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Working with Learning Outcomes
Well designed learning outcomes can be the key to good planning, organised teaching,
easy assessment and sound progress for learners
The examples in this document are from two of the writer’s own subjects – Creative Writing and
‘The Life, Times and Crimes of Jack the Ripper’ though they can be adapted to any subject.
A few basics about learning outcomes
Learning outcomes are based on the notion that learning leads to a change, a development in
the learner, an advancement in what they can do, what they know, what they believe or what
they understand. Some people use the term objectives rather than outcomes.
Assessment of learning is easier if we can witness that change through something explicitly
observable or audible, then we can tell if a learner has learned what we wanted them to learn.
That’s why learning outcomes are expressed through what we expect a learner to be able to do
or say as a result of our teaching and their learning. Outcomes don’t have to be complicated the simplest outcomes are the best, though simple outcomes can disguise the fact that a lot of
thought has to go into them.
Another ‘plus’ for learning outcomes is that some research evidence suggests that learners
learn better when they know what they are aiming at, what the outcome of their learning will be.
Learning, understanding and doing
Let’s examine this. It’s important for all learners on the Jack the Ripper course to learn the main
facts about Jack’s crimes because they need to have some idea of the basic information on the
case. Here is a stab at designing a learning outcome to that end.
The learner(s) will learn the main facts in the Jack the Ripper case
Okay, but we can’t directly see or hear a learner learning (maybe in the future but not yet).
Having learned this, what will the learner be able to do or say? Let’s try again:
The learner(s) will understand the main facts in the Jack the Ripper case
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Okay, but having understood these things what will the learner be able to do or say? We can’t
openly see somebody ‘understanding’ something.
Third time lucky:
The learner(s) will summarise the main facts in the Jack the Ripper case
Aha! We can see and hear a learner summarise Jack the Ripper’s crimes, by reading their
written text, or listening to them if they are presenting verbally. Having learned these things and
understood these things, this is what the learner will be able to do as a result. This ‘third time
lucky’ outcome will make it easier for us to assess whether the learner has learned what we
wanted them to learn. (And of course, we can also tell if they haven’t learned and we need to go
over the facts again).
That’s why learning outcomes are expressed through active verbs, describing behaviour, such
as:
The learner will……
state, explain, present, make, create, produce, calculate, grow, cook, paint, apply, format,
use, evaluate ……
and infinite numbers of other ‘doing’ words – things we can see or hear.
Not just the ‘what’ but the how:
Ideally, we want the learner to be able to summarise the information about the JR case correctly
and unprompted, as signs they have truly learned. Let’s add a little to the outcome to reflect
that:
The learner will independently and accurately summarise the main facts in the Jack the
Ripper case
But there is never one type of learner in our classes……
What if there are learners on this course with dyslexia, or dementia, or Downes’ Syndrome, or
another type of learning difficulty /disability that affects memory? Or somebody who simply has
a weak memory? Or someone who knows the information but lacks the confidence to express
it? Or any other issues stopping them from achieving this outcome in its current form?
If these learners feel they are falling behind or not making progress they may get frustrated or
worried and leave the class.
Not a problem. Learning outcomes can be flexible - we can bend them or shape them into an
infinite number of possibilities. And it’s up to us, our subject demands and our initial assessment
of learners, how we design them. The main thing is that the outcomes are pitched to challenge
the learner to achieve the most they can, since that enables the most satisfying experience and
success for learners. Try these examples:
The learner will, independently and accurately state some facts in the Jack the Ripper
case
OR
The learner will, with support, accurately summarise the main facts in the Jack the Ripper
case.
‘Independently and accurately summarise the main facts of the case’ could even be a next
step for these learners, one sort of progression aim for them. (A class like Jack the Ripper
may not be suitable for people with more than mild learning disability or for pre-entry
learners, due to its thinking-skills demands)
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Also……
What if a learner comes to the class who can already summarise the main facts in the Jack the
Ripper case rather well, because they studied the topic before? If we stick to the outcome
‘Independently and accurately summarise the main facts of the case’, the learner might not
learn anything new. S/he could get bored and leave the class.
After all, most adult education classes have a wide variety of abilities, levels and previous
experience amongst learners.
