cognitive

Levels

There are 6 categories, listed hierarchically fromsimplest to most complex

Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis

Synthesis Evaluation


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Blooms Taxonomy: Knowledge4

Definition: ability to remember information from

simple (facts, terminology) to more

complex/abstract (theories, principles)

Student Learning Verbs:

List, name, identify, show, define,recognize, recall, state, describe, label,match, outline, reproduce, select


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Blooms Taxonomy: Knowledge4

Examples: Knowledge of dates,events, places, major ideas, and

mastery of subject matter

The student will

Define the 6 levels of Bloomstaxonomy of the cognitive domain


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Blooms Taxonomy:

Comprehension4

Definition: ability to understand material at a level

sufficient for grasping its meaning and

inferring its implications Translating, comprehending, or interpreting

information based on prior learning

Student Learning Verbs: Summarize, explain, interpret, describe,

compare, paraphrase, differentiate,demonstrate, restate, illustrate


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Blooms Taxonomy: Comprehension4

Examples:Translates knowledge intonext context, interprets facts, compare andcontrast, order, group, infer, predict

The student will Explain the purpose of Blooms

taxonomy of the cognitive domain


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Blooms Taxonomy: Application4

Definition: ability to correctly and independently bring to bear

abstractions (e.g., theories, principles, methods) insolving concrete problems

The selection, transfer, and use of data and principlesto complete a task with a minimum of direction

Student Learning Verbs: Solve, illustrate, calculate, compute, use, interpret,

relate, manipulate, apply, classify, modify,demonstrate, construct, discover, predict


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Blooms Taxonomy: Application4

Examples: Use information, methods, concepts ortheories in new situations, solve problems using requiredskills or knowledge

The student will

Write an instructional objective for each level ofBlooms taxonomy of the cognitive domain


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Blooms Taxonomy: Analysis4

Definition: ability to parse information into is constituent

elements and to identify the relationships betweenthose elements

Student distinguishes, classifies, and relates theassumptions hypotheses, evidence, or structure of astatement or question

Student Learning Verbs: Analyze, organize, categorize, deduce, choose,

contrast, compare, distinguish, separate, differentiate,discriminate


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Blooms Taxonomy: Analysis4

Examples: Seeing patterns, organization of parts,recognition of hidden meanings, identification ofcomponents

The student will Compare and contrast the cognitive and affective

domains as specified by Bloom


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Blooms Taxonomy: Synthesis4

Definition: ability to combine elements into new wholes (e.g.,

ideas, plans of action, abstract relations) that aremore than the sums of their respective parts

Student originates, integrates, and combines ideas

into a product, plan, or proposal that is new to him orher.

Student Learning Verbs:

Design, create, hypothesize, invent, develop, support,schematize, write, report, discuss, plan, devise,compare, construct, compose, generate


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Blooms Taxonomy: Synthesis4

Examples: Use old ideas to create new ones,generalize from given facts, relate knowledge fromseveral areas

The student will

Design a classification scheme for writing educationalobjectives that combines the cognitive, affective, andpsychomotor domains.


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Blooms Taxonomy: Evaluation4

Definition: Ability to offer quantitative and qualitative judgments

about the value of ideas and methods

Student appraises, assesses, or critiques on a basisof specific standards and criteria

Student Learning Verbs: Evaluate, choose, estimate, judge, defend, criticize,

justify, recommend, critique, interpret, support


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Blooms Taxonomy: Evaluation4

Examples: Compare and discriminatebetween ideas, assess value of theories orpresentations, make choices based on reasonedargument, verify value of evidence, recognizesubjectivity

The student will Judge the effectiveness of writing objectives

using Blooms taxonomy

L i O b Bl


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Learning Outcomes by Blooms

Taxonomy

Note: While this worksheet accommodates 7 learning outcomes, your specific course will most likely have more than this single worksheet can

accommodate. The purpose of the worksheet is to provide a framework and not set parameters.

