Module 1: Developing and Validating Learning Outcome Statements

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Module 1 Developing and Validating Learning
Outcome Statements

• Presented at CSU San Marcos
• Peggy Maki
• PeggyMaki_at_aol.com
• April 25 and 25, 2007

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Integrated Learning.
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The Process
Gather Evidence
Interpret Evidence
Mission/Purposes Learning Outcomes
How well do students achieve our outcomes?
Enhance teaching/ learning inform institutional
decision- making, planning, budgeting
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Task 1 Developing and Validating Student
Learning Outcome Statements What Is a Learning
Outcome Statement?

• Describes learning desired within a context
• Relies on active verbs (create, compose,
  calculate, construct, apply) (See
  handout)
• Emerges from our collective intentions
  over time

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• Can be mapped to curricular and co-curricular
  practices (ample, multiple and varied
  opportunities to learn over time)
• Can be assessed quantitatively or qualitatively
  during students undergraduate and graduate
  careers

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• Is written for a course, program, or institution

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Levels of Learning Outcome Statements
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Distinguishing between Objectives and Outcomes

• Objectives state overarching expectations such
  as
• Students will develop effective oral
• communication skills.
• OR
• Students will understand different
• economic principles.

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Learning Outcome Statement from ACRL

• Literate student evaluates information and its
  sources critically and incorporates selected
  information into his or her knowledge and value
  system.
• ONE OUTCOME Student examines and compares
  information from various sources in order to
  evaluate reliability, validity,accuracy,
  timeliness, and point of view or bias.

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Quantitative Literate Graduates according to MAA
Should be Able to

• Interpret mathematical models such as formulas,
  graphs, tables, and schematics, and draw
  inferences from them.
• 2. Represent mathematical information
  symbolically, visually, numerically, and
  verbally.
• 3. Use arithmetical, algebraic, geometric, and
• statistical methods to solve problems.

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• Estimate and check answers to mathematical
  problems in order to determine reasonableness,
  identify alternatives, and select optimal
  results.
• Recognize that mathematical and statistical
  methods have limits.
• (http//www.ma.org/pubs/books/grs.html) The
  Mathematics Association of America (Quantitative
  Reasoning for College Graduates A Complement to
  the Standards, 1996).

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EthicsStudents should be able to

• Identify and analyze real world ethical problems
  or dilemmas, and identify those affected by the
  dilemma.
• Describe and analyze the complexity and
  importance of choices that are available to the
  decision-makers concerned with this dilemma

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• Articulate and acknowledge their own deeply held
  beliefs and assumptions as part of a conscious
  value system
• Describe and analyze their own and others
  perceptions and ethical frameworks for
  decision-making
• Consider and use multiple choices, beliefs, and
  diverse ethical frameworks when making decisions
  to respond to ethical dilemmas or problems.
• California State University Monterey Bay
  University Learning Requirements, 2002

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Sample APA Learning Outcome Statements

• 1.3 Use the concepts, language, and major
  theories of the discipline to account for
  psychological phenomena.
• 1.4 Explain major perspectives of psychology
  (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive,
  evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and
  sociocultural).
• http//www.apa.org/ed/critique_study.html

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Sample Biology Learning Outcome Statements

• Diagram and explain the major cellular processes
  in eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
• Apply the scientific process, including designing
  and conducting experiments and testing
  hypotheses.(See additional examples in handouts)

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Ways to Articulate Outcomes

• Adapt from professional organizations
• Derive from mission of institution/program/departm
  ent/service
• Derive from students work

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• Derive from ethnographic process
• Derive from exercise focused on listing one or
  two outcomes you attend to
• Draw from taxonomies, such as Blooms

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Draft an outcome statement that captures what
your graduates should be able to demonstrate,
represent or produce at the end of their major
program of study or GE. For example, at the end
of X-program, students should be able to__________
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How well do your outcome statements meet
characteristics of a good statement? (See handout)

• Ask the person next to you to apply the
  characteristics of a good outcome statement to
  your outcome statements then discuss that
  persons assessment of your statements. How might
  you improve those statements?

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Developing Maps and Inventoriesinternal
validation of learning outcome statements

• Reveal how we translate outcomes into educational
  practices offering students multiple and diverse
  opportunities to learn
• Help us to identify appropriate times to assess
  those outcomes
• Identify gaps in learning or opportunities to
  practice

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• Help students understand our expectations of them
• Place ownership of learning on students
• Enable them to develop their own maps or learning
  chronologies (See handout)

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How will you use maps and inventories?

• Discuss how you are or will go about the process
  of developing a curricular or curricular-co-curric
  ular map and how you will label peoples entries.
• Discuss how you might also use inventories of
  practice in your mapping process.

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External Validation

• Advisory boards
• Recent alums
• Survey of individuals in a field
• Professional organizations

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Before you Begin to Assess

• Identify your outcome(s) for the level you wish
  to assess
• Institution-level
• Department-level or program-level
• Course-level or service-level

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What Do You Want to Learn about Teaching and
Learning?

• Pedagogy (problem-based, experiential, didactic)
• Curricular or relevant course(s) design or
  co-curricular design
• Instructional design (computer-based, for
  example)

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What Do You Want to Learn about Teaching and
Learning?

• Pedagogy (problem-based, experiential, didactic)
• Curricular or relevant course(s) design or
  co-curricular design
• Instructional design (computer-based, for
  example)

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• Use of educational experiences
• Use of out-of-course assistance, such as
  tutorials

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Questions about Pedagogy in promoting.

• Recall and recognition
• Transfer
• Integration
• Synthesis
• Application and re-application
• Use and re-use
• Change in perspective or understanding?
• Learning about alternatives to face-to-face
  instruction

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What Other Available Program- or
Institution-level Data Might You Need?

• National surveys
• Maps or inventories of practice
• Scores on standardized tests
• Surveys or interviews
• Standardized test results
• Other data your School stores?
• ----------------------------
• ----------------------------
• ----------------------------

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What Other Data (besides Student Work) Do You
Believe will be Helpful When You Interpret
Results

• From Institutional sources (NSSE, Noel-Levitz)
• From Students themselves
• From educators at your institution
• Others?