Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student...
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Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and
Measuring Student Success
Today’s educational environment
demands a holistic approach that
fosters vital learning engagement
and more positive outcomes.
This report is part of Cengage
Learning’s broader goal of
empowering instructors to promote
better outcomes and elevate
thinking through increased
student engagement.
Students and educators are at the
center of our content development
process. User-driven product
development, with content primarily
written and edited by highly
qualified educators, ensures only
the best resources are introduced
to the classroom.
Cengage Learning: engaged with you.
abstractWell-defined learning outcomes help educators design their course
and determine the best use of technology, improving student success.
Cengage Learning custom digital learning solutions make it easy for
instructors to execute lesson plans and gather results in a format that
drives desired outcomes.
This report reviews the current state of learning outcomes and provides
recommendations for reconciling standardized learning outcomes
required by institutions with instructors’ unique needs for their courses.
survey DetailsCengage Learning’s “Digital in the Classroom” survey was presented to
students and college faculty of all institution types. Our polled student
and faculty audience of over 1,000 individuals comes from two- and
four-year schools, career and vocational schools, and for-profit and not-
for-profit institutions.
Polled faculty audience roles included administrator, professor,
associate professor, assistant professor, adjunct professor, lecturer,
clinical professor, program director, and many others. Participants were
surveyed on their preferences, methods, and observed results regarding
the integration of digital technology into the classroom.
Learn more online at www.cengage.com2
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Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
the Value of Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes can be written at different levels, identifying what students
should be able to do after completing a program of study, a single course, or a single
activity. This focus can help make learning objectives more effective and efficient
for both instructors and students. Learning outcomes communicate expectations
for students’ work, which can help students focus their efforts and increase their
likelihood of success in their coursework. Learning outcomes allow instructors and
institutions to demonstrate students’ knowledge and skill in a measurable way,
which helps with accreditation.
Many institutions require their instructors to formally report on learning outcome
mastery at the end of each course, making accurate analysis of the utmost importance.
A total of 96% of the instructors polled use defined learning objectives in their
courses; however, only 19% use time-saving, detail-oriented reporting tools to help
them evaluate student success.
Half of that 19% revealed that they use those outcome reporting tools quite
frequently—at least once a week. Outcome reporting tools offer detailed reporting
to give instructors constructive feedback throughout the duration of their course.
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Instructors using defined learning objectives
ninety-six percent
of instructors use
defined learning
objectives in their
courses; however,
only 19% use time-
saving, detail-
oriented outcome
reporting tools.
Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes,
sometimes referred
to as learning
objectives or goals,
are statements that
identify what a
student should be able
to do and under what
circumstances.
96%
4%YES, I use them
NO, I don’t use them
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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The majority of instructors, 48%, revealed that learning objectives are provided to them
at the departmental level. In a close second place, 45% of instructors have the liberty to
craft their own. Our results indicate that the greater institution, as well as accrediting
bodies, industry organizations, and state guidelines also factor into the process.
Crafting Unique Learning Objectives
When polled, instructors revealed that they tend to track multiple learning outcomes.
The following graph shows eleven themes instructors use to craft a detailed learning
objective specifically suited for their course.
Forty-eight percent
of instructors
have learning
objectives provided
to them at the
departmental level.
Cengage Learning’s
Curriculum
& Program
Development
team works with
instructors to
create unique
learning objective
and custom lesson
plans based on
their institution’s
standard learning
outcomes.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
National accreditation body
InstitutionSelfDepartment State guidelinesIndustryorganization
48% 45%
32%24%
16% 13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Critical T
hinking
Problem solving
Conceptual t
hinking
Writ
ing Skills
Reading comprehension
Research skills
Presenta
tion skills
Grammar
Study skills
Listening
SpeakingOth
erNone
Instructors’ top determinants of learning objectives
Instructors’ primary learning outcome themes
Learn more online at www.cengage.com
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
The most frequently used theme surrounds critical thinking, with 86% of instructors
focusing on this learning outcome. This focus is followed by the themes of problem
solving, at 72%, and conceptual thinking, at 53%. Trending themes for those that
selected “Other” are computer literacy and technical proficiency, time management
abilities, and interpersonal skills. When instructors have the opportunity to define
their own unique learning objectives for each course, it may be a good idea to obtain
the insight of multiple stakeholders, including colleagues, subject-matter experts, and
students.
