How to Write S.M.A.R.TStudent Learning

Outcomes

Presenter: Ms. Aundrea D. WheelerBishop State Community College

Mobile, AL

SLO’s Simply Stated

Student Learning Outcomes Should Focus on the Following:

1) What you want your students to know at the end of a course, program, or major

2) What you want your students to understand at the end of a course,

program, or major3) What you want your students to have

the ability to do at the end of a course, program, or major

Why are Student Learning Outcomes Important?

• Communicate expectations to learners• Act as a template for course design• Guide selection/design of appropriate assessments• Allow educators to match teaching strategies to stated

outcomes• Allow faculty, staff, and Institutional researchers to

assess the impact of instruction• Clearly communicate graduates’ skills to prospective

employers• Provide benchmarks for formative, summative and prior

learning assessment

How Many Student Learning Outcomes Should There Be?

• A course, program, or major should have as many outcomes as necessary to clearly reflect what students will learn.

• Ideally, each course, program, or major should have 1-5 learning outcomes.

Components of a Student Learning Outcome

1) Student Learning Behavior-Knowledge, skill, or attitude to be gained

2) The method of assessment- conditions of performance

3) Criteria for achievement- the levels of acceptable performance

From Peter Drucker, 1954 6

Are Your SLO’s S.M.A.R.T.?

• Specific-Clear and definite terms describing the abilities, knowledge, values, attitudes, and performance

• Measurable-It is feasible to get data: data are accurate and reliable; it can be assessed in more than one way

• Aggressive and Attainable-The outcome has the potential to move the program or unit forward

• Results – oriented-Describe what standards are expected from students or the functional area being assessed

• Time-bound-Describe a specified time period for accomplishing the outcome

7 Steps for Creating Student Learning Outcomes

Step 1Faculty/Staff Meeting or form a committee and beginbrainstorming about what an ideal student/graduate shouldknow, understand, or have the ability to do.

Step 2Draft a list of outcomes contingent upon several possiblerevisions depending upon the changes in the course,program, or major.

Step 3List student learning outcomes on every course syllabus

7 Steps for Creating Student Learning Outcomes (cont’d)

Step 4Gather and report feedback from faculty, staff, andstudents on how well the outcomes have been addressed.

Step 5Assess student learning (assignments, projects, quizzes,etc.)

Step 6Meet with faculty and staff at the end of the semester ofacademic year to discuss data and revise the list ofoutcomes, teaching strategies, and curriculum.

Step 7Repeat steps as often as needed.

The Assessment Process (Huba & Freed, 2000)

Formulate statements of intended learning outcomes

Develop or select assessment measures

Create experiences leading to outcomes

Discuss and use assessment results to improve learning

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Levels of Learning

Basic to Complex

Cognitive Domain

Examples

Knowledge Recite a policy. Quote prices from

memory to a customer. Knows the safety

rules.

Comprehension Rewrites the principles of test writing. Explain in one’s own words the steps for performing a complex task. Translates an equation into a computer spreadsheet.

Application Use a manual to calculate an employees vacation time. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test.

Analysis Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning. Gathers information

from a department and selects the required tasks for training. Synthesis Write a company operations or process manual. Design a

machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the outcome.

Evaluation Select the most effective solution. Hire the most qualified candidate. Explain and justify a new budget.

Affective Domain

Examples

Receiving Phenomena

Listen to others with respect. Listen for and remember the name

of newly introduced people.

Responding to Phenomena

Participates in class discussions.  Gives a presentation. Questions new ideals, concepts, models, etc. in order to fully understand them. Know the safety rules and practices them.

Valuing Demonstrates belief in the democratic process. Is sensitive towards individual and cultural differences (value diversity). Shows the ability to solve problems. Proposes a plan to social improvement and follows through with commitment.

Organization Recognizes the need for balance between freedom and

responsible behavior. Accepts responsibility for one’s behavior. Explains the role of systematic planning in solving problems. Accepts professional ethical standards. 

Internalizing values

Shows self-reliance when working independently. Cooperates in group activities (displays teamwork). Uses an objective approach in problem solving.  Displays a professional commitment to ethical practices on a daily basis.

Psychomotor Domain

Examples

Perception Detects non-verbal communication cues. Estimate where a ball will land after it is thrown and then moving to the correct location to catch the ball. Adjusts heat of stove to correct temperature by smell and taste of food.

SetKnows and acts upon a sequence of steps in a manufacturing process.  Recognize one’s abilities and limitations. Shows desire to learn a new process (motivation).

Guided

Response Performs a mathematical equation as demonstrated. Follows instructions to build a model. Responds hand-signals of instructor while learning to operate a forklift.

Mechanism Use a personal computer. Repair a leaking faucet. Drive a car.

Complex Overt

Response Maneuvers a car into a tight parallel parking spot. Operates a computer quickly and accurately. Displays competence while playing the piano.

Adaptation Responds effectively to unexpected experiences.  Modifies instruction to meet the needs of the learners. Perform a task with a machine that it was not originally intended to do.

Psychomotor Domain

Examples

OriginationConstructs a new theory. Develops a new and comprehensive training programming. Creates a new gymnastic routine.

Examples of Student Learning Outcome for

Program or MajorStudent Outcomes for Hotel & Restaurant Administration:

• Graduates apply their knowledge regarding the hospitality industry to whatever career track within the industry they pursue.

• Graduates demonstrate a synthesis of knowledge and a capacity to think critically, which is reflective of a strong liberal education and a solid grounding in the content of their desired area of specialization.

• Graduates are effective users of recent research and theory in hospitality operations management and can assess new advances in their specialties.

Example of Student Learning Outcome for a Course

(Nutrition)

Upon completion of the course students will be able to analyze a documented nutritional problem, determine a strategy to correct the problem, and write a draft nutritional policy addressing the broader scope of the problem.

Student Learning Exercise:

Use the S.M.A.R. T Method to determine whether or not

the Student Learning Outcomes are properly written.

• Students will develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become Licensed Practical Nurses.

• Upon completion of ENG 101, students will demonstrate an increase in their ability to develop and use strategies for writing essays from development of subject through revision of the essay.

• Upon completion of the A.S. program in Nursing, students will

Questions & Answers

References

• http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

• http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/misc07/BloomsTaxonomyVerbs.pdf

• Huba, M. & Freed, J. 2000. Learner-centered assessment on college campuses. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

• http://uat.okstate.edu/assessment/assessment_plans/outcome_statements.html