Attachment B
Writing Program Level Learning Outcomes
High Quality Learning Outcomes .
..

Use verbs that indicate how the student work can be observed.

Focus on what the student should do, not what the instructor teaches.

Name what students should be able to do at the conclusion of a program, not simply what they do during the
program.

Can be (usually) assessed in more than one way.

Can be understood by someone outside the discipline.

Are readily available to students, faculty, and the public.
Useful Program Level Learning Outcome Statements

Describe what students should be able to demonstrate, represent, or produce based on their learning
histories.

Rely on active verbs that identify what students should be able to demonstrate, represent, or produce over
time – verbs such as create, apply, construct, translate, identify, formulate, and hypothesize.

Align with institution-level educational intentions for student learning.

Map to the curriculum, co-curriculum, and educational practices that offer multiple and varied opportunities
for students to learn.

Incorporate or adapt professional organization outcomes statements when they exist.
(Maki, 60)
Maki, Peggy L. Assessing for Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution, American Association of Higher Education.
Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing. 2004.
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
Attachment B
Format for Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to <<action verb>> <<something>>
Students should be able to <<action verb>> <<something>>
Students will <<action verb>> <<something>>
Avoid Fuzzy Verbs
Students will understand . . .
Students will know . . .
Students will appreciate . . .
Students will learn . . .
Students will become aware of . . .
Tip: Stay away from multiple <action verbs> and multiple <somethings>
Students will be able to <action verb>, <action verb>, and <action verb>, <something>, <something else>, and <another thing>.
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
Attachment B
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
Attachment B
More examples:
A.
Program Level Learning Outcome: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history, literature and function of the theatre, including
works from various periods and cultures.
Course Level Learning Outcome: Students will be able to explain the theoretical bases of various dramatic genres and illustrate them
with examples from plays of different eras.
Course Level Learning Outcome – more fine-grained, specifying the conditions: During the senior dramatic literature course, the
students will be able to explain the theoretical bases of various dramatic genres and illustrate them with examples from plays of different
eras.
B.
Program Level Learning Outcome: The student will be able to discuss philosophical questions.
Course Level Learning Outcome: The student is able to develop relevant examples and to express the significance of philosophical
questions.
C.
General Education Learning Outcome: Students will be able to apply multiple disciplinary perspectives to questions and problems.
General Education Capstone Course Outcome: Asked to solve a problem in the student’s field, the student will be able to draw from
theories, principles, and/or knowledge from other disciplines to help solve the problem.
D.
Department Level Learning Outcome: Each student will be able to function as a team member.
Course Level Learning Outcome:: Each student will reflect upon his or her contributions to a team effort, ability to accept other team
members as resources, and willingness to accept compromises if required to achieve a team goal.
This page is developed from Skidmore College Assessment Plan. Go to: http://hudson2.skidmore.edu/administration/assessment
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
Attachment B
Cognitive learning is demonstrated by knowledge recall and the intellectual skills: comprehending information,
organizing ideas, analyzing and synthesizing data, applying knowledge, choosing among alternatives in problemsolving and evaluating ideas or actions.
Level
Knowledge
Know
Outcome Verbs
Definition
arrange, define, describe, duplicate, identify, label, list, match,
remembering previously
memorize, name, order, outline, recognize, relate, recall,
learned information
repeat, reproduce, select, state
classify, convert, defend, describe, discuss, distinguish,
Comprehension estimate, explain, express, extend, generalize, give examples, grasping the meaning of
Understand identify, indicate, infer, locate, paraphrase, predict, recognize, information
rewrite, report, restate, review, select, summarize, translate
Application
Apply
Analysis
Analyze
Synthesis
Synthesize
Evaluation
Evaluate
apply, change, choose, compute, demonstrate, discover,
dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, manipulate, modify,
applying knowledge to
operate, practice, predict, prepare, produce, relate, schedule, actual situations
show, sketch, solve, use, write
analyze, appraise, break down, calculate, categorize,
compare, contrast, criticize, diagram, differentiate,
discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, identify,
illustrate, infer, model, outline, point out, question, relate,
select, separate, subdivide, test
arrange, assemble, categorize, collect, combine, comply,
compose, construct, create, design, develop, devise, design,
explain, formulate, generate, integrate, manage, modify,
organize, plan, prepare, propose, rearrange, reconstruct,
relate, reorganize, revise, rewrite, set up, summarize,
synthesize, tell, write
appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, conclude,
contrast, defend, describe, discriminate, estimate, evaluate,
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
Example
memory of specific facts, terminology,
rules, sequences, procedures,
classifications, categories, criteria,
methodology, principles, theories, and
structure
stating problem in own words,
translating a chemical formula,