To keep the interest of these more knowledgeable learners we could, for example, give them
more information, stuff they do not know. However, it might be hard to gauge everything they
do or do not know already. So, we could get them to do something with the information they
know. For example:
The learner will explain the important issues in the JR case
The learner will suggest theories and solutions to the main unanswered questions in the
JR case
Let’s collect together all the outcomes we have so far and put them in a format that lesson
plans often ask for:
By the end of the lesson learners will be able to:
Accurately summarise the main facts in the Jack the Ripper case
Some will do this with support
Some will do this independently
Some will explain the important historical issues these facts reveal
Some will suggest theories and solutions to the main unanswered
questions the facts reveal
We have differentiated the outcomes by thinking how each of the learners in the class can be
challenged and supported.
Of course, we may be surprised and in the end all of the learners may be able to do all of the
above – it doesn’t matter – the important thing is that we planned to include the basics, what
everyone needed to know (info on JR’s crimes), then planned to keep all learners interested
and learning, regardless of what they already know (opinions and analysis about the crimes).
We can assess whether the learners have accomplished these learning outcomes and we can
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always alter them as we go along – that’s allowed. In fact it’s good, if not essential, practice to
nudge learners ever nearer to the stars.
Sometimes learners learn things that we did not directly intend and for which there was no preplanned learning outcome. That’s okay too, in fact it’s one of the things that makes humans so
wonderfully unpredictable and hard to fit into boxes.
Mentioned above are a just a few examples of learning outcomes. In every class, outcomes can
be written in a thousand different ways according to the:
Subject
Learners’ preferences
Learners’ levels – we can write different outcomes for different levels or use an overall
outcome that incorporates all levels that we then split into (for example) beginners,
intermediate, advanced – as in the box above
Tutor’s preferences and style
Whether they are course or lesson outcomes (see below)
What subject they refer to, the main subject or the secondary subject (see below)
Some tutors begin their planning with the learning outcomes, asking themselves firstly what
they want learners to be able to do as a result of their learning. Then they work backwards and
design the teaching activity to fit in with the outcomes.
Not only do our learning outcomes help us to express differentiation and make sure all learners
are given something new, but they also gives possible progression steps for the learners to
climb as they get more knowledgeable and confident.
Course outcomes and lesson outcomes
As mentioned earlier, learning outcomes can give lots of flexibility, according to how they’re
designed. Let’s move away from murder, gore and mayhem for a while and look at some
outcomes for a Creative Writing class.
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Let’s say this course is six weeks long. Each week a different aspect of creative writing
technique is prioritised – ideas, character, dialogue, setting, description and point of view –
making up the six weeks.
Outcomes can be narrower and specific. Each of the lessons above can have its own learning
outcome(s) for example:
Character - The learner will be able to invent a fictional character with depth and
interest
Setting - The learner will be able to write a short piece of fiction where the setting
adds interest to the work and affects, or reflects, the story
Point of view – The learner will be able to write using three different points of view
then say which they preferred and why
Outcomes can also be broader and more generalised, and relate to the whole course:
The learner will be able to produce fiction using techniques that develop their writing
The learner will be able to write for different audiences
It’s okay to use broader, course outcomes on which to calculate our success and achievement
rates. This gives a much greater chance that learners will achieve all their outcomes, even if
they are absent for a couple of weeks. If we calculate success and achievement rates at the
end of the course on combined lesson outcomes, there is very little margin for absence without
it affecting success rates. Even if a learner has been absent for a couple of weeks, they can still
achieve the broader course outcome if you feel they have done enough to earn it.
Using outcomes to embed other subjects
Increasingly, tutors are asked to consider other subjects as well as the main one we are
teaching. This can be tricky, adding yet another ‘issue’ to all the others we are asked to embed.
The list is already long and seems to get longer – learners’ personal goals; equalities; diversity;
sustainable skills and functional skills (literacy, numeracy, language and IT) all have to be
considered.
Let’s call these the secondary subjects. Jack the Ripper is our main subject again.
Expressing these secondary subjects through additional learning outcomes can help. Here are
some examples. Note that they are all relevant to the main subject There is overlap between
them:
Learners personal goals: (taken from examples of the personal goals most given by learners)
Learners will be able to:
Contribute to a group discussion on how JR got away with his murders (To meet and
talk with other people interested in the subject)
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Reflect on their learning about JR and what they enjoyed the most (To learn more
about Jack the Ripper)
Equalities:
Learners will be able to:
Explain who JR’s victims were and why they were vulnerable
Compare the situation of women, sex workers and immigrants in Whitechapel at the
time of the murders to society now
Describe the link between inequality and murder
Argue how far poverty was the blame for the murders
Demonstrate increased awareness of equality and diversity issues
IT and literacy:
Learners will be able to:
Search for three good JR web sites on the Net to contribute to a group list
Create a ‘web-quest’ for others to carry out, using sound JR web sites and research
documents for information, and using reasonably accurate written presentation (also
literacy)
Design a JR quiz on the computer using word processing, images, credible internet
sources and reasonably accurate written presentation
Communication/Language :
Learners will be able to:
Give a ten minute presentation to the group on a favourite aspect of the JR case,
using appropriate communication skills
Numeracy:
Learners will be able to:
Calculate where JR allegedly lived according to geographical profiling techniques
Interpret statistics to get information on the number and type of crimes in Whitechapel
at the time
Sustainable skills: (communication and functional skills also fall within sustainable skills)
Learners will be able to:
Work in a team, each taking a different role in designing, researching and producing a
resource, based on a JR theme
Independently complete/produce a word puzzle on key terms in the JR case, correctly
researching, defining and spelling a range of relevant words
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A drop in the ocean…..
