Division of
Student Affairs
Effective Learning Outcomes
What are learning outcomes?
Learning outcomes (LO’s) are statements that specify what students will either (a) produce, (b) represent, or (c)
demonstrate when they have completed the activity or experience that is intended to facilitate learning. Effective
outcomes are usually expressed as behaviors representative of skills, attitudes, or values.
What are the criteria and characteristics of effective LOs?
Criteria
1. Condition under which the behavior is to occur
2. Behavior must be observable (produced, represented, or demonstrated) and measurable
3. The behavior must be evaluated against specific criteria
Main Characteristics (P.A.S.S.E.D.)
 Pertinent and practical (Pertinent to the mission and learning goal and practical to the learner)
 Appropriate for learner and context (age, skill, environment, etc.)
 Structured around Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Activities
 Specifies a behavior that is observable, measurable, and demonstrable
 Evaluated (measured) against standards/criteria
 Difficult but realistic
Other Helpful Characteristics
 Brief and easy to understand
 Are distinct from broader data (satisfaction, frequency, retention, etc.) and objectives (Critical Thinking, etc.):
 Are usually few in number and drive the design of learning experiences
 Time-bound – defined within a set amount of time
 Involve many minds (different perspectives usually improve them considerably and help avoid unintended bias)
How can LO’s help?



Well written LO’s not only help departments and individuals define and communicate what students are learning,
they help us design better and more effective learning experiences as well.
Good LO’s provide departments with useful data regarding the impact of the service or experience beyond
satisfaction and benchmarks.
o Most importantly, they help us determine if students are indeed learning what we want them to
When students are aware of the learning outcomes, they are better able to process the experience, articulate their
learning, and transfer it to other contexts.
How do I develop LO’s?




Ask yourself this: Following the experience or interaction with your office, “what should the student be able to
produce, represent, or demonstrate as a result of that experience or service?
Often, you can come up with MANY more than you can realistically do, so list these out and choose the most
critical and central to your mission and purpose. Keep in mind General Education or Co-Curricular Objectives
that can also help.
Take the most critical and write them as a Learning Outcome using the Learning Outcome Cheat Sheet (below)
Take advantage of resources that may be available (i.e. Student Affairs Assessment and Research, Institutional
Research, Campus Labs resources, Assessment Fellows, Staff and Faculty expertise, etc.)
Stan Dura
Director, Student Affairs Assessment and Research
Email: sdura@uoregon.edu
1
Oregon Hall 372C
Tel: 541-346-8267
Fax: 541-346-6048
Useful Tools and Tips:
Beginner’s Cheat Sheet to Develop Learning Outcomes
Use this simple process tool to help develop a good learning outcome.
As a result of (Activity) in (Learning experience), and given (Conditions or materials are provided), the student will
(Behavior or item produced, demonstrated or otherwise represented as evidence of learning) that is (Criterion) as
measured by (Method of evaluation).

Activity
o As a result of (insert activity: participating/engaging in, completing, etc.)

Learning Experience
o (insert specific experience: training, XYZ Program, XYZ internship, etc.)

Given Conditions or Materials
o (describe any special context, materials, time constraints, etc.)

Active Cognition
o Define the cognitive activity will the learner perform in order to fulfill learning outcome

Measurable behavior
o the student will (describe what the student will produce, demonstrate, or otherwise represent) as
evidence of their learning). TIP: Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to identify action verbs for this section.

Criterion
o (describe the quality and quantity of the product)

Method of Evaluation
o As measured by (define the assessment or evaluation method used).
EXAMPLES:
 As a result of completing the resident assistant training session for documenting violations, and given a video of a
mock confrontation and the online incident report form, resident assistants will analyze the violation and compose
a report that is concise (less than 1page), thorough (contains important details), and objective (free of judgmental
or emotional language) as evaluated by professional staff using a related rubric.
 As a result of participating in the Bridges program and given knowledge of different ways to be an Ally,
participants will analyze their particular context and identify 3 specific ways they can serve as an Ally by listing 3
separate strategies on the program evaluation.
Advanced Cheat Sheet to Develop Learning Outcomes (assumes the activity, experience, givens, measures and
criterion are automatically considered and used)


Learner(s)
o (Learner(s): participant, students, staff member, etc.)
Measurable behavior
o will (describe what the student will produce, demonstrate, or otherwise represent) as evidence of their
learning)
EXAMPLES:
 Resident assistants will analyze a violation and compose an appropriate report.
 Participants will analyze their particular context and identify 3 specific ways they can serve as an Ally.
Division of
Student Affairs
Evaluating and Troubleshooting
After completing your LO, you can evaluate it by taking each of the Criteria and Characteristics and determining whether
each criteria or characteristic is true of that particular LO. If the answer is NO to any of the Criteria or Main
Characteristics, then you know what you need to fix. If the answer is NO to any of the Other Characteristics, it might
benefit from some improvement.
Bad Examples of LO’s – These are not specific enough, not measured against standards, and/or are not demonstrable.
 …will appreciate the healthy benefits of a good diet
 …will be able to access campus resources
 …will develop problem-solving skills and conflict resolution.
 …will be able to have more confidence in their abilities.
Poor Examples of LO’s – these are still not specific enough, not measured against standards, and/or not demonstrable
 …will value nutritious dieting as a healthy lifestyle choice
 …will be able to develop and apply effective problem solving skills that would enable one to adequately navigate
through the proper campus resources
 …will demonstrate ability to resolve personal conflicts and assist others in resolving conflicts.
 …will demonstrate critical thinking skills, such as problem solving as it relates to social issues.
NOTE:
 Phrases like, “will be able to”, “will understand”, “will value”, “will develop”, etc. immediately limit the LO.
 LO’s that have 2 or more verbs are often problematic and confusing unless their measures are distinct
Better Examples of LO’s – these are specific enough, measured against standards, and more demonstrable
Examples – Specific and relatively EASY to measure…
 …will articulate 5 of the 8 ways in which exercise positively affects stress
 …will identify at least 2 campus resources appropriate to their immediate need
 …will demonstrate at least 3 conflict management techniques covered in training to facilitate a roommate
mediation in a role play scenario
 …will critically analyze an argument supportive of racial discrimination and develop an alternative perspective
that is civil (free of judgmental or abusive language) and reflective of tolerance and support for marginalized
students.
Stan Dura
Director, Student Affairs Assessment and Research
Email: sdura@uoregon.edu
3
Oregon Hall 372C
Tel: 541-346-8267
Fax: 541-346-6048