WRITING Educational Objectives, Learning Outcomes

WRITING Educational Objectives, Learning Outcomes Mi-Suk Shim, Ph.D. Spring 2006 DIIA

SACS Criteria CS 3.3.1 Institutional Effectiveness The institutionidentifies expected outcomes for its educational programsand its administrative and educational support services; assesses whether it achieves these outcomes; andprovides evidence of improvement based on analysis of those results

UT SCHEDULE • Program Educational Objectives and Program Outcomes • Complete by end of Spring 2006 and document • Assessment Plan • Complete by end of Spring 2006 semester and document • Progress Toward Completion of One Assessment Cycle and Closing the Loop • Complete documentation by Spring Break 2007

Benefits of Learning outcomes • Program improvement • Evaluation of instruction • Course design and revision • Curriculum assessment and change • Improved Communication • Advising Tools • Improving promotional materials • Targets for assessment and accreditation

Where to start? • Catalog descriptions • Program review reports • Mission, Vision statements • Values, Goals, Purpose, Philosophy • External agencies (e.g. SACS-COC, ABET)

Educational Objectives • Statements that describe the expected accomplishments of graduates during the first few years after graduation

Learning Outcomes • statements that describe what students are expected to know, think, and able to doby the time of graduation

Educational Objectives/ Learning Outcomes • Think of the “ideal” students or graduates • What students know? • What students can do? • What students care about (think)?

Educational Objectives • Broad • Long-term • What do we expect our graduates to accomplish in broader society as a result of program’s education? • 3~5 per program

Educational Objectives:Leadership • Graduates of the program at the UT at Austin will …. exhibit leadership in the business field with strong communication and interpersonal skills

Educational Objectives:Life-long Learners • Graduates of the program at the UT at Austin will …. be life-long learners and stay informed of the professional field.

Educational Objectives:Contributing Citizens • Graduates of the program at the UT at Austin will …. be contributing members of the society by conducting themselves in a responsible and ethical manner.

Learning Outcomes • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • 3~8 per program

Outcomes-based assessment • Student Learning Outcomes • Continuousprocess of institutional effectiveness • System

Process • Planning • Assessing (implementation) • Understanding (evaluation) • Improving

Matrix

Learning Outcomes: Guideline • Aligned with mission statements • Program level • Stated from student perspective • Intended learning outcomes (will) • Specific • Can be measured by multiple methods

Learning Outcomes Students will DO WHAT (how)

“DO WHAT (How)”--- Bloom’s Taxonomy

Learning Outcomes: Communication • Students communicate well • Communication department will provide opportunities for students to develop students’ communication skills • Students will communicate effectively • Students’ communication skills will gradually improve over several courses • Students will be able to communicate information effectively in writing, orally, and graphically

Learning Outcomes: Research Skill • Students will design and carry out research • Psychology lab should teach students high quality research skill • Students have demonstrated high quality research skills • Students will independently design and carry out experimental research and evaluate the results critically

Learning Outcomes: Ethics • Biology department will teach ethical responsibility to students. • Students will be highly ethical • Students took a course on ethics • Students will understand their ethical responsibility for the field of Bio-medical research

Learning Outcomes: Dance • Students will dance beautifully • Students will finish 2 formal performances before graduation • Students will display their dancing performance with well-coordinated artistic and technical skills

LO Exercise • Students will be able to communicate information effectively in writing, orally, and graphically.

Think about….. • Can you think of a course in your program that heavily requires communication skill? • How do you usually assess it? What kind of assignments or tasks students have? • Essay, Presentation, Discussion, Report…………? • What do you look for in assessment? • organization, clarity, analysis, evaluation, grammar…..?

TO DO List:For your program • Discuss about and come up with Educational Objectives • Write down the list of Educational Objectives that your program agreed on as finals • Discuss about and come up with Learning Outcomes • Write down the list of Learning Outcomes that your program agreed on as finals • For each LO, use worksheets to create performance criteria • Write the selected performance criteria on the Matrix “performance criteria” column

Further assistance • Dr. Neal Armstrong Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Office: MAI 201 Email: neal_armstrong@mail.utexas.edu Phone: (512) 232-3305; (512) 471-4716

WRITING Educational Objectives, Learning Outcomes