defining unique learning outcomes and measuring student...

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Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and

Measuring Student Success

Today’s educational environment

demands a holistic approach that

fosters vital learning engagement

and more positive outcomes.

This report is part of Cengage

Learning’s broader goal of

empowering instructors to promote

better outcomes and elevate

thinking through increased

student engagement.

Students and educators are at the

center of our content development

process. User-driven product

development, with content primarily

written and edited by highly

qualified educators, ensures only

the best resources are introduced

to the classroom.

Cengage Learning: engaged with you.

abstractWell-defined learning outcomes help educators design their course

and determine the best use of technology, improving student success.

Cengage Learning custom digital learning solutions make it easy for

instructors to execute lesson plans and gather results in a format that

drives desired outcomes.

This report reviews the current state of learning outcomes and provides

recommendations for reconciling standardized learning outcomes

required by institutions with instructors’ unique needs for their courses.

survey DetailsCengage Learning’s “Digital in the Classroom” survey was presented to

students and college faculty of all institution types. Our polled student

and faculty audience of over 1,000 individuals comes from two- and

four-year schools, career and vocational schools, and for-profit and not-

for-profit institutions.

Polled faculty audience roles included administrator, professor,

associate professor, assistant professor, adjunct professor, lecturer,

clinical professor, program director, and many others. Participants were

surveyed on their preferences, methods, and observed results regarding

the integration of digital technology into the classroom.

Learn more online at www.cengage.com2

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Defining Unique Learning Outcomes and Measuring Student Success

the Value of Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes can be written at different levels, identifying what students

should be able to do after completing a program of study, a single course, or a single

activity. This focus can help make learning objectives more effective and efficient

for both instructors and students. Learning outcomes communicate expectations

for students’ work, which can help students focus their efforts and increase their

likelihood of success in their coursework. Learning outcomes allow instructors and

institutions to demonstrate students’ knowledge and skill in a measurable way,

which helps with accreditation.

Many institutions require their instructors to formally report on learning outcome

mastery at the end of each course, making accurate analysis of the utmost importance.

A total of 96% of the instructors polled use defined learning objectives in their

courses; however, only 19% use time-saving, detail-oriented reporting tools to help

them evaluate student success.

Half of that 19% revealed that they use those outcome reporting tools quite

frequently—at least once a week. Outcome reporting tools offer detailed reporting

to give instructors constructive feedback throughout the duration of their course.

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Instructors using defined learning objectives

ninety-six percent

of instructors use

defined learning

objectives in their

courses; however,

only 19% use time-

saving, detail-

oriented outcome

reporting tools.

Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes,

sometimes referred

to as learning

objectives or goals,

are statements that

identify what a

student should be able

to do and under what

circumstances.

96%

4%YES, I use them

NO, I don’t use them


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The majority of instructors, 48%, revealed that learning objectives are provided to them

at the departmental level. In a close second place, 45% of instructors have the liberty to

craft their own. Our results indicate that the greater institution, as well as accrediting

bodies, industry organizations, and state guidelines also factor into the process.

Crafting Unique Learning Objectives

When polled, instructors revealed that they tend to track multiple learning outcomes.

The following graph shows eleven themes instructors use to craft a detailed learning

objective specifically suited for their course.

Forty-eight percent

of instructors

have learning

objectives provided

to them at the

departmental level.

Cengage Learning’s

Curriculum

& Program

Development

team works with

instructors to

create unique

learning objective

and custom lesson

plans based on

their institution’s

standard learning

outcomes.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

National accreditation body

InstitutionSelfDepartment State guidelinesIndustryorganization

48% 45%

32%24%

16% 13%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Critical T

hinking

Problem solving

Conceptual t

hinking

Writ

ing Skills

Reading comprehension

Research skills

Presenta

tion skills

Grammar

Study skills

Listening

SpeakingOth

erNone

Instructors’ top determinants of learning objectives

Instructors’ primary learning outcome themes

Learn more online at www.cengage.com


The most frequently used theme surrounds critical thinking, with 86% of instructors

focusing on this learning outcome. This focus is followed by the themes of problem

solving, at 72%, and conceptual thinking, at 53%. Trending themes for those that

selected “Other” are computer literacy and technical proficiency, time management

abilities, and interpersonal skills. When instructors have the opportunity to define

their own unique learning objectives for each course, it may be a good idea to obtain

the insight of multiple stakeholders, including colleagues, subject-matter experts, and

students.

