Looking for Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for a course you are teaching?
Is this a course that has been taught before at 91视频 (even if not by you)? If so, it already has unique SLOs that can been located in Curriculog.
For new courses, ensure that the SLOs you are creating for this new course do the following:
- Align with the PLOs for the academic program the course will be housed in. These are accessible on each academic program鈥檚 website, by searching the 91视频 website, or by contacting the chair of the program.
- Consider the position of the course relative to the broader catalog of courses for that program.
- Reflect the current best practices, values, and approaches of the discipline.
- For GE courses, incorporate at least one appropriate GE SLO.
Consider using the CourseTuner GPT designed by our own TLI learning designer Ana Penaranda Leal. You can access it
Here are some Best Practices for Creating Student Learning Outcomes
Well-written SLOs provide clarity on what students are expected to achieve by the end of the course, guiding both teaching and assessment. Here are some best practices for developing strong and meaningful student learning outcomes:
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- Ensure that the course specific student learning outcomes align with the broader Program Learning Outcomes for the academic program that the course is housed in. (These are accessible on the program website).
- Course SLOs should reflect the course鈥檚 position relative to other courses in the major. For example, if this is a course that is part of a series or with prerequisites, SLOs should convey a deeper level of mastery than courses positioned before it.
- Link the SLOs to the major topics and themes of the course, so there is a clear connection between what is taught and what students will be able to demonstrate.
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- Action verbs are key. Focus on verbs that are measurable and observable, so that both instructors and students can clearly assess whether the outcomes have been achieved.
- Good examples of action verbs: analyze, synthesize, evaluate, compare, demonstrate, create, apply.
- Avoid vague terms like 鈥渦nderstand鈥 or 鈥渁ppreciate鈥 as these are difficult to measure.
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- Clearly define what students should be able to do by the end of the course.
- Each outcome should be narrow enough to be achievable but broad enough to encompass significant learning.
- Example: Instead of saying 鈥淯nderstand the concept of photosynthesis,鈥 say 鈥淒escribe the process of photosynthesis and explain its role in plant growth.鈥
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- Design learning outcomes that can be directly assessed through course assignments, exams, projects, or other methods. This makes it easier to track progress and determine if learning has occurred.
- Each outcome should be concise and focused, with no unnecessary wording. This helps students quickly understand what is expected of them and also makes it easier to assess.
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More details provided below:
- Remembering (e.g., recall facts or definitions)
- Understanding (e.g., explain concepts)
- Applying (e.g., solve problems using principles)
- Analyzing (e.g., differentiate between theories)
- Evaluating (e.g., assess the strengths and weaknesses of a position)
- Creating (e.g., design a new approach to a problem)
- This ensures that outcomes are not limited to basic recall but engage higher-order thinking skills.
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- Focus on what the students will be able to do, not on what the instructor will teach.
- Phrase the outcomes in terms of the students鈥 actions, like 鈥淪tudents will be able to鈥︹ rather than 鈥淭he course will cover鈥︹
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- After developing the learning outcomes, periodically review them to ensure they remain relevant, accurate, and aligned with course changes, student needs, or industry developments.
- Seek feedback from peers, colleagues, or students to ensure that the SLOs are realistic and effective.
Example of Well-Constructed Learning Outcomes:
- Knowledge-based: 鈥淒efine key terms and concepts in microeconomics.鈥
Skill-based: 鈥淎pply economic theories to solve real-world business problems.鈥 - Application-based: 鈥淓valuate market trends using statistical analysis tools.鈥
- Critical Thinking: 鈥淐ritically assess the impact of government policies on economic growth.鈥