Learning Goals Workshop
Ako Aotearoa Project
July 2010
Based upon the CWSEI Learning Goals Workshop
After this workshop you should be able to …
• Explain the goal limitation set by the course.
• Write goals that target content, skills, or attitudes;
• Use Bloom’s taxonomy to write topic-level learning goals that
address all six levels of learning;
• Effectively link assessments to learning goals.
Pre-workshop assignment: the purpose was to provide an
opportunity for you to come already thinking about these
issues.
Workshop plan of action
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction
Goal limitations from course background
Course level goals
Topic level learning goals & Bloom’s taxonomy
Assessment: building questions that inform both
students and instructors.
Practice and collaborate in working groups
 No substitute for discussion with peers & iteration.
 General & small group discussion, and revisions.
1. Introduction
Definition:
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–
Articulate what students should be able to do after
a course, a module, a lesson, etc.
Reflects what you want students to learn and at what level.
Values of carefully designed goals:
–
–
–
Instructor: to better define, guide, & check your teaching.
Students: Define what they should be learning, and why.
Both: Essential for measuring what students are learning;
Goals help build assessments which provide feedback to
students and instructor.
1. Introduction
Wide range of possible goals:
–
–
–
–
–
memorizing terminology
complex problem solving skills
transferring ideas to new contexts
thinking like a professional / scientist
many others …..
Goals are NEVER perfect but ALWAYS valuable
Goals at any level should emphasize students
• Teaching is commonly viewed as teacher-centered.
• But … students must do their own learning;
we can not do the learning for our students.
• Good teaching involves helping students actively engage with
new ideas, skills, and behaviours.
Simply presenting new content is NOT “teaching”.
• “We will design more effective courses if we focus on setting
goals for what students do, rather than for the faculty member.”
From http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/coursedesign/tutorial/goals.html
Learning Goals—it’s hard to learn when you
don’t know what to pay attention to
http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/grafs/demos/15.html
Goal limitations Example: eosc221
• Introduction to mineralogy
• Context is important for steering goals
– 2nd year students, mostly pursuing a geology degree
– Pre-requisite for many subsequent courses
• Well defined requirements for learning
– Student background
• Minimal experience in geology
• 1st year chemistry
• Assessment- weekly labs, mid term lab exam,
final lab exam, final written exam- short
answers. Also Clickers, in class exercises
Activity 1: Goal limitations
Compare homework- Discuss in your groups in turn1. How your course context (Homework Q 1.) might
influence your learning goals
Time 5 mins per course
Total 10 mins
Workshop plan of action
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction
Goal limitations from course background
Course level goals
Topic level learning goals & Bloom’s taxonomy
Assessment: building questions that inform both
students and instructors.
3. Course-Level learning goals
Characteristics:
• Minimal technical terminology (unlike topic level goals)
• Should be informed by …
– Pre- and post-requisites
– Department goals and resources
– Discipline context & constraints (professions etc)
• Should articulate …
– Attitudes / beliefs you hope students will gain
– Concept areas and skill sets students should acquire
– Or, identify what students will be able to do with the new concepts and
skills. Specifics (details) may be implied.
To help focus goals design, 3 domains of learning
CONCEPTS: Eg: analyze, explain, and predict the
motion of objects in the world around you.
SKILLS: Cognitive/Process skills:
- Reasoning, Problem Solving, Evaluating, Critiquing…
- Compare / contrast; reflect; strategize, justify, plan …
Technical skills:
- Computer programming, specific software, …
- Laboratory skills, wetlab, instruments, tools, …
- Library, research, writing, presenting, …
ATTITUDES: Appreciate, Enjoy, Value
- e.g. Observe our planet from a more enthusiastic and
scientifically informed perspective.
About nature of learning and doing:
- e.g. Believe that learning and doing physics is more about
reasoning and making sense, not memorizing.
(There are many other “models” for learning domains.)
Learning domains
CONCEPTS
SKILLS
ATTITUDES
One Lecture-scale Learning
Goal could touch upon 3
course-level goals
Eg: Goals for a 1st yr physics course include all 3 aspects of learning:
Course-level learning goals
Recognize that the behavior of the
world around you is not magical and
mysterious, but rather can be
understood and predicted using
certain fundamental principles.
Lecture-level learning goals
Use knowledge about properties and
motion of electric charges to predict
and explain various aspects of
electricity.
Explain and justify the
requirements on specifications
of various basic electronic
components.
Be able to design a fluorescent
light bulb.
Activity 2: course-level goals
• In your groups- discuss course level goals
» Use the characteristic in slide 11 to complement and improve each
others goals.
• Which learning domains are targeted?
• Which goals do your prefer -Why?
Time 5 mins to look over
5 mins to discuss together
Recap: Some aspects of course-level goals
Characteristics:
• Minimal technical terminology (unlike topic level goals).
• Should be informed by …
– Pre- and post-requisites
– Department goals and resources
– Discipline context & constraints (professions etc)
• Articulate …
– Attitudes / beliefs you hope students will gain.
