Developing effective statements of intended learning outcomes
In Chapter 4 of Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses (2000), Mary E. Huba and Jann E. Freed offer a number of insights about the value of articulating intended learning outcomes, and several practical suggestions for doing so in ways that advance student learning. Below is a summary of their key claims.
Benefits of formulating intended learning outcomes (pp. 94-98)
- Intended learning outcomes form the basis of assessment at the course,
program, and institutional levels.
- Intended learning outcomes provide direction for all instructional
activity.
- Intended learning outcomes inform students about the intentions of the faculty.
Characteristics of effective intended learning outcomes (pp. 98-117)
Huba and Freed’s list of characteristics can be viewed through the lens of our aspirations for assessment at St. Olaf. Effective statements of intended learning outcomes are:
Mission-driven:
- Consistent with the institution’s mission and the values it represents
- Student-focused rather than professor-focused
- Aligned at the course, academic program, and institutional levels
Meaningful:
- Focused on the learning resulting from the activity rather than on the activity itself
- Focused on important, non-trivial aspects of learning that are credible to the public
- Focused on skills and abilities that are central to the discipline and are based on professional standards of excellence
Manageable:
- General enough to capture important learning, but clear and specific enough to be measurable
- Focused on aspects of learning that will develop and endure, but can be assessed in some form now