Download pdf - 2015 SGTS Preparing to Teach 2: Learning Outcomes

Summer Graduate Teaching Scholars

Preparing to Teach 2:

Learning Outcomes

May 12 and 14, 2015

1 sgts.ucsd.edu

Name Course Dept/School

Summer I or II # students

Please explain DNA.

How much would you write to give a

sufficient answer?

A) a sentence

B) a paragraph

C) 1-5 pages

D) 5 – 50 pages

E) more than 50 pages

sgts.ucsd.edu 2

Describe the outcomes of WWII.

How much would you write to give a

sufficient answer?

A) a sentence

B) a paragraph

C) 1-5 pages

D) 5 – 50 pages

E) more than 50 pages

sgts.ucsd.edu 3

Learning outcomes

complete the sentence, “By this end of

this lesson/unit/course, you will be able

to…”

begin with an action verb (typically,

informed by Bloom’s Taxonomy)

tell the students what they must do to

demonstrate they “understand” the

concept at this level

sgts.ucsd.edu 4

Learning outcomes are valuable to…

the students reveals what the instructor is looking for (no

guessing what “understand” means.)

big picture of the next part of the course

allows student to check that s/he has mastered

the concept (especially when studying later)

the instructor crystallizes what the instructor actually cares

about

helps the instructor select resources like peer

instruction questions and exam questions

sgts.ucsd.edu 5

several LOs giving big

picture, attitudes,

behaviors

(likely) can’t be

assessed with a single

exam question

supported by many

topic-level LOs

(if not, why not?)

many LOs defining

what it means to

“understand” at this

level (freshman, etc.)

should be

repeatedly assessed

on homework, exams

support one or more

course-level LOs

(if not, why not?)

sgts.ucsd.edu 6

Course-level LOs Topic-level LOs

Topic-level

LO

Topic-level

LO

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level LO

Course-level LO #4

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Course-level LO #2

Course-level LO #3 Course-level

learning outcome #1

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

LO

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sgts.ucsd.edu 8

Course-level LO #2


learning outcome #1

Topic-level

LO Topic-level

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Course-level LO #2


learning outcome #1

Topic-level

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Course-level LO #2


learning outcome #1

Topic-level

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Course-level LO #2


learning outcome #1

Topic-level

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Course-level LO #2


learning outcome #1

Topic-level

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Every course-level outcome

is supported by

many topic level outcomes

Every topic-level outcome

supports

one (or more) course-level outcomes

Writing topic-level LOs

Writing learning outcomes is hard because you have to

recognize

declare

(admit)

what you want your students to be capable of doing.

A good start is picking the verb describing the action the students will perform to demonstrate their mastery of the concept.

sgts.ucsd.edu 13

Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain

(Levels of Learning)

Adapted from Carl Wieman (2007) www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/learn_goals.htm

6 Create: transform or combine ideas to create something new

5 Evaluate: think critically about and defend a position

4 Analyze: break down concepts into parts

3 Apply: apply comprehension to unfamiliar situations

2 Understand: demonstrate understanding of ideas, concepts

1 Remember: remember and recall factual knowledge

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develop, create, propose, formulate, design, invent


judge, appraise, recommend, justify, defend, criticize, evaluate


compare, contrast, categorize, distinguish, identify, infer


apply, demonstrate, use, compute, solve, predict, construct, modify


describe, explain, summarize, interpret, illustrate


define, list, state, label, name, describe

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“Action” verbs for Bloom

1. with others at your table, find the 6

levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy

2. arrange the “action” verbs by the Bloom

level you think they support (e.g., “list” provokes a Level 1: Remember

learning outcome)

sgts.ucsd.edu 17

be able to read primary literature

Many instructors want their students to learn to read primary literature, like journal articles, original writings/manuscripts. Also magazine/newspaper articles, watch videos, etc.

In pairs, write 1–3 learning outcomes on your whiteboard about learning to read primary literature, written for students at the level you’ll be teaching this Summer.

sgts.ucsd.edu 18

Learning outcome: your course

By yourself, write 1 course-level learning outcome

and 1-3 topic-level outcomes on your whiteboard

for the course you’ll be teaching this Summer.

back-engineered from good exam, essay,

homework questions

back-engineered from previous instructors’

course notes

bottom up: pick a topic and declare what you

want students to learn

Discuss and critique with your table-mate when

you’re both done. sgts.ucsd.edu 19

Share your LOs with your students

publish them as a document along side your syllabus

publish them with your syllabus AND include

relevant learning goals in your lecture slides at the

beginning of each topic, even each class.

Be wary of reading them aloud: the students may not

yet have the knowledge (or jargon) to appreciate the

LOs. The LOs will be there when they study.

Don’t worry about “teaching to the test.” You’re

teaching to the outcomes, making

what understanding and mastery mean in your context.

sgts.ucsd.edu 20

Next week: Active Learning

Watch the blog

sgts.ucsd.edu

for details about what you should do to

prepare for next week’s meeting.

sgts.ucsd.edu 21

sgts.ucsd.edu





develop, create, propose, formulate, design, invent


judge, appraise, recommend, justify, defend, criticize, evaluate


compare, contrast, categorize, distinguish, identify, infer


apply, demonstrate, use, compute, solve, predict, construct, modify


describe, explain, summarize, interpret, illustrate


define, list, state, label, name, describe

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