Developing Course Learning Outcomes

When Learning Outcomes are understood by students, they

• know what is expected of them (Beasley, 2012)
• focus better on their studies (Wood, 2003, 2004)
• probe more deeply into their learning (Biggs, 1999)
• remember more content (Halpern & Hakel, 2003)
• know how their learning will be evaluated (Beasley, 2012)
• are able to apply their learning better (Halpern & Hakel, 2003)

There is no precise formula for writing outcome statements, but here are some guidelines. CLOs should:

• Describe the most important knowledge, skills, and values relevant to your course.
• Be stated in simple language, following this general format:
  • Students will be able to [action verb] + [something].
• Use action verbs that result in overt behavior that can be observed and measured:
  • Bloom’s Taxonomy is a useful classification of learning objectives and represents the process of learning. The examples of active verbs provided along the continuum emphasize what a learner “can do”.
• Clarifies what students will gain from your course in a way that can be assessed, either quantitatively or qualitatively.
• Be observable and measurable.
• Be rigorous but attainable outcomes.

• Department mission and values
• Department Goals
• Disciplinary associations
• Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Faculty interest, commitments, and expertise
• Employer feedback
• Alumni feedback
• Peer institutions’ websites

• Suskie, L. (2009). Developing Learning Goals. In Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide (2nd edition) (pp. 115-134). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Gonzaga University CTA Website. 
• NILOA’s Transparency Framework for Providing Evidence of Student Learning