understanding a flow chart,
translating words and phrases from a
foreign language
taking principles learned in math and
applying them to figuring the volume
of a cylinder in an internal combustion
engine
breaking down objects or
ideas into simpler parts and
seeing how the parts relate
and are organized
discussing how fluids and liquids
differ, detecting logical fallacies in a
student's explanation of Newton's 1st
law of motion
rearranging component
ideas into a new whole
writing a comprehensive report on a
problem-solving exercise, planning a
program or panel discussion, writing a
comprehensive term paper
making judgments based
on internal evidence or
external criteria
evaluating alternative solutions to a
problem, detecting inconsistencies in
the speech of a student government
Attachment B
explain, judge, justify, interpret, relate, predict, rate, select,
summarize, support, value
representative
Affective learning is demonstrated by behaviors indicating attitudes of awareness, interest, attention, concern, and
responsibility, ability to listen and respond in interactions with others, and ability to demonstrate those attitudinal
characteristics or values which are appropriate to the situation and the field of study.
Level
Receiving
Receive
Responding
Respond
Valuing
Value
Organization
Organize
Outcome Verbs
asks, chooses, describes, follows, gives, holds,
identifies, locates, names, points to, selects, sits
erect, replies, uses
Definition
willingness to receive or
attend
Example
listening to discussions of
controversial issues with an open
mind, respecting the rights of others
active participation indicating
completing homework assignments,
positive response or
participating in team problemacceptance of an idea or
solving activities
policy
accepting the idea that integrated
completes, describes, differentiates, explains, follows, expressing a belief or attitude
curricula is a good way to learn,
forms, initiates, invites, joins, justifies, proposes,
about the value or worth of
participating in a campus blood
reads, reports, selects, shares, studies, works
something
drive
adheres, alters, arranges, combines, compares,
recognizing own abilities,
completes, defends, explains, generalizes, identifies, organizing various values into
limitations, and values and
integrates, modifies, orders, organizes, prepares,
an internalized system
developing realistic aspirations
relates, synthesizes
answers, assists, complies, conforms, discusses,
greets, helps, labels, performs, practices, presents,
reads, recites, reports, selects, tells, writes
Characterization by a
acts, discriminates, displays, influences, listens,
value or value complex
modifies, performs, practices, proposes, qualifies,
Act
questions, revises, serves, solves, uses, verifies
a person's lifestyle influences
the value system becomes a
reactions to many different kinds of
way of life
situations
Gronlund, N. E. (1981). Measurement and evaluation in teaching, 4th ed. New York, Macmillan Publishing.
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
Attachment B
McBeath, R. J., (Ed.). (1992). Instructing and evaluating in higher education: A guidebook for planning learning outcomes. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational
Technology
Psychomotor learning is demonstrated by physical skills: coordination, dexterity, manipulation, grace, strength, speed;
actions which demonstrate the fine motor skills such as use of precision instruments or tools, or actions which evidence
gross motor skills such as the use of the body in dance or athletic performance.
Level
Perception
Set
Guided
response
Mechanism
Complex or
overt
response
Adaptation
Origination
Outcome Verbs
chooses, describes, detects, differentiates,
distinguishes, identifies, isolates, relates,
selects, separates
begins, displays, explains, moves, proceeds,
reacts, responds, snows, starts, volunteers
Definition
using sense organs to obtain
cues needed to guide motor
activity
Example
listening to the sounds made by guitar strings before
turning them, recognizing sounds that indicate
malfunctioning equipment
knowing how to use a computer mouse, having
being ready to perform a
instrument ready to play and watching conductor at
particular action: mental, physical
start of a musical performance, showing eagerness to
or emotional
assemble electronic components to complete a task
assembles, builds, calibrates, constructs,
dismantles, displays, dissects, fastens, fixes, performing under guidance of a
grinds, heats, manipulates, measures, mends, model: imitation or trial and error
mixes, organizes, sketches
being able to perform a task
(same list as for guided response)
habitually with some degree of
confidence and proficiency
using a torque wrench just after observing an expert
demonstrate a its use, experimenting with various
ways to measure a given volume of a volatile chemical
demonstrating the ability to correctly execute a 60
degree banked turn in an aircraft 70 percent of the time
(same list as for guided response)
performing a task with a high
degree of proficiency and skill
adapts, alters, changes, rearranges,
reorganizes, revises, varies
arranges, combines, composes, constructs,
using previously learned skills to using skills developed learning how to operate an
perform new but related tasks
electric typewriter to operate a word processor
creating new performances after designing a more efficient way to perform an assembly
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013
dismantling and re-assembling various components of
an automobile quickly with no errors
Attachment B
creates, designs, originates
having developed skills
line task
Gronlund, N. E. (1981). Measurement and evaluation in teaching, 4th ed. New York, Macmillan Publishing.
McBeath, R. J., (Ed.). (1992). Instructing and evaluating in higher education: A guidebook for planning learning outcomes. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational
Technology
Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Planning and Decision Support
September 2013