Courses are dynamic and ‘alive,’ each aspect intimately connected. Although the term learning outcomes makes it sound like this part of course design comes at the end of the design process, ideally we should begin with the end in mind.
Starting out by identifying the outcomes of student learning helps us determine appropriate approaches to assessment, the best teaching strategies and key learning activities that will support students in successfully meeting the course learning outcomes. This section explores this approach in more detail.
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A good place to start is by thinking about the verb. Understanding Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning provides a good start, but the key is to begin with thinking about the what in ‘what will students learn?‘ – many learning outcomes at the college level include both lower and higher order thinking, and all include the whole person in the experience. |