What are Student Learning Outcomes?

Assessment, and all teaching in my opinion, should begin with student learning goals (which are also called “student learning outcomes,” “student learning objectives,” or “course objectives”).

Unfortunately, not all instructors begin with student learning outcomes. Instead, some instructors develop the content of the course first and then write the student learning outcomes. When this happens, the student learning goals may be driven by the course content or by the needs of the instructor rather than by the developmental and learning needs of the student. I encourage instructors to start with the needs of their students and then to develop course content that will meet those needs. In other words, course content, reading material, and assignments should be determined by learning objectives.

What is a student learning objective?

A learning objective is a student-focused outcome about subject matter content and skills a student is supposed to learn in that course. These outcomes describe what students will know or be able to do by the end of the course.

A learning objective describes what students will know or be able to do by the end of the course.

For example, a history course on the American Revolution may inform students about important historical events such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The course may also teach students vocabulary that will help them understand this time period. For example, students may need to understand the terms “constitution,” “amendment,” “ratification,” and “delegates.” The course may also teach students about the importance of certain historical events. In this case, the instructor may ask students to explain the importance of an event, antecedent events that led up to it, or consequences that followed.

Hopefully, you can see a few student learning goals developing out of these course expectations. When written out, they may look like this:

• Identify political and military events that led to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
• Describe the sequence of events that took the U.S. from a British colony to an independent country.
• Define historical and political terms needed to understand the Revolutionary period.
• Explain the influence the Declaration of Independence had on the U.S. Constitution.

As you can see, these outcomes are worded with a focus on what students will do – they will “identify,” “describe,” “define,” “explain.”

How do you know which student learning objectives are right for your class?

This is a very complicated question, and I will address aspects of this answer in blog posts that will follow. But here are some common ways academic programs identify student learning objectives.

• Content knowledge and skills are recommended or mandated by an accrediting organization. For example, an accrediting organization may recommend that students learn about ethics or legislation important to their work. Out of this requirement, the academic program will establish a learning outcome about ethics and legislation.
• Content knowledge and skills are required by a licensing exam. Many professions have a licensing exam, and academic programs prepare students for the exam by teaching them theoretical concepts and practical skills that are covered on the exam. For example, the NCLEX Exam required to become a Registered Nurse may ask about patient safety.  In order to prepare students, Nursing programs often include knowledge about patient safety as one of the learning objectives.
• Employers require specific content knowledge or skills. Many academic programs prepare students for a specific profession, and academic programs try to provide students with the skills and knowledge that will make them successful. For example, a finance major will need to know how to create a financial statement  and understand a financial report. Many other professions require that students have critical thinking skills, writing and communication skills, and industry-specific skills such as the ability to work in a scientific lab, create a budget, or interpret statistics. Academic programs learn about these requirements from professional organizations (such as the American Psychological Association), from large or local employers, from research studies and conferences, and from their graduates.
• Common course practice. Many academic programs all across the country have the same courses (such as Introduction to Literature, Elementary Algebra, Speech, Chemistry I), and many of these courses have a standard or traditional set of course content that is covered. For example, in an English Composition course, students learn about organization and thesis statements and grammar wherever they take the course. Many colleges and universities also have transfer agreements, and these agreements require that courses be very similar to each other. When establishing a course, instructors often research the tradition, and they see how the course is taught at other places. One way to establish course objectives is to copy them from other schools.
• Respond to student needs or assessment data. In some instances, new courses are set up to help students in areas they under perform. Students may need to learn additional content or skills, so the academic program may establish a new course to teach that material. Or, if students are struggling in a complex course, it may be divided into two easier courses. The new course objectives will respond to student needs.

Student learning objectives are a major topic in higher education, and this blog post has provided only basic information. Please subscribe to the blog site on the right to receive alerts about new posts and to continue learning about course objectives and other topics in higher education.

Lirim Neziroski, Ph.D., MBA is an academic leader and an assessment and technology expert at a liberal arts university in the Chicago area. Please browse the resources on this blog, and contact Lirim directly for speaking, consulting, interview, podcast, and writing opportunities.