Writing Student Learning Outcomes
OUTCOMES: After completing this workshop, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the characteristics of a good SLO
2. Write an SLO
3. Evaluate an SLO based on a checklist of criteria
4. Plan for and implement assessment for the SLO created.
What are Learning Outcomes?
Learning outcomes are clear and measurable statements that define what a student is able
to DO at the completion of a course or program. Learning outcomes refer to observable
and measurable
 Knowledge
 Skills
 Attitudes
Examples of Learning Outcomes Statements:
The successful student has reliably demonstrated ability to:
 Administer medications according to legal guidelines
 Make pricing decisions using relevant cost and profitability factors
Characteristics of Learning Outcomes Statements
Learning Outcomes should:
 Reflect essential knowledge, skills or attitudes;
 Reflect broad conceptual knowledge;
 Focus on results of the learning experiences;
 Reflect the desired end of the learning experience, not the means or the
process;
 Represent the minimum performances that must be achieved in order to
successfully complete a course or program;
 Answer the question, “Why should a student take this course anyway?”
Assessing student learning is not new to faculty; we do this every semester as we
evaluate student work. However, meeting the assessment expectations delineated in the
new accreditation standards requires conventions beyond typical grading. The good news
is that assessment practices can make student evaluation more meaningful, benefit your
teaching, and improve student learning. We need to do assessment in order to figure out
how effective our curriculum is at producing the desired learning.
There is a shift in perspective from what faculty are teaching to what students are
learning. SLOs and assessment are a way to monitor the information students are
processing in class. Think of it as analogous to taking a pulse or blood pressure on a
patient. Everything may look fine, but you need to get a reading on the
vital signs in order to operate on evidence and not just intuition. When
instruction focuses on SLOs, the learning process is more learner
centered and more relevant to the student’s life.
Why are SLOs and the assessment cycle so emphasized? They direct
the entire campus’ focus (teachers, staff, administrators) on the improvement of student
learning by revealing what is successful and what is not. Where we are not as successful
as we could be, we should make not only teaching decisions but also budget and facility
decisions necessary to improve student learning. Using SLOs and assessments effectively
shows us where we need to direct our attention. Using SLOs and assessments is very
empowering because it gives you information that acts as proof as to what you are doing
well and also proof as to what you need. In addition, WASC emphasizes the value in the
process of doing SLOACs and the dialogue and discovery that result from it.
To Develop Course Level SLO’s:
Try the “short cut” approach: Start from the list of objectives on your course outline (the
ones that have been there all along). Group these objectives into categories or
generalizations to create a shorter set of over-arching SLO statements.
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Focus on what the student can do. Don't address what was taught or presented, but
address the observable outcome you expect to see in the student.
Use active verbs. Active verbs are easier to measure. For instance, if you want the
students to understand how to correctly use a microscope - using the word
understand is not measurable. Can you measure understanding? Instead try to
imagine the outcome - Students will focus and display an image on the
microscope. For this I can both develop criteria and measure ability.
Include an assessable expectation. It helps if you have clearly defined
expectations concerning the criteria related to that outcome.
Share the outcomes with faculty from other disciplines and within your own
discipline.
Share the outcomes with your students. Students need to clearly understand what
is expected, they are unfamiliar with the discipline specific language. This helps
focus the clarity of the statements.
Modify as you learn from experience.