Learning outcomes & objectives
Definitions of Learning Outcomes on the Web:
- The specific information or skills that are the focus of student learning during a given lesson.
www.pa.org/about/glossary_misc.php - what a student knows and/or is able to do as a result of an educational experience.
www.sociologycommission.org/docs/GLOSSARY.htm - Statements indicating the end result for a learner following a learning activity; usually stated in what a person can observe the learner do at the end of a learning activity.
www.teach-nology.com/glossary/terms/l/ - Knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students should be able to demonstrate upon graduating from the program.
www.bridgew.edu/AssessmentGuidebook/glossary.cfm - The general results of instruction; can be stated in broad terms like “understand”. Examples: http://www2.austincc.edu/govtdept/2305obj.html
itdl.austincc.edu/development/glossary.htm - Learning outcomes are statements which indicate what you know, understand and be able to do by the end of a module/programme.
www.surrey.ac.uk/priorlearning/information/glossary.htm - To understand the basic concepts in Accounting, Finance and Economics used in the ICT Industry. Following are definitions of a number of terms and concepts as they are used in accounting, finance and economics. This chapter covers the most common concepts which may create some confusion if they are not well understood from the beginning.
cbdd.wsu.edu/kewlcontent/cdoutput/TR505r/page49.htm - the knowledge, skills, and values acquired through a student's participation in an educational activity.
www.scoea.bc.ca/glossary2001.htm - By the end of this course, students will be able to: Understand the importance of effective management to organisational success and survival in the 21st century; Understand and analytically describe the key activities, skills and competencies involved in management; Understand and describe the main specialist functional areas of management; Understand and be able to examine critically, some of the key issues currently facing managers and organisations, eg Business ethics, the management of ...
www2.umist.ac.uk/mathematics/intranet1/Yr1Syllabus/(198)%20Management%20Concepts%20in%20Context_1.htm - The specific capabilities the learner should achieve at the end of the module
netquality.lii.unitn.it/glossary.htm - are statements that identify the skills, knowledge and application within training courses, and reflect the required competencies. In RPL terms, the Learning Outcomes are the benchmarks against which a person's prior learning and competencies are measured.
www.gymnastics.org.au/education/rpl_09_defini.htm
What are learning outcomes? [1]
Source: http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/outcomes.asp
Learning outcomes are statements that specify what learners will know or be able to do as a result of a learning activity.Outcomes are usually expressed as knowledge, skills, or attitudes.
Learning outcomes should flow from a needs assessment.The needs assessment should determine the gap between an existing condition and a desired condition.Learning outcomes are statements which described a desired condition – that is, the knowledge, skills, or attitudes needed to fulfill the need. They represent the solution to the identified need or issue. Learning outcomes provide direction in the planning of a learning activity. They help to:
- Focus on learner's behavior that is to be changed
- Serve as guidelines for content, instruction, and evaluation
- Identify specifically what should be learned
- Convey to learners exactly what is to be accomplished
- Does the potential audience's level of awareness need to be raised?
- Do they need to understand better the context in which the problem/issue exists?
- Are there things they need to unlearn?
- What are the most essential things they need to know or be able to do?
- Do they need a strong rationale to buy into the issue?
- What specific skills or strategies do they need?
- How important is their level of confidence with this new learning?
- What are the obstacles they face in the workplace using this new learning?
- What are the most important things they need to be able to do when they finish?
Learning outcomes have three distinguishing characteristics.
- The specified action by the learners must be observable.
- The specified action by the learners must be measurable.
- The specified action must be done by the learners.
- who is to perform;
- what action they are to take;
- some result that must come from their action.
Many program brochures include learning outcomes which are unclear or represent elements of curriculum rather than some action the participants will demonstrate.Note the following examples:
Participants will understand the nine reasons for conducting a needs assessment.
Participants will develop an appreciation of cultural diversity in the workplace.
If you ask a simple question ("Can it be measured?"), you see readily that these learning outcomes have shortcomings.They are not measurable.The same outcomes can be modified by changing the action verbs.
Participants will list nine reasons for conducting a needs assessment.
Participants will summarize in writing their feelings about cultural diversity in the workplace.
Learners now have a much better idea of what is expected of them.
What is the importance of action verbs?Since the learner's performance should be observable and measurable, the verb chosen for each outcome statement should be an action verb which results in overt behavior that can be observed and measured.
Sample action verbs are:
compile, create, plan, revise, analyze, design, select, utilize, apply, demonstrate, prepare, use, compute, discuss, explain, predictassess, compare, rate, critique
Certain verbs are unclear and subject to different interpretations in terms of what action they are specifying. Such verbs call for covert behavior which cannot be observed or measured. These types of verbs should be avoided:
know, become aware of, appreciate, learn, understand, become familiar with
[1] Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall1Phillips, Louis. The Continuing Education Guide: the CEU and Other Professional Development Criteria. /Hunt Publishing Co., 1994.
