ASSESSING STUDENT
LEARNING
Jason Adsit – University at Buffalo
Some Trends and Topics
Internal and external pressures to
develop a “culture of assessment”
in higher education
 Shift from a focus on teaching to a
focus on student learning

Assessment: A Simple Definition

Ewell (2001): The methods that
an institution or program employs
to gather evidence about student
learning.
Assessment: A Common Definition

The process of collecting and
analyzing information from multiple
sources in order to develop a better
understanding of what students know,
believe, and are able to do as a
result of their educational
experiences.
The Assessment Process (Suskie, 2009)
Establishing clear, well-formulated
learning outcomes
 Ensuring that students have sufficient
opportunities to achieve the learning
outcomes (through coursework,
projects, examinations, etc.)

The Assessment Process (Suskie, 2009)
Systematically gathering and
analyzing evidence and results to
determine how well the students have
achieved the expected outcomes
 Using the results to better understand
and improve the teaching-learning
process

DEVELOPING LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Jason Adsit
Background & Overview
Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes: What’s the
difference?
 What is a learning outcome?
 Why are learning outcomes important?
 What are the core elements of a learning
outcome?

Outcomes
At the end of this session, participants will be
able to…
…identify the core elements of learning outcomes
…explain how learning outcomes connect
instruction and assessment
…classify the different types of learning outcomes
using Bloom’s Taxonomy
…analyze the core components of learning
outcome statements
Why are learning outcomes important?

Help foster curricular coherence by connecting
classroom activities and assessment
 Guide instructional planning – content, delivery,
and activities/assignments
 Guide the learner – set priorities and performance
expectations
 Guide evaluation – establish a framework (and set
of benchmarks) for assessing learning
WHAT IS A LEARNING
OUTCOME?
Clarifying the muddle of terms…
What is a learning objective?
Goals
 Aims
 Standards
 Objectives
 Performance Criteria
 Benchmarks
 Measures
 Etc., etc.

What is a learning outcome?
General
Specific
What is a learning outcome?
Goal
Outcome
What is a learning outcome?

Clarifying the terminology:
University
School
Program/Major
Course
Unit/Lesson
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
A DEFINITION
What is a learning outcome?
Goal



A statement of the
intended general aims
of an instructional unit,
course, or program
Global, general
Not necessarily
measureable
Outcome



A statement that
describes what the
learner is expected to
know and be able to do
as a result of engaging
in a learning activity
Specific, targeted
Measurable
Core elements of a learning outcome

Learning outcome: A statement (in
specific and measureable terms) that
describes what the learner will know
and be able to do as a result of
engaging in a learning activity
Core elements of a learning outcome

Learning outcome: A statement (in
specific and measureable terms) that
describes what the learner will know
and be able to do as a result of
engaging in a learning activity
Core elements of a learning outcome

Learning outcome: A statement …
Outcome = Conditions + Performance +
Criteria
Conditions
Given ‘x’ …
Without ‘y’ …
Performance
…the learner will
(verb)…
Criteria/Standards
Accuracy/Quality
Quantity
Time Constraints
Goals vs. Outcomes
Goal 1

At the end of the workshop,
participants will understand
the role and importance of
learning objectives
Outcome 1.1

Given a list of ten (10)
statements, participants will
be able to identify how
each statement corresponds
to Bloom’s taxonomy of
cognitive behavior.
Participants who correctly
identify nine (9) or more
statements will demonstrate
sufficient knowledge of the
topic
Core elements of a learning outcome


Learning outcome: A statement (in
specific and measureable terms) …
Measurable vs. Non-Measurable Terms
Non-Measurable
Measurable
Appreciate
Identify
Be familiar with
Compare
Understand
Justify
Believe
Demonstrate
Core elements of a learning outcome


Learning outcome: A statement (in
specific and measureable terms) that
describes what the learner will know
and be able to do …
Come to think of it, what is it that we want the
learner to know and be able to do?
Classifying Outcomes

Bloom (1956) – Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives (“Bloom’s Taxonomy”)
 Cognitive
Domain – intellectual thinking or skills
 Psychomotor Domain – physical skills or the
performance of actions
 Affective Domain – attitudes and values

Learning outcome domains
 “Knowledge,
skills, and dispositions”
Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956)
Level/Stage
Definition – X is the ability to…
Knowledge
recall of previously-learned material
Comprehension
grasp the meaning of the knowledge
being learned
Application
use learning materials in a new way – or
for new situations
Analysis
break material down into its parts so that
its organizational structure may be
understood
Synthesis
combine previous experiences with new
material to form new structures
Evaluation
judge the value of material for a given
purpose
Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956)
Level/Domain
Definition – X is the ability to…
Sample Learning Outcome Verbs
Knowledge
recall of previously-learned material
Define, repeat, recall, list, record,
outline, specify, state, label, match
Comprehension
grasp the meaning of the knowledge
being learned
Identify, explain, recognize,
discuss, review, summarize
Application
use learning materials in a new way – or
for new situations
Apply, illustrate, show, translate,
interpret, employ, use
Analysis
break material down into its parts so
that its organizational structure may be
understood
Analyze, categorize, inspect,
examine, calculate, classify,
organize
Synthesis
combine previous experiences with new
material to form new structures
Formulate, arrange, assemble,
create, organize, manage, predict
Evaluation
judge the value of material for a given
purpose
Evaluate, judge, appraise,
estimate, compare, assess
Core elements of learning outcomes



Example: At the end of this statistics lesson, students
will be know about the concepts of mean, median,
and mode
How would you turn this into a learning outcome?
What changes might you make to the outcome to
assess higher levels of learning (from Bloom’s
taxonomy)?
Core elements of learning outcomes



Example: At the end of this class, students will
understand and appreciate the role of the
pharmacist in the community
How would you turn this into a learning outcome?
What changes might you make to the outcome to
assess higher levels of learning (from Bloom’s
taxonomy)?
Core elements of learning outcomes



Example: At the end of this unit, students will know
about the causes of poverty in Africa
How would you turn this into a learning outcome?
What changes might you make to the outcome to
assess higher levels of learning (from Bloom’s
taxonomy)?
Core elements of learning outcomes

Learning outcome: A statement (in
specific and measureable terms) that
describes what the learner will know
and be able to do as a result of
engaging in a learning activity
Learning Activities

Reverse-engineering your instruction:
 Identify
the learning outcomes
 Identify the appropriate learning activities –
and tailor them to the outcomes
 Identify the appropriate assessments of
student learning
Thanks!