Aligning assessments to subject learning outcomes is about making sure students build the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Subject learning outcomes set out the key knowledge and skills our students need to master. They're developed through consultation and accreditation processes.
As academics, we need to make sure:
- our teaching and learning activities help students learn the identified knowledge and skills
- students have mastered the knowledge and skills before they move onto the next step, whether that's a new session or a professional workplace.
Elements of a subject learning outcome
Subject learning outcomes include:
- an action or skill, usually identified through a verb such as describe, analyse, evaluate, design or create which indicates the development of skill which can be a cognitive skill or one used in professional practice
- an area of knowledge
- a context, such as a professional environment or practice in which the student can apply the skills and knowledge.
Each element is highlighted in the example below:
Be able to evaluate (action) digital media content (area of knowledge) from the perspective of consumers and producers (context).
How to analyse a learning outcome
Analysing your learning outcome is the first step in choosing your assessment method. To analyse a learning outcome:
- Identify the skills or actions you want students to demonstrate. Is it a cognitive skill or a professional or practical skill?
- Think about the level of thinking you want students to demonstrate. Are they lower order thinking skills or higher order thinking skills?
The level of thinking is related to the verb in the learning outcome indicating what skill the student is expected to achieve. Look at Revised Blooms Taxonomy to get a sense of what each level might be expected to do in relation to your learning outcome.
It's also essential that the learning outcomes meet the level of learning required by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Examples of terminology usually associated with each level of taxonomy are listed below.
- Choose
- Define
- Find
- Label
- List
- Match
- Name
- Recall
- Relate
- Select
- Show
- Spell
- Tell
- What
- When
- Where
- Which
- Who
- Why
- Classify
- Demonstrate
- Explain
- Extend
- Illustrate
- Infer
- Interpret
- Outline
- Relate
- Rephrase
- Show
- Summarise
- Translate
- Apply
- Build
- Choose
- Construct
- Develop
- Experiment with
- Identify
- Interview
- Make use of
- Model
- Organise
- Plan
- Select
- Solve
- Utilise
- Analyse
- Assume
- Categorise
- Classify
- Compare
- Conclude
- Contrast
- Discover
- Dissect
- Distinguish
- Divide
- Examine
- Inference
- Inspect
- Motive
- Relationships
- Simplify
- Survey
- Test for
- Theme
- Appraise
- Assess
- Award
- Choose
- Criticise
- Deduct
- Defend
- Determine
- Disprove
- Estimate
- Evaluate
- Explain
- Influence
- Interpret
- Judge
- Justify
- Measure
- Opinion
- Perceive
- Prioritise
- Prove
- Rate
- Recommend
- Select
- Support
- Value
- Adapt
- Build
- Change
- Choose
- Combine
- Compile
- Compose
- Construct
- Create
- Delete
- Design
- Develop
- Discuss
- Elaborate
- Estimate
- Formulate
- Imagine
- Improve
- Invent
- Make up
- Maximise
Review your subject's learning outcomes and assessment tasks and ask yourself:
- Do the learning outcomes articulate the knowledge, skills and application students need to learn in this subject?
- Do the assessment tasks give students an opportunity to show they've met the subject's learning outcomes? That is, does the task make sense in light of the subject learning outcomes?
- Is each outcome covered in at least one assessment task?
- Is the assessment task clearly described in plain English? Does it include clear guidance on the required content and format?
- Does the name of the task match the description? For example, an essay task that asks for an executive summary and other subheadings should be called a report.
- Can you make the assessment tasks more authentic? That is, do the tasks you've chosen reflect how a graduate would apply this knowledge in the workplace?
For more information on reviewing assessment items, visit Assessment review.
Changing subject learning outcomes
Subject learning outcomes (SLOs) align with the Course Level Outcomes (CLOs) to support the achievement of these by the end of a course. Each subject plays a part in ensuring students meet the CLOs, and their assessment tasks are the evidence for this. SLOs are most often reviewed and adjusted as an outcome of a comprehensive course review.
Sometimes, however, SLOs need to be adjusted for currency, accreditation and clarity. There is a process to follow to ensure that any changes do not impact the mapping to CLOs, or to external accreditation requirements.
These are the steps required to do this:
- Collaborate with the discipline team, subject convenor and teaching team.
- Review the knowledge, skills and application in the subject and make adjustments to ensure alignment with the SLOs. Review the assessment tasks to inform decisions about changes within the subject.