– Concept areas and skill sets students should acquire
Benefits:
• Help structure the course & guide methods of instruction.
• Study guide – help students structure their time & effort.
• Help instructor’s identify assumptions about prior learning.
• Enhances transfer between instructors.
(Instructors retain flexibility at the topic level)
Course-level or topic-level?
Course context: department, discipline, program General
Overview
Course goals
Topic goals
Pedagogy  Active learning
What can
students do?
Specific
Outcomes
oriented
Assessment
4. Topic-level goals
Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning
1. Factual Knowledge: remember and recall factual information
2. Comprehension: demonstrate understanding of ideas, concepts
3. Application: apply comprehension to unfamiliar situations
4. Analysis: break down concepts into parts
5. Synthesis: transform, combine ideas to create something new
6. Evaluation: think critically about and defend a position
See the Lord and Baviskar paper, and handout #2.
4. Topic-level goals
Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning – with verbs
1. Factual Knowledge: remember and recall factual information
Define, List, State, Label, Name, Describe
2. Comprehension: demonstrate understanding of ideas, concepts
Describe, Explain, Summarize, Interpret, Illustrate
3. Application: apply comprehension to unfamiliar situations
Apply, Demonstrate, Use, Compute, Solve, Predict, Construct, Modify
4. Analysis: break down concepts into parts
Compare, Contrast, Categorize, Distinguish, Identify, Infer
5. Synthesis: transform, combine ideas to create something new
Develop, Create, Propose, Formulate, Design, Invent
6. Evaluation: think critically about and defend a position
Judge, Appraise, Recommend, Justify, Defend, Criticize, Evaluate
Higher level: Require deeper conceptual understanding
Practice thinking about Bloom’s taxonomy
Examples of topic-level goals:
What Bloom’s level are these? (from eosc221)
1. Describe the rock granite
2. Compare and contrast granite with basalt
3. Design a methodology that you could use to distinguish
between granite and basalt.
4. Criticize your neighbors methodology for distinguishing
between granite and basalt
Are any “levels” better than others?
“high level”
“low level”
Developing topic level goals
Handout #2: Useful Tips for writing effective learning goals.
• Topic (or module) level goals define what students can
do after learning.
• Each should be consistent with at least one courselevel goal.
• Keep in mind learning “domains”:
– CONCEPTS
– SKILLS
– ATTITUDES
Topic-level learning goals (2-3 per class period)
Example:
• Understand how a fluorescent light bulb works.
Or …..
• Be able to design a fluorescent light bulb and to
explain and justify the requirements on the various
basic components.
Rewording-
Biology Learning Goal Examples
Human Genetics for non-majors
Course-level learning goal
Topic learning goal
Concepts:
Demonstrate how meiosis leads
to diversity in the next
generation
Skills:
Become better problem solvers
Original wording:
Understand the rules for
inheritance of chromosomes in the
process of meiosis.
Reworded:
Predict the probability of
generating sperm and egg cells with
specific chromosomal makeup.
(Blooms level 3).
Explain how these cells are
produced (Blooms level 2).
Increasing Blooms level
Introduction to Molecular and Cell Biology
Original goal
Describe how the process of
extracting information from
genetic material is regulated at
each step of conversion of
DNA to RNA to protein.
Characteristics
Low level goal—explicitly
encourages students to memorize
the steps from DNA to protein
New goal
Propose two different ways that
an abnormal protein could be
made in a cell, resulting in disease
symptoms.
In comparison
Higher level goal—encourages
student to think about how
proteins work, how they are
produced, and how they can be
altered by mutations in DNA.
Topic-level learning goals (2-3 per class period)
Check-list for creating topic-level learning goals
1.
2.
(Handout #3)
Is goal expressed in terms of what the student will achieve? Does it
identify what students will be able to do after the topic is covered?
Is the Bloom’s level of the goal aligned with your expectations for students’
learning … Is this what students will be able to do if they “understand” the
topic at the level you want?
– If you expect reasoning for “why”, does it convey that?
– Could you expect a higher level goal?
3.
4.
5.
Is it well-defined? Is it clear how you would test achievement?
Do chosen verbs have a clear meaning?
Is terminology familiar/common? If not, is the terminology a goal?
6.
Not every goal can achieve the following, but it is better if you can:
Is it relevant and useful to students? (e.g. connected to their everyday life,
or does it represent a useful application of the ideas).
Activity 3 – part 1:
Your learning goals
• Working with a partner or in a group:
Exchange topic-level goals
• Use the checklist to “critique” these goals
• Discuss.
Time 5 mins to look over
5 mins to discuss together
Activity 3 – part 2:
Refine your learning goal …
• Suggest changes to improve clarity
(address checklist items)
• All to discuss one or two of these
Time 5 mins to refine the goal
5 mins to discuss together
Break
Now: Testing achievement of learning goals;
i.e., assessing progress
Handout #4: Formative Assessment Questions
Why:
• Formative assessment = closing the feedback loop.
i.e. Test / quiz/ work / etc informs instructor & student
about knowledge gaps.
