Envisioning Course Outcomes

One of the biggest changes to occur in contemporary teaching is a shift in planning. Previously, teachers planned their activities, and then thought about what the goals of the course would be. We now know that effective planning starts with the course outcome. That is what the students should be able to do outside the classroom with the information that they have learned. Once the outcome has been determined, the teacher then selects appropriate activities.

When thinking about planning for outcomes, you need to consider:

• The current demands of industry and any certification standards
• How you can link your course goals with the larger program goals
• How you can plan your course based on the intended outcomes
• How you can create lessons that will lead the students toward the desired outcome

If learning means engaging in a task that builds personal capacity for the rest of life, then curriculum design doesn't begin in the classroom at all. Curriculum design begins outside the classroom with one important question: "What do my students need to be able to DO 'out there' (in the rest of life) that we are responsible for in this classroom?" It's a simple question; seeing the answer is more difficult.

If I am creating a course in information technology, I begin by envisioning what my students will DO differently in the community, the workplace, or the family as a result of this course. It is only after I am able to articulate this in a few clear and agreed-upon outcome statements that I can decide what content is necessary and how competence will be assessed. (Stiehl and Lewchuk. "Envisioning Outcomes Intended and Unintended." The OUTCOMES Primer)

Effective learning outcomes can take many forms, but each must:

• Describe what the student will DO differently as a result of your course
• Describe meaningful learning
• Be measured/verified; i.e., you can measure students' ability to achieve them
• Represent high levels of thinking, rather than trivial tasks
• Be written in plain language students can understand

Here are two samples:

• Demonstrate the addition of sine waves using physical devices, instrumentation, and graphs.
• Use physical and chemical properties to determine the quality of paper samples and make recommendations based on specific requirements.