Course Information
Course objectives, student learning outcomes, assessment, course objectives.
This course is designed to enable students to:
- identify and discuss the role and importance of research in the social sciences.
- identify and discuss the issues and concepts salient to the research process.
- identify and discuss the complex issues inherent in selecting a research problem, selecting an appropriate research design, and implementing a research project.
- identify and discuss the concepts and procedures of sampling, data collection, analysis and reporting.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- explain key research concepts and issues
- read, comprehend, and explain research articles in their academic discipline.
Learning Assessment:
- SLO #1 is assessed via student-led discussions of the textbook in Modules 1 through 5.
- SLO #2 is assessed via student led discussions of the 5 research designs presented in the Research Portfolio.
Candela Citations
- Course Objectives, Student Learning Outcomes, Assessment. Authored by : WIlliam Pelz. Provided by : Herkimer College. Project : Research Methods in Social Science - Achieving the Dream course. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
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Teaching Commons > Teaching Guides > Course Design > Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes
What are Learning Outcomes?
Learning outcomes are specific statements of what students will be able to do when they successfully complete a learning experience (whether it's a project, course or program). They are always written in a student-centered, measurable fashion that is concise, meaningful, and achievable.
Learning Outcomes at the University or Program Level
Outcomes are used on many scales, from developing curriculum for a program of study to creating lessons for a single class activity. At the highest level, learning outcomes can be established at the university level. You can review the learning outcomes for DePaul graduates at the institutional level or program level.
Learning Outcomes at the Module, Unit, or Week Level
Just as learning outcomes can be designed at the program level or university-wide level, they can also operate at a more granular scale within an individual course. Typically instructors divide their courses into smaller units such as modules or weeks, and many instructors establish learning outcomes for these smaller units that map onto the larger course-level outcomes. As a general rule, as the level of analysis becomes smaller, from course to module to assignment, the learning outcomes tend to be more specific and easily quantifiable.
How are Learning Outcomes Different