• Know what students think now (before exam), and react to it !
When ….
• Pre-test
Post-test
• Active learning = formative feedback
• Evaluations (marked work).
How …. Today’s focus is how to ask question which effectively
assess specific learning goals.
Help with writing questions
Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning – with verbs
1. Factual Knowledge: remember and recall factual information
Define, List, State, Label, Name, Describe
2. Comprehension: demonstrate understanding of ideas, concepts
Describe, Explain, Summarize, Interpret, Illustrate
3. Application: apply comprehension to unfamiliar situations
Apply, Demonstrate, Use, Compute, Solve, Predict, Construct, Modify
4. Analysis: break down concepts into parts
Compare, Contrast, Categorize, Distinguish, Identify, Infer
5. Synthesis: transform, combine ideas to create something new
Develop, Create, Propose, Formulate, Design, Invent
6. Evaluation: think critically about and defend a position
Judge, Appraise, Recommend, Justify, Defend, Criticize, Evaluate
Higher level: Require deeper conceptual understanding
The Montillation of Traxoline
when assessment goes astray
It is very important that you learn about traxoline. Traxoline is a new
form of zionter. It is montilled in Ceristanna. The Ceristannians
gristerlate large quantities of fevon and then bracter it to quasel
traxoline. Traxoline may well be one of our most lukized snezlaus in
the future, because of our zionter lescelidge.
- --Answer these questions in complete sentences.
Be sure to use your best handwriting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is traxoline?
Where is traxoline montilled?
How is traxoline quaselled?
Why is it important to know about traxoline?
[attributed to Judy Lanier]
Activity 4: Back to the goals and assesments
related to the topic goals you brought in …
• Exchange goals and assessments.
• Is the Blooms level appropriate, can you raise it ?
• Keep in mind:
Student perspective, the learning “domains” are you testing concepts,
skills, attitude.
• Avoid rote memorization strategies. Try:
– “Troubleshooting” (something changes, what could cause this?)
– “redesign …”
– “compare and contrast …” scenarios
Implementing assessments (questions)
Not just exams …
• In class is important – why?
– active learning
– Feedback for students AND instructors
• What are some options? (All can be solo / pairs / group work.)
–
–
–
–
–
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Clickers
Coloured cards to raise (multiple choice questions)
1 minute papers
Group (team) work with “instant” deliverables to enable compare & discuss
Pre-test quizzes (solo and/or groups)
Pre-test + Post-test to foster curiosity, then wrestle with using new concepts
This is the goal of this semester to develop these assessments
Other ideas for implementation:
• Ask question in exam or homework.
• Ask students to write answer to a question on a sheet of paper
and turn it in.
• Ask students to write answer on own, then discuss with others,
then write a revised answer.
• Compare question responses before / after a learning activity.
• Ask students to discuss question in groups, write a group answer.
• Ask a multiple choice question and ask students to vote using
their hands, colored cards, or clickers.
• Students can answer on their own or discuss in groups.
• Give credit for answering questions but don’t grade.
Research Assistant suggestions
1. To use UBC goals and your own suggestions to refine goals
and improve their use in the classroom
2. To use UBC assessments and your own suggestions to
develop:
(1) Formative in class clicker questions(2) Formative in class 5 min activities
(3) A multiple choice test for the end of the semester
Research assissant things to ask
• Are goals presented and clear in the class ?
• Can goals be improved upon- higher blooms
level ? More diverse learning domains ?
• Is it clear how these goals relate to course
goals ?
• Are any of the UBC goals appropriate ?
• Are any of the UBC assessments appropriate ?
Recap 1 Values of explicit learning goals:
•
Students: Define what they should be learning, and why.
•
Instructor: to better define, guide, & check your teaching.
•
Both: Essential for measuring what students are learning;
i.e. goals help build assessments which provide feedback
to students and instructor.
Recap 2 Building linked course level and topic level goals
• Student (NOT teacher) point of view.
• Cognitive domains (concepts, skills, attitudes).
• Use of Bloom’s taxonomy as a framework.
Assessment is the key – target appropriate levels of learning.
• Implementation:
– Formative feedback is key to informing students (and instructors)
about the degree of success at meeting goals of the course.
Thank you for your interest
Homework 
• Refine your learning goals (course-level and topiclevel) developed in the pre-workshop assignment.
• Look up “learning goals xxx” (xxx = your discipline).
A wide range of resources are available from many
reputable institutions.
Workshop evaluations:
Were these learning goals useful? Achieved?
• Distinguish between course and topic goals.
• Convert a syllabus (list of topics) into learning goals that
reflect what students should be able to do;
• Write goals that target content, skills, or attitudes;
• Use Bloom’s taxonomy to write topic-level learning goals that
address all six levels of learning;
• Effectively link assessments to learning goals.