Program Learning Outcomes
Guidelines for Writing Effective, Measurable Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Effective learning outcomes highlight expected student behavior as well as the specific conditions and standards of performance by which students will be measured.
- Expected Student Behavior – It is best to write learning outcomes in terms of an observable, behavioral outcome; essentially, learning outcomes should provide a description of what the student will be able to do. When writing the outcome 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 outcomes should focus on the student. An effective learning outcome will explain expectations for student behavior, performance, or understanding. To ensure that learning outcomes are student- centered, a good learning outcome should appropriately complete the statement "The student will..."
- Specific Conditions - Learning outcomes 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 outcome should communicate the situation, tools, references, or aids that will be provided for the student.
- Specific Standards of Performance - Each learning outcome 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 outcomes 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.
Tips for Developing Effective, Measurable Program Learning Outcomes
The following tips will help guide you in crafting effective, measurable program and course learning outcomes. To be measurable, outcomes need to be as specific, focused and as clearly stated as possible. General outcomes will always be very hard to measure. Essentially, we want to know how student learning will be demonstrated.
- Learning outcomes should have two parts: an action verb and a content area. Utilize the action verb to specify the desired student performance followed by a specific description of the course-specific content target.
- Keep statements short and focused on a single outcome. This allows instructors to determine whether or not an objective has been met without having to distinguish between partial completion or complete success.
- To ensure that learning outcomes are effective and measurable, avoid using verbs that are vague or cannot be objectively assessed. Use active verbs that describe what a student will be able to do once learning has occurred.
- Learning outcomes should be student-focused and target the expected student outcome. To assist in maintaining a student-centered emphasis, start learning outcomes with the phrase "The learner/student will be able to. . ."
- Learning outcomes should be SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable to the instructor, realistic to achieve, and time-bound with a deadline).
- Include complex or higher-order learning outcomes when they are appropriate. Most instructors expect students to go beyond memorization of facts and terminology; learning outcomes should reflect instructors’ expectations for student performance.
- Utilize learning outcomes as a basis for course preparation. Learning outcomes should match instructional strategies and assessment requirements. To ensure the connection between various course activities, it is useful to construct a table highlighting the relationship. For example:
LEARNING OUTCOMES | INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES | ASSESSMENT |
---|---|---|
Students will be able to differentiate between qualitative and quantitative assessment |
Lecture, Group Activity |
Term papers, Senior Project, Assessment Portfolio, Mastery questions, Oral Presentation |
Examples: Using the Best Action Verbs for Program Learning Outcomes
Very hard to measure | STILL TOO HARD TO MEASURE |
RELATIVELY EASY T0 MEASURE |
---|---|---|
Students will be able to | Students will be able to
|
Students will be able to
|
appreciate the benefits of exercise. | value exercise as a stress reduction tool | explain how exercise affects stress. |
access resources in the college library database. | recognize problem solving skills that would enable one to adequately navigate through the proper resources within the college. |
evaluate the most appropriate resource that is pertinent to their college concern. |
develop problem-solving skills and conflict resolution. | understand how to resolve personal conflicts and assist others in resolving conflicts. | demonstrate to classmates how to resolve conflicts by helping them negotiate agreements. |
have more confidence in their abilities. | identify critical thinking skills, such as problem solving as it relates to social issues. |
demonstrate the ability to analyze and respond to arguments about racial discrimination. |
Bloom's Taxonomy (1964)
is a well-known description of levels of educational objectives. It may be useful to consider this taxonomy when defining your learning outcomes.
Most courses in higher education focus on the cognitive domain, thus it is important to examine various levels of cognitive understanding. The cognitive domain is broken-down into six categories: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Generally, instructors will want to design learning objectives to target a range of levels of student understanding. 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.
Level | Category | cognitive behavior |
---|---|---|
1 | Knowledge | to know specific facts, terms, concepts, principles, or theories |
2 | Comprehension | to understand, interpret, compare and contrast, explain |
3 | Application | to apply knowledge to new situations, to solve problems |
4 | Analysis | to identify the organizational structure of something; to identify parts, relationships, and organizing principles |
5 | Synthesis | to create something, to integrate ideas into a solution, to propose an action plan, to formulate a new classification scheme |
6 | Evaluation | to judge the quality of something based on its adequency, value, logic or use |
Choose Clear, Measurable Action Verbs. Avoid Vague Verbs.
Concrete verbs such as “define,” “argue,” or “create” are more helpful for assessment than vague verbs such as “know,” “understand,” or passive verbs such as “be exposed to.”
Some examples of action words frequently used in learning outcomes are included in the table below based on Bloom’s levels of cognitive behaviors.
Knowledge |
Comprehension |
Application |
Analysis |
Synthesis |
Evaluation |
define |
classify |
apply |
analyze |
arrange |
appraise |
identify |
describe |
compute |
appraise |
assemble |
assess |
indicate |
discuss |
construct |
calculate |
collect |
choose |
know |
explain |
demonstrate |
categorize |
compose |
compare |
label |
express |
dramatize |
compare |
construct |
contrast |
list |
identify |
employ |
contrast |
create |
decide |
memorize |
locate |
give examples |
criticize |
design |
estimate |
name |
paraphrase |
illustrate |
debate |
formulate |
evaluate |
recall |
recognize |
interpret |
determine |
manage |
grade |
record |
report |
investigate |
diagram |
organize |
judge |
relate |
restate |
operate |
differentiate |
perform |
measure |
repeat |
review |
organize |
distinguish |
plan |
rate |
select |
suggest |
practice |
examine |
prepare |
revise |
underline |
summarize |
predict |
experiment |
produce |
score |
|
tell |
schedule |
inspect |
propose |
select |
|
translate |
shop |
inventory |
set-up |
value |
|
|
sketch |
question |
|
|
|
|
translate |
relate |
|
|
|
|
use |
solve |
|
|
The Three Domains of Learning
Depending on the course goals, learning outcomes may target a range of skills or cognitive processes. Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy of educational objectives differentiates between three domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.
domain | target | focus |
---|---|---|
Cognitive | Knowledge, intellectual skills |
Mind |
Affective | Attitudes, interests, feelings, values, adjustments | Spirit |
Psychomotor | Motor and manipulations skills | Body |
adapted from California State University, Bakersfield, PACT Outcomes Assessment Handbook (1999).
For more information on Bloom's Taxonomy, including a revised taxonomy from 2001, click here.