Syllabus Workshop Part II:
Backward Design &
Learning Outcomes
Focus on Teaching & Learning
Paula DeHart
School of Education
Assessment Coordinator
Welcome to UWSP!
UWSP has a strong focus on teaching,
learning, and assessment
Our campus has worked to develop learning
outcomes at all levels (GEP,
Department/Program, and Course)
This session will provide foundational
information on developing a syllabus and
determining learning outcomes for each of
your courses
What do you already know?
Raise your hand if you have had courses in
pedagogy/course development as part of
your graduate education.
Raise your hand if you have had prior
experience with course/syllabus
development.
Turn to a neighbor and share your first steps
in putting a syllabus together.
Content
Expert/
Delivery
System
Recipient
Recipient
Recipient
Recipient
Content Centered Model of Teaching and Learning
Learning Outcome
Model of Teaching
And Learning
Knower/
Inquirer
Knower/
Inquirer
Knower/
Inquirer
Enduring Understandings
Essential Knowledge, Skills
and Dispositions
Knower/
Inquirer
Knower/
Inquirer
(Learning Outcomes )
Knower/
Inquirer
Knower/
Inquirer
Knower/
Inquirer
Content
+
+
+ ... +
Assessment
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
in a Content Coverage Model
What We imagine (hope) learning looks
like within the content coverage model
Maybe A More Accurate Picture of the
Learning (Especially over time)
Course/Syllabus Development
Utilizing “Backward Design”
Stage 1: Start with desired results
Identify what students should understand, know,
value, and be able to do as a result of completing the
course (course/class activities, assignments, and
assessments)
Focus on enduring understandings (big ideas) that
students will explore and learn during the course
(link to professional standards, GEP learning
outcomes, and program area outcomes--ask your
dept. chair for these)
Enduring Understandings
Enduring understandings are big ideas, larger concepts, or
real-world insights that have endured or will endure over
time because they are so important and useful.
Enduring understandings are ones that will last in the
minds of students because they help them make sense of
and organize content, and transfer key ideas to other
courses and contexts beyond the classroom.
Belts’ Test
Examples of Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that:
Plant abundance and distribution is contextdependent (Biology)
Human behaviors, lifeways, and interactions are
shaped by culture (Anthropology)
Statistical results are only useful if they can be
explained and interpreted (Forest Biometrics)
The physiology of disease and the aging process
impact the capacity of individuals to participate in
exercise (Exercise Programming)
Examples of Essential Questions
Why do some plant populations decline while
others grow or simply persist? (Biology)
What is culture? Why do people fight over it?
(Anthropology)
What role does the level of uncertainty play when
making statistical decisions? (Forestry Biometrics)
How can specific populations be encouraged to
exercise? (Exercise Programming)
Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions
Instructor identifies what students must
know, be able to do, and value throughout
the course (written as learning outcomes).
Instructor particularly needs to consider
knowledge, skills, and dispositions
necessary to uncover enduring
understandings and complete performance
task(s) and other assessments.
What is a Learning Outcome?
A statement that describes what a student will know
(knowledge), be able to do (skill), and/or
value/appreciate (disposition) as a result of a
learning experience
Learning outcomes can be written for activities,
lessons, courses, areas of emphasis, majors,
programs, and degrees
Written in the form: 1) Student can/will be able to|
2) action verb| 3) specific action/skill they will be
able to do
Learning outcomes are measureable (provide
evidence of specific learning)
Aligning Learning
Outcomes
UWSP LOs
Program/Professional
LOs
GEP Category
LOs
Course Learning
Outcomes
Where Do I Find Active Verbs for Learning
Outcomes?
Websites with learning outcome verbs aligned with
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
http://cstep.csumb.edu/Obj_tutorial/bloomwheel.html
Verb wheel based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/edref/bloom.ht
m Learning objective verbs at each Bloom Taxonomy
level
Examples of Learning Outcomes
Students can explain how plant survival, growth,
and fecundity are affected by abiotic and biotic
factors. (Biology)
Students can utilize anthropological concepts to
describe different cultural practices. (Anthro)
Students can apply rules of probability to
determine probabilities in the context of natural
resources. (Forest Biometrics)
Students can explain how group identities shape
intergroup relations in harmful or helpful ways.
(Psychology)
Stage 2: Determine acceptable evidence of
understanding
Identify tasks, performances, and products
that will demonstrate student understanding,
as well as demonstrate key knowledge, skills,
and dispositions (learning outcomes)
Often framed in a real world context to add
authenticity and meaning (What would a real
person in a real situation/context do related to
the theme and big ideas/enduring
understandings?)
Learning Outcomes Can be Assessed in a
Variety of Ways (Written, Oral, Visual)
Project
Essay
Portfolio
Discussion
Exam
PowerPoint
Debate
Problem solution
Research report
Performance
Poster
Re-enactment
Menu
Speech
Business plan
Architectural
Design
Model
Examples of Performance Tasks
Research proposal for experiment on plant
ecology (Biology)
Ethnographic observation on UWSP
campus (Anthropology)
Statistical sampling exercise on UWSP
campus (Forest Biometrics)
Exercise program/plan for special
population with specific circumstances
(Exercise Programming)
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences &
Instruction
Focus of course activities, assignments, and
assessments is helping students “uncover”
and leave with enduring understandings
Class activities and assignments help
students develop the knowledge, skills and
dispositions (achieve course learning
outcomes) they need to complete
performance task(s) and other assessments