Reaching out to a select group of former students and speaking with them about what
they found to be the most valuable experiences from each course and what skills they
gained can be a priceless asset. Instructors may also discuss the topic openly with
current students, letting them know their ideas are welcome and values are respected.
educators Issued standard Learning Outcomes by a higher entity
Many departments and institutions issue standard learning outcomes (SLOs) that
govern and guide outcomes from course to course or from curriculum to curriculum.
Depending on the aim of the governing body, these may be identified by such names
as General Education Outcomes or Institutional Outcomes.
In order to accommodate individual course needs, these are often written in a broad
manner; for example, whereas an instructor may define a course’s specific objective
as “Explain how Hillary Clinton has contributed to the political field,” a standard
learning outcome may instead be written as “Explain how women in government
have contributed to the political field.”
An increasing number of institutions are using standard learning outcomes. SLOs
help to ensure quality across a curriculum by establishing consistent expectations in
different sections of a course or even in different courses within a curriculum. This
consistency may appeal to prospective students as well as accrediting bodies. If an
institution does not provide SLOs, it still behooves an instructor or department to
establish learning outcomes in a manner that clearly defines course objectives and
makes the definition of success in that course evident.
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standard Learning Outcomes Standard learning
outcomes (sLOs) are
learning outcomes
that the institution
has determined
should be the same
across a body of
learning— whether
from course to course
or curriculum to
curriculum.
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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suggestions for Writing Meaningful Learning OutcomesA well-formed learning outcome explains what, how, and how well a student should
perform. In “Improving Student Learning Outcomes: The Thing Itself” at Cengage
Learning’s Engaging Minds blog, Worth Hawes, PhD, provides these guidelines for
crafting learning outcomes unique to each instructor’s goals, summarized below:
• The“what”ofawell-formedlearningoutcomedescribestheskillthata
successful student should be able to perform.
• The“how”ofastrongoutcomedenotestheconditionsunderwhicha
student should be able to perform the task. For instance, may students use a
book, notes, or a calculator?
• The“howwell”providesaclearstandardforassessment.Sometimesthisisa
simple degree of success, like “correctly” or “accurately.”1
Furthermore, as Drs. Robin Lightner and Ruth Benander explain in their article
“Student Learning Outcomes: Barriers and Solutions for Faculty Development”
for The Journal of Faculty Development, a primary source of resistance among
instructors is, in fact, that some concepts may be difficult to measure:
By emphasizing concrete language in SLOs, the specification of student learning
outcomes is sometimes seen as demeaning academic content to “factory skills.”
It is difficult to measure, for example, “appreciation of a discipline” or “respect
for clients.” Nevertheless, if a goal in a literature course is to “cultivate an
appreciation of Victorian literature,” then it is possible for this to be stated as a
learning outcome that links assessment and preparatory activities. For example,
“Identify a Victorian novel not covered in this course, explain the traits that
define it as Victorian, and evaluate its level of interest to a modern audience.”
These skills reveal the student’s “appreciation” of the topic.2
Crafting a learning objective in this manner allows instructors to clarify to their
students and their peers what they want students to do while staying true to their
unique teaching values.
Learn more online at www.cengage.com
What, how, how Well Form learning
outcomes using the
“what, how, how
well” method. Well-
formed learning
outcomes should
include:
•Specificsubjectmattermastery
•Conditionsunderwhichto proveskill
•Levelofknowledgedepth
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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tips for Customizing standard Learning Outcomes
Instructional designer Erin Doppke recommends the following for making SLOs
unique to each course:
• Ensurethepurpose.FindoutwhethereachSLOismeanttobethemain
focus or simply an addition to every course.
• Conductagapanalysis.Eachinstructorshouldcomparehisorhercurrent
objectives and assessments to the overarching SLOs, identifying where there
may be gaps.
• Revisitcoursematerials.Requiredmaterialsmaybedecideduponearly,
but there is always time to research supplemental materials that will add to
student engagement and eagerness to achieve learning outcomes.
• Seekoutpeers.EachmemberofadepartmentmayincorporatetheSLOsinto
their classes differently and will likely be able to offer unique insight.3
After this review, instructors will find that they have varying levels of alterations
to make to get their unique course objectives up to speed with their university’s
standard learning outcomes.