- If a change to the subject learning outcomes (SLO) is still required, consult with the Course Director for their course-wide perspective.
- If a modification is required, you will need to follow the approval processes, working with the Course Director to complete the necessary steps.
Learning outcomes help faculty and students come to a common understanding about the purpose and goals of a course or academic program. By providing clear and comprehensive learning outcomes, faculty begin to provide a transparent pathway for student success.
Learning outcomes are the cornerstones of course design and assessment, and help students focus on what is important. Learning outcomes can also be considered an inclusive teaching practice as they can help clarify expectations for all students.
As stated in the campus Institutional Plan for Assessing Student Learning, course and program learning outcomes are required for all courses and programs.
Further, learning outcomes are required in academic program approval and review, course approval, and in group instruction course syllabi.
Academic Program Learning Outcomes
View student learning outcomes for each UW-Madison undergraduate and graduate academic program in The Guide. Click on the program of your choosing to find its outcomes. Academic program learning outcomes should:
- describe what students are expected to know or be able to do upon completion of a program.
- be observable and measurable.
- contribute, or map to, the UW-Madison Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs).
- be readily available to students through The Guide.
- be assessed and reviewed by the faculty on a regular basis.
Course Learning Outcomes
Course learning outcomes should:
- state what students are expected to know or be able to do upon completion of a specific course.
- be clearly stated and relate specifically to the topics, assignments, exams and other assessments in the course.
- be observable and measurable.
- contribute, or map to, program-level learning outcomes.
- be outlined in the course syllabus, reviewed with students at the beginning of the course and referenced throughout the duration of the course.
Have you ever planned a unit on salmon migration in Maine’s rivers for 3rd graders, or a unit on “survival” for middle school English Language Arts students who are reading young adult novels? Thematic units are a tried and true way for teachers to plan lessons focused on academic skills such as reading, math, science, or other subjects in the context of interesting themes to capture students’ attention and help them apply new skills and knowledge.
SLOs include:
- Characteristics of learners
- Academic goals
- Instructional strategies
- Assessments
- Measurements of student growth over time
What Are SLOs?
A Student Learning Objective is the implementation of a long-term academic goal or set of goals created by a teacher or group of teachers using data about students and their learning over a defined period of time. SLOs are being used as a component of teacher evaluation in many states, including Maine. SLOs promote teacher collaboration, a focus on student learning, and encourage teacher reflection on the influence of classroom practice on student learning.
Creating a SLO is simple to start with, but gets more complex as you work into the details. SLOs can vary considerably, depending on district requirements, learning goals, the assessments used, and the length of time covered by the SLO.
SLOs are created on special forms and templates that have been developed to capture and formalize the process. SLOs can be aligned with school and school district goals, and may include a variety of assessments from teacher-created to performance measures to state-required tests. SLOs can be for one teacher or groups of teachers and may involve small numbers of students or fairly large cohorts. In some ways, SLOs resemble the Individual Education Plans (IEP) used by special education programs.
If they are set up right, and if administration is supportive, teachers can collaborate to take control of their practice through mastery of SLOs. If SLOs are seen as prescriptive and mandated by administration without regard to teacher input, SLOs will not be successful.
Teachers have been planning lessons and developing units for many years. SLOs are a way to formalize that planning and focus on student learning.
Mastering SLOs in your classroom will take time, study, and practice. Your school district is required to provide professional development for teacher evaluation, and SLO training should be part of that. MEA can provide assistance with local training and will offer ongoing training at MEA conferences and regional meetings.
7 Steps of Creating an SLO
Step 1: Who are your students? Every class is made up of individual learners with their own special characteristics. This information is essential to developing learning goals and instructional practices.
Step 2: Decide on the length of time covered by the SLO. Is it the length of the course, a semester, a full year? Often SLOs cover a full course of study, but that may vary, depending on the district or situation.
Step 3: Establish the appropriate standards and content covered by the SLO.
Step 4: Choose the assessments you will use to measure student learning.
Step 5: Establish growth targets for students in the cohort. The student growth should be based upon baseline data or a pretest and potential growth in learning. Use a growth model that includes all students’ growth, not attainment of a single growth target. When a target is used, it may not account for growth under the target or beyond the target.
Step 6: The teacher develops rationale for the growth targets using knowledge of the students, their circumstances or special needs, and the content.
Step 7: Develop instructional strategies that will best support students in their learning.