2.b.1. Outcome

1.c.1. Outcome

2.a Outcome2. Introduce

students todescriptivestatistics

1.c Test for differencebetween means

X1.b.1. Outcome1.b Apply to confidence

intervals

X1.a.2. Describe threekey distributions

X1.a.1. Define the threetenets of the Central

Limit Theorem

1.a learn the

conceptualfoundations ofinference

1. Introducestudents toinferentialstatistics

Eval-uation

Syn-thesis

Anal-ysis

Appli-cation

Com-prehen-

sionKnow-ledge

Bloom's Taxonomy of CognitiveCategories

Student LearningOutcomes

Unit/LessonLearningOutcomes

CourseGoals/Objectives

2.b Outcome

2.a.1. Outcome

1.a.2. Combine to explainthe relationship betweenthe three distributions


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Course-LevelLearning

Outcomes

Teaching and

Learning Activities

Assessmentsof StudentLearning

Alignment within a Given Course


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The Next Step:

Given your student learning outcomes,what specific tasks or activities will youhave students complete to promote

learning?

Given these student learning outcomes,how will you know when your students

have achieved the outcomes for thatlesson or course (what assessments willyou use)?


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Teaching & Learning Activities byOutcomes and Blooms Taxonomy

2.b.1 Outcome

2.a.1 Outcome

1.c.1 Outcome

In class, students willcalculate sample meansand construct a

sampling distribution.Homework will reinforcelesson.

1.b.1 Outcome

1.a.3 Combine toexplain therelationship between

the threedistributions

1.a.2. Describe threekey distributions

Class lecture andstudents will readassigned chapter.

1.a.1 Define thethree tenets of theCentral LimitTheorem

EvaluationSynthesisAnalysisApplicationComprehensionKnowledge

Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive CategoriesStudentLearningOutcomes

Class lecture andstudents will readassigned chapter.


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Assessments by Outcomes andBlooms Taxonomy

2.b.1 Outcome

2.a.1 Outcome

1.c.1 Outcome

Homework and

examination.

1.b.1 Outcome

1.a.3 Combine toexplain therelationship between

the threedistributions

1.a.2. Describe threekey distributions

Homework andexamination.

1.a.1 Define thethree tenets of theCentral LimitTheorem

EvaluationSynthesisAnalysisApplicationComprehensionKnowledge

Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive CategoriesStudentLearningOutcomes

Homework andexamination.


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Beyond Course Alignment

Thinking Globally: Alignment of course levellearning outcomes:

Sequentially How do my outcomes fit with those of more advanced

courses? What do I expect students to have learned by the time

they when they enter this class?

Programmatically: How do all of the courses within a programs

curriculum fit together? How do the program curricula contribute to the

institutional outcomes?

Ali t B t C O t


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IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Lesson

IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Unit

IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Course

IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Academic

Program

IntendedLearning

Outcomes ofthe Institution

Deliver Forward

Design Backward

Alignment Between Course Outcomeand Institutional Outcomes


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Want to learn more?

Plan to participate in theAssessment Summit,

January 12, 2007


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References

1 Leskes (2002) Beyond Confusion: An AssessmentGlossary, Peer Review.

2 Huba and Freed. 2000. Learner-CenteredAssessment on College Campuses.

3 Bloom.1956. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives,Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain

4 From Don Clark,http://www.nwlink.com/~dpmc;arl/hrd/bloom.html, theLearning Skills Program at the University of Victoria(htttp://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.

html) , the Faculty Roles and Rewards Program atPortland State University(http://edtech.clas.pdx.edu/presentations/frr99/blooms.htm), and W. Huitt,http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.html.
http://www.nwlink.com/~dpmc;arl/hrd/bloom.htmlhttp://htttp//www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.htmlhttp://htttp//www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.htmlhttp://edtech.clas.pdx.edu/presentations/frr99/blooms.htmhttp://edtech.clas.pdx.edu/presentations/frr99/blooms.htmhttp://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.htmlhttp://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.htmlhttp://edtech.clas.pdx.edu/presentations/frr99/blooms.htmhttp://edtech.clas.pdx.edu/presentations/frr99/blooms.htmhttp://htttp//www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.htmlhttp://htttp//www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.htmlhttp://www.nwlink.com/~dpmc;arl/hrd/bloom.html

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