Learning outcomes coat hanger or strait jacket

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Learning outcomes coat hanger or strait jacket?

• Tracy Marshall Ginny Franklin

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Coat hanger (benefits)

• Students are clear what is expected of them and
  what they will get out of course
• Give direction and purpose to course
• Help students plan their learning
• Can be incorporated into a transcript of learning
• QA - ensure consistency of delivery across
  modules

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Strait jacket (criticisms)

• Can result in maximum level of attainment
• Can trivialise curriculum content tick box
  scenario
• Can encourage surface learning
• inhibit and prescribe learning
• Learning might have taken place but not
  necessarily demonstrably

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Considerations

• Spell out required learning but be open to
  unexpected areas of learning
• 1-3 outcomes per workshop hour
• SMART targets

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Benefits of Learning OutcomesFor the Facilitator

• Learning outcomes make planning the structure of
  a course painless
• Generic teaching is made easier with learning
  outcomes as they can be used as a guide for the
  facilitator
• Learning outcomes can be used as part of student
  evaluation, as facilitators can incorporate them
  into the course evaluation sheet and students can
  reflect on whether learning outcomes have been
  met

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Benefits of Learning Outcomes For the Student

• Learning outcomes give the student an idea of the
  course content from the outset. Enabling the
  student to decide on its suitability
• On a higher level if learning outcomes are used
  in module descriptions- the student can then
  understand what is expected of him/her and plan
  work accordingly
• The student may use learning outcomes to reflect
  on his/her knowledge identify gaps and work to
  bridge them.

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Learning outcomes _at_ Lboro

• Inform session content
• Student self assessment link to PDP
• Draw on IL competences and profile statements
• Examples

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Practical

• Please consider
• How do these compare with the learning outcomes
  you use?
• How might they be improved?
• Do you map your learning outcomes to profile
  statements?