Reaching out to a select group of former students and speaking with them about what

they found to be the most valuable experiences from each course and what skills they

gained can be a priceless asset. Instructors may also discuss the topic openly with

current students, letting them know their ideas are welcome and values are respected.

educators Issued standard Learning Outcomes by a higher entity

Many departments and institutions issue standard learning outcomes (SLOs) that

govern and guide outcomes from course to course or from curriculum to curriculum.

Depending on the aim of the governing body, these may be identified by such names

as General Education Outcomes or Institutional Outcomes.

In order to accommodate individual course needs, these are often written in a broad

manner; for example, whereas an instructor may define a course’s specific objective

as “Explain how Hillary Clinton has contributed to the political field,” a standard

learning outcome may instead be written as “Explain how women in government

have contributed to the political field.”

An increasing number of institutions are using standard learning outcomes. SLOs

help to ensure quality across a curriculum by establishing consistent expectations in

different sections of a course or even in different courses within a curriculum. This

consistency may appeal to prospective students as well as accrediting bodies. If an

institution does not provide SLOs, it still behooves an instructor or department to

establish learning outcomes in a manner that clearly defines course objectives and

makes the definition of success in that course evident.

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standard Learning Outcomes Standard learning

outcomes (sLOs) are

learning outcomes

that the institution

has determined

should be the same

across a body of

learning— whether

from course to course

or curriculum to

curriculum.


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suggestions for Writing Meaningful Learning OutcomesA well-formed learning outcome explains what, how, and how well a student should

perform. In “Improving Student Learning Outcomes: The Thing Itself” at Cengage

Learning’s Engaging Minds blog, Worth Hawes, PhD, provides these guidelines for

crafting learning outcomes unique to each instructor’s goals, summarized below:

• The“what”ofawell-formedlearningoutcomedescribestheskillthata

successful student should be able to perform.

• The“how”ofastrongoutcomedenotestheconditionsunderwhicha

student should be able to perform the task. For instance, may students use a

book, notes, or a calculator?

• The“howwell”providesaclearstandardforassessment.Sometimesthisisa

simple degree of success, like “correctly” or “accurately.”1

Furthermore, as Drs. Robin Lightner and Ruth Benander explain in their article

“Student Learning Outcomes: Barriers and Solutions for Faculty Development”

for The Journal of Faculty Development, a primary source of resistance among

instructors is, in fact, that some concepts may be difficult to measure:

By emphasizing concrete language in SLOs, the specification of student learning

outcomes is sometimes seen as demeaning academic content to “factory skills.”

It is difficult to measure, for example, “appreciation of a discipline” or “respect

for clients.” Nevertheless, if a goal in a literature course is to “cultivate an

appreciation of Victorian literature,” then it is possible for this to be stated as a

learning outcome that links assessment and preparatory activities. For example,

“Identify a Victorian novel not covered in this course, explain the traits that

define it as Victorian, and evaluate its level of interest to a modern audience.”

These skills reveal the student’s “appreciation” of the topic.2

Crafting a learning objective in this manner allows instructors to clarify to their

students and their peers what they want students to do while staying true to their

unique teaching values.


What, how, how Well Form learning

outcomes using the

“what, how, how

well” method. Well-

formed learning

outcomes should

include:

•Specificsubjectmattermastery

•Conditionsunderwhichto proveskill

•Levelofknowledgedepth

http://blog.cengage.com/top_blog/improving-student-learning-outcomes-the-thing-itself/

http://www.questia.com/read/1P3-2360190561/student-learning-outcomes-barriers-and-solutions


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tips for Customizing standard Learning Outcomes

Instructional designer Erin Doppke recommends the following for making SLOs

unique to each course:

• Ensurethepurpose.FindoutwhethereachSLOismeanttobethemain

focus or simply an addition to every course.

• Conductagapanalysis.Eachinstructorshouldcomparehisorhercurrent

objectives and assessments to the overarching SLOs, identifying where there

may be gaps.

• Revisitcoursematerials.Requiredmaterialsmaybedecideduponearly,

but there is always time to research supplemental materials that will add to

student engagement and eagerness to achieve learning outcomes.

• Seekoutpeers.EachmemberofadepartmentmayincorporatetheSLOsinto

their classes differently and will likely be able to offer unique insight.3

After this review, instructors will find that they have varying levels of alterations

to make to get their unique course objectives up to speed with their university’s

standard learning outcomes.

http://www.cengage.com/services/


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Cengage Learning’s solutions support Desired Learning OutcomesWith rich content, assignable activities, and other interactive features, our learner-

centric technology resources support educators’ goals of increasing students’

engagement, achievement, and higher-order thinking skills. Ultimately, Cengage

Learning’s solutions enable instructors to see an improvement in their course’s

learning outcomes.

