What is the goal of your college or university course?

Student learning outcomes illustrate the answer to this question. Learning outcomes are short descriptions of the knowledge or skills students should obtain after successfully completing a course or program. These outcomes are critical roadmaps, as they help both students and instructors understand course expectations.

As an instructor, you know what’s important to cover, but putting your curriculum into short and easy-to-understand phrases can prove difficult. Luckily, writing student learning outcomes for each of your courses can be simplified by following three steps:

  1. Determine the Main Concepts
  2. Start With an Action
  3. Explain the Learning Outcome Clearly & Simply

In this guide, we’ll discuss each step in detail and give you examples of student learning outcomes you can use when developing your own.

Step #1: Determine the Main Concepts Students Should Learn During Your Course

First, you must determine the key concepts students should learn during your course or program. This includes the skills they should be able to demonstrate as well as the information they should retain.

If you already have a list of modules inside of your course, you can go through those and make a list of the skills and knowledge that should result from each module. This is a great place to start. Also include those overarching concepts that should result after taking the course as a whole.

For example, in a Lumen Learning English Composition module, students will need to walk away knowing how to navigate programs, locate files and know basic computer definitions. These skills are the foundation of your learning outcomes.

How Many Learning Outcomes Should You Develop?

Too many student learning outcomes will quickly become overwhelming. Try to stick with four to five outcomes maximum for each module. Remember, learning outcomes should cover the most important concepts, not every single concept discussed during a course.

Step #2: Start Each Learning Outcome With Action

You’ll notice that each of the example learning outcomes below start with an action verb such as “explain” or “identify.” Action verbs help students understand what they should do with the information learned and skills gained. This is why you should steer clear of words like “understand” and “know” and they don’t show the skill or info in use.

Keeping with our Introduction to Computers example above, instead of saying, “Know how to locate files,” a good learning outcome will state, “Demonstrate how to locate files.”

Examples of Action Verbs

Choosing which action verbs to use will depend on the level of the course and who it’s for. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, introductive courses may target the understanding of concepts and include action verbs such as:

  • Apply
  • Demonstrate
  • Illustrate
  • Operate
  • Predict
  • Relate
  • Show

If the course is more advanced, action verbs may target the demonstration of facts or the remembrance of previously learned information. Examples include:

  • Classify
  • Discuss
  • Summarize
  • Translate
  • Arrange
  • Duplicate
  • Memorize
  • Repeat
  • Recall

Step #3: Explain the Learning Outcome Clearly & Simply

Next, you’ll need to develop a statement that explains the learning outcome clearly and simply. This should include the knowledge, skills or abilities following the action verb. This statement should also be specific and describe exactly what a student should be able to do.

Building off of our previous example, “Demonstrate how to locate files on a computer for various operating systems,” is much more specific than, “Demonstrate how to locate files.”

Learning Outcome Examples

Here at Lumen Learning, all of our digital courses have specific learning outcomes listed so students understand what to expect. By taking a look at these outcomes, you might just find some inspiration for your own. Here are some examples from our courses you can view as you develop your outcomes.

Course: Calculus I

Module 1:

Students will be able to:

Course: English Composition I

Module 1: Success Skills

Students will be able to:

  • Identify common habits that lead to success in college
  • Write professionally and effectively in your college communications
  • Effectively use digital tools to convey your ideas
  • Recognize the importance of critical thinking and reflection as an intellectual process

Additional Tips for Developing Learning Outcomes

Writing learning outcomes will take some time, especially if your course is in-depth or more advanced. Here are some additional tips to help ease the process:

  • Ask your fellow faculty members for their input: Once you have the first draft of your learning outcomes, go ahead and allow your fellow professors and instructors to give you their feedback. They might be able to help you uncover missing skills or tell you which outcomes are too vague or difficult to comprehend.
  • Make sure you can effectively measure each outcome: You’ll need to ensure you have a way for you and your students to measure their success against each outcome. Otherwise, the objective isn’t useful. Remember SMART goals? You’ll want to use the same concept with learning outcomes. Make sure each outcome is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.
  • Know the difference between learning outcomes and objectives: Learning outcomes aren’t the same as objectives. According to UCLA Health, “objectives are used to organize specific topics or individual learning activities to achieve the overall learning outcome.” Objectives often describe what a professor will be doing in a course while objectives define what a student should be able to do after the course.
  • Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy for more insights: Bloom’s Taxonomy is a system used to determine different levels of learning. Referring to Bloom’s Taxonomy can help you develop learning outcomes that align with the complexity of each of your courses.
  • Use your learning outcomes to map your assignments and assessments: If you’re just getting started creating your course, you can use your new learning outcomes to map assignments, quizzes and exams. These assessments can help you determine if students are meeting the learning outcomes and just how effective a course is in delivering critical skills and knowledge.

Learning Outcomes Are Critical for Course Success

Student learning outcomes ensure your students walk away from your course with the skills and knowledge they need for success. Outcomes should be measurable, specific, easy-to-understand and actionable. You should also revisit your outcomes over time to ensure they’re still relevant.

Offering flexible learning options via digital courses can help your students reach success too. To learn more about how Lumen Learning’s digital courseware can support your classroom, fill out our contact form today.