Definitions of Learning Objectives on the Web:- The specific measurable, observable competencies (behaviors, skills, knowledge) that students will demonstrate after the instruction.
itdl.austincc.edu/development/glossary.htm - statements indicating the visible and cognitive skills learners should master by the end of a course. Learning objectives have 3 parts: an observable, measurable behavior, the conditions under which the behavior should be performed (eg, “with the assistance of a manual”), and the extent to which learners must master the behavior (eg, “9 out of 10 correct”).
alt.uno.edu/glossary.html - A student will be expected to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes outlined in the objectives during the clerkship. The objectives will be the basis of part of the evaluation of a student's performance in the clerkship.
www.comsep.org/Curriculum/CurriculumCompetencies/DefinitionOfTerms.htm - are supporting skills, knowledge, or attitudes that lead to mastery of a competency. These refer to the knowledge, skills or attitudes taught in a course that contribute to a student mastering a specific competency.
online.nwtc.edu/vrc/curric/Glossary.htm - At the end of this lesson the students will be able to
faculty.arts.ubc.ca/menzies/anth99b.htm
Guidelines for Writing Effective Learning Objectives:
Effective learning objectives highlight expected student behavior as well as the specific conditions and standards of performance.
 | Behavior - Write learning objectives in terms of an observable, behavioral outcome; essentially, learning objectives should provide a description of what the student will be able to do. When writing the objective in performance terminology, the selection of an effective action verb is of utmost importance. The use of a clear, targeted verb provides directions about the expectations of student performance at the completion of instructional activities. Because the verb provides the desired direction of emphasis, it is important to choose a verb that is focused and targets a level of performance appropriate for the course. |
 | Student-Centered - All learning objectives should focus on the student. An effective learning objective will explain expectations for student behavior, performance, or understanding. To ensure that learning objectives are student-centered, a good objective should appropriately complete the statement "The student will..." |
 | Conditions - Learning objectives should be specific and target one expectation or aspect of understanding and highlight the conditions under which the student is expected to perform the task. The conditions of the objective should communicate the situation, tools, references, or aids that will be provided for the student. |
 | Standards - Each learning objective should be measurable and include the criteria for evaluating student performance. Generally, standards provide information to clarify to what extent a student must perform to be judged adequate; thus effective learning objectives indicate a degree of accuracy, a quantity of correct responses or some other type of measurable information. Standards serve the dual purpose of informing students of performance expectations and providing insight as to how achievement of these expectations will be measured. Since students will utilize the standards to guide their performance, be sure to use specific terminology that has limited interpretations and ensure that all students understand the same interpretation. |
The phrasing of learning objectives will help guide both instructional activities and assessment, thus instructors should carefully select the emphasis of learning and the relevant verb.
| Domain | Emphasis | Relevant Verbs |
| Cognitive | Knowledge | Recall, identify, recognize, acquire, distinguish, state, define, name, list, label, reproduce, order |
| Cognitive | Comprehension | Translate, extrapolate, convert, interpret, abstract, transform, select, indicate, illustrate, represent, formulate, explain, classify, comprehend |
| Cognitive | Application | Apply, sequence, carry out, solve, prepare, operate, generalize, plan, repair, explain, predict, demonstrate, instruct, compute, use, perform, implement, employ, solve |
| Cognitive | Analysis | Analyze, estimate, compare, observe, detect, classify, discover, discriminate, explore, distinguish, catalog, investigate, breakdown, order, determine, differentiate, dissect, contrast, examine, interpret |
| Cognitive | Synthesis | Write, plan, integrate, formulate, propose, specify, produce, organize, theorize, design, build, systematize, combine, summarize, restate, argue, discuss, derive, relate, generalize, conclude, produce |
| Cognitive | Evaluation | Evaluate, verify, assess, test, judge, rank, measure, appraise, select, check, judge, justify, evaluate, determine, support, defend, criticize, weigh, assess |
| Affective | | Agree, avoid, support, participate, cooperate, praise, help, offer, join |
| Psychomotor | | Adjust, repair, taste, bend, measure, perform, operate, use, move |
Avoid using verbs that are difficult to measure objectively. The following verbs are difficult to assess, thus should be used with caution:
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If you utilize verbs like "know" or "understand", make sure that you state how "knowledge" or "understanding" will be demonstrated. Remember, a good learning objectives is one that can be assessed to determine students’ mastery of course material.
Review Checklist:
| _____ | Does the learning objective stem from a course goal or objective? |
| _____ | Is the learning objective measurable? |
| _____ | Does the learning objective target one specific aspect of expected performance? |
| _____ | Is the learning objective student-centered? |
| _____ | Does the learning objective utilize an effective, action verb that targets the desired level of performance? |
| _____ | Do learning objectives measure a range of educational outcomes? |
| _____ | Does the learning objective match instructional activities and assessments? |
| _____ | Does the learning objective specify appropriate conditions for performance? |
| _____ | Is the learning objective written in terms of observable, behavioral outcomes? |
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References:
 | Aiken, L. R. (2000). Psychological Testing and Assessment (10th Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
 | Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, R. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J. & Wittrock, M. C. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing. New York, NY: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. |
 | Baiocco, S.A. & DeWaters, J.N. (1998). Successful College Teaching: Problem-Solving Strategies of Distinguished Professors. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
 | Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The classification of educational goals: Handbook I, Cognitive Domain. New York ; Toronto: Longmans, Green. |
 | Bruning, R. H., Schraw, G. J., & Ronning, R. R. (1995). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction (2nd Edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. |
 | Chatterji, M. (2003). Designing and Using Tools for Educational Assessment. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
 | Davis, B.G. (2001). Tools for Teaching. New York: Jossey-Bass. |
 | Gronlund, N. E. (2003). Assessment of Student Achievement (7th Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
 | Johnson, D. W. & Johnson, R. T. (2002). Meaningful Assessment: A Manageable and Cooperative Process. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
 | McKeachie, W. J. (1999). Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers (10th Edition). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. |
 | Popham, W. J. (2000). Modern Educational Measurement: Practical Guidelines for Educational Leaders (3rd Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
 | Trice, A. D. (2000). A Handbook of Classroom Assessment. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. |
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