What’s more, our resources can play a valuable role in helping instructors efficiently

prepare and manage courses. Learning solutions such as MindTap, Aplia, OWL,

and Enhanced WebAssign provide a wealth of assignable readings, activities, and

assessments that can be customized to suit the needs of every course.

Once students complete their assignments, instructors can use the analytics within

the solutions to gain insight into how individual students, and the class as a whole,

are performing against course learning outcomes. With our learning solutions in

place, instructors will be free to spend more time engaging with students rather than

just grading their assignments.

reach Classroom goals with support from Cengage Learning Cengage Learning supports educators every step of the way. From syllabi to lesson

plans and custom-built content, Cengage Learning’s Curriculum & Program

Development team helps instructors build unique learning outcomes for their goals.

standard syllabus – Perfect for accreditation Documentation

Cengage Learning provides recommended course descriptions, course outcomes,

and brief course outlines with relevant reading material support outcomes. Our

team researches current market conditions, accreditation requirements, and

implementation costs so instructors can determine program feasibility.


tell me and I forget.

teach me and I remember.

engage me and I learn.

-Chinese proverb


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Comprehensive syllabus – Ideal for standardizing Courses

Cengage Learning’s Curriculum & Program Development team works with

instructors to create syllabi that support their program and course goals. We

recommend appropriate lab exercises, activities, assignments, homework, and

assessments that support and measure student achievement of learning outcomes.

Lesson Plan – a Unique, Custom Plan for Instructors

Cengage Learning supports instructors with session-by-session lesson plans that

include desired outcomes, objectives to cover, material to use, assessments and

homework, tips and discussion starters, specific media for the course, and more. We

can use an institution’s approved, accredited course outcomes, or our Instructional

Designers can work with instructors to establish outcomes appropriate to and in

accordance with their program standards. Learning objectives provide measurable

guidelines, enabling instructors to measure student progress and achievement.

Implementation and training specialists

Cengage Learning’s Implementation and Training Specialists are available to serve

as consultative partners throughout the use of Cengage Learning solutions. They

can sit side by side with instructional designers to plan how learning solutions, such

as MindTap and Aplia, can align with a course’s needs. They can train educators as

well as students.

Our teams identify assessments and assignments to support learning objectives while

ensuring content meets institution guidelines. This team can help instructors evaluate

their goals and class data to return deeper reporting and insight on how to create more

effective lesson plans. To learn more about how the Cengage Learning Curriculum

& Program Development team helps instructors develop learning outcomes, new

programs, and courses, contact a Learning Consultant.

Find a Learning Consultant to discuss custom options.

http://sites.cengage.com/RepFinder/


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now it’s Your turn! share Your Ideas

We value your insight and want to know how you’ve achieved your goals. We’d also

love to hear your questions and suggestions for those seeking to implement more

strategic learning outcomes and lesson plans in their classroom.

How are learning outcomes at your institution derived? What suggestions do you

find to be most helpful when crafting unique learning objectives? Share your thoughts

at the Engaging Minds blog.

Join the conversation! Engage with our education community:

engagement fosters understanding

Wheneducatorsknowwhat

studentsrespondto,andusethose

methodstoreinforcewhatthey

areteaching,theirsubjectmastery

growsorganically.

Toolslikehomeworkaids,instant

feedback,selfassessmentand

practicequizzesletlearners

advanceattheirownpace.

Understanding improves outcomes

Whenstudentsarebetterprepared,

learningoutcomesincreaseand

retentionimproves.Ourlearning

solutionsdemonstratesolidresults

inimprovingstudentperformance

whilestreamlininginstructors’

workloads.


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references

1 - blog.cengage.com/top_blog/improving-student-learning-outcomes-the-thing-itself

2 - www.questia.com/read/1P3-2360190561/student-learning-outcomes-barriers- and-solutions

3 - blog.cengage.com/top_blog/incorporating-standard-learning-outcomes-into-your- curriculum

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning, and

research solutions for academic, professional, and library markets worldwide. The

company’s products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and

professional development, increase engagement, improve learning outcomes, and

deliver authoritative information to people whenever and wherever they need

it. Through the company’s unique position within both the library and academic

markets, Cengage Learning is providing integrated learning solutions that bridge

from the library to the classroom. www.cengage.com

Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Source Code: 15M-AG0008

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