The examples used so far in this document are a drop in the ocean compared to the infinite
numbers of learning outcomes that could be used when teaching. Here are some more based
on JR, showing the range and types possible. They increase in level and complexity as they go
along:
By the end of the course/lesson the learner will be able to:
Give important dates, times, venues and incidents in the JR case
Explain the circumstances of each crime
Describe Whitechapel at the time
Research historical documents to get information on the JR case
Explain the reaction of the media at the time
Provide a victimology of the people JR killed and say why they were vulnerable
Explain the differences and similarities between the situation for women, immigrants,
children and low income people, then and now
Propose theories as to why JR was never caught
Evaluate the police response to JR’s crimes. Were they unlucky or inefficient?
Give reason as to why JR’s crimes continue to fascinate us today
Discuss whether JR would get away with his crimes now
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APPENDIX
Learning outcomes for other subjects
ACLS would like to thank all the tutors who contribute to this
list of learning outcome examples
Learners will be able to:
General
o Use self direction to complete a task
o Undertake a new challenge
o Plan an activity
o Identify their own personal strengths and weaknesses
o Carry out a new skill
o Reflect on their learning and evaluate what they have learned and what they need
to do next
o Take part in a variety of assessment and feedback methods
Team work
o Contribute to /lead a team activity and an effective end goal, or move the team
closer to that goal
o Reflect on the success of the team activity
o Describe why teams are important
o Give examples of how teams can work together to achieve
o Give examples of where teams can go wrong
o Work collaboratively with others to achieve a goal
o Contribute something positive to group development
Decision making skills
o Define the issue or problem
o Generate ideas and alternatives to address the issue
o Reach conclusions based on analysis of facts, ideas and other relevant
information from all concerned with, or affected by, the issue
o Choose an appropriate option and make a fair and objective decision
o Review the decision and modify accordingly
Sport and active leisure
o Participate in sport and active leisure to maintain and/or increase health/fitness
o Reflect on the health benefits they have gained through participating
o Suggest what they need to work on further to improve health and fitness
Communication
o Give a presentation to the group using appropriate communication skills and body
language
o Give reasons why body language is important in communication
o Actively participate in a discussion, listening and turn taking, respecting others
views and moving the discussion forward
o Share information to further others’ knowledge
o Give and receive constructive criticism
o Give feedback to help others improve
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Art
o Create a work of art
o Create an image or object expressing an idea, a feeling, a thought, a view of the
world
o Make art works using a range of tools, materials and techniques
o Evaluate own work and suggest strengths and areas for improvement
o Evaluate others’ work and suggest strengths and areas for improvement
o Describe the various elements of art works (line, form, colour, texture, shape,
tone, pattern, subject, medium, scale, proportion, space, size, perspective)
o Make a sculpture that a blind person can appreciate
o Reflect on the work
o Make an art work using recycled materials
o Describe how the recycled materials adds to the piece
o Demonstrate awareness of art appreciation and how it can change from culture to
culture or decade to decade eg beauty, insight, taste etc
o Explore a range of materials, tools and processes
o Functional Skills
o Express personal feelings ideas and thoughts through making an art work
Flower Arrangement
o Create a design showcasing floral fruits
o Create a design without floral foam
o Produce an arrangement using a range of glue techniques – glue guns and cold
glue
o Make a stacked table design
o Use pinned leaves and aluminium wire to make a horizontal design
o Build an irregular stacked arrangement
o Create a traditional and a contemporary spring landscape and compare the main
elements of the two designs
o Assemble a Maundy Posy
o Use twigs to make a spring flower construction
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It’s OK to ask us about anything you wish
For more information or guidance on this “Hot Topic” please contact:
Julie Dye on 0115 9773082 or email:
julie.dye@nottscc.gov.uk
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