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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Cengage Learning’s solutions support Desired Learning OutcomesWith rich content, assignable activities, and other interactive features, our learner-
centric technology resources support educators’ goals of increasing students’
engagement, achievement, and higher-order thinking skills. Ultimately, Cengage
Learning’s solutions enable instructors to see an improvement in their course’s
learning outcomes.
What’s more, our resources can play a valuable role in helping instructors efficiently
prepare and manage courses. Learning solutions such as MindTap, Aplia, OWL,
and Enhanced WebAssign provide a wealth of assignable readings, activities, and
assessments that can be customized to suit the needs of every course.
Once students complete their assignments, instructors can use the analytics within
the solutions to gain insight into how individual students, and the class as a whole,
are performing against course learning outcomes. With our learning solutions in
place, instructors will be free to spend more time engaging with students rather than
just grading their assignments.
reach Classroom goals with support from Cengage Learning Cengage Learning supports educators every step of the way. From syllabi to lesson
plans and custom-built content, Cengage Learning’s Curriculum & Program
Development team helps instructors build unique learning outcomes for their goals.
standard syllabus – Perfect for accreditation Documentation
Cengage Learning provides recommended course descriptions, course outcomes,
and brief course outlines with relevant reading material support outcomes. Our
team researches current market conditions, accreditation requirements, and
implementation costs so instructors can determine program feasibility.
Learn more online at www.cengage.com
tell me and I forget.
teach me and I remember.
engage me and I learn.
-Chinese proverb
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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Comprehensive syllabus – Ideal for standardizing Courses
Cengage Learning’s Curriculum & Program Development team works with
instructors to create syllabi that support their program and course goals. We
recommend appropriate lab exercises, activities, assignments, homework, and
assessments that support and measure student achievement of learning outcomes.
Lesson Plan – a Unique, Custom Plan for Instructors
Cengage Learning supports instructors with session-by-session lesson plans that
include desired outcomes, objectives to cover, material to use, assessments and
homework, tips and discussion starters, specific media for the course, and more. We
can use an institution’s approved, accredited course outcomes, or our Instructional
Designers can work with instructors to establish outcomes appropriate to and in
accordance with their program standards. Learning objectives provide measurable
guidelines, enabling instructors to measure student progress and achievement.
Implementation and training specialists
Cengage Learning’s Implementation and Training Specialists are available to serve
as consultative partners throughout the use of Cengage Learning solutions. They
can sit side by side with instructional designers to plan how learning solutions, such
as MindTap and Aplia, can align with a course’s needs. They can train educators as
well as students.
Our teams identify assessments and assignments to support learning objectives while
ensuring content meets institution guidelines. This team can help instructors evaluate
their goals and class data to return deeper reporting and insight on how to create more
effective lesson plans. To learn more about how the Cengage Learning Curriculum
& Program Development team helps instructors develop learning outcomes, new
programs, and courses, contact a Learning Consultant.
Find a Learning Consultant to discuss custom options.
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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now it’s Your turn! share Your Ideas
We value your insight and want to know how you’ve achieved your goals. We’d also
love to hear your questions and suggestions for those seeking to implement more
strategic learning outcomes and lesson plans in their classroom.
How are learning outcomes at your institution derived? What suggestions do you
find to be most helpful when crafting unique learning objectives? Share your thoughts
at the Engaging Minds blog.
Join the conversation! Engage with our education community:
engagement fosters understanding
Wheneducatorsknowwhat
studentsrespondto,andusethose
methodstoreinforcewhatthey
areteaching,theirsubjectmastery
growsorganically.
Toolslikehomeworkaids,instant
feedback,selfassessmentand
practicequizzesletlearners
advanceattheirownpace.
Understanding improves outcomes
Whenstudentsarebetterprepared,
learningoutcomesincreaseand
retentionimproves.Ourlearning
solutionsdemonstratesolidresults
inimprovingstudentperformance
whilestreamlininginstructors’
workloads.
Learn more online at www.cengage.com
Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success
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references
1 - blog.cengage.com/top_blog/improving-student-learning-outcomes-the-thing-itself
2 - www.questia.com/read/1P3-2360190561/student-learning-outcomes-barriers- and-solutions
3 - blog.cengage.com/top_blog/incorporating-standard-learning-outcomes-into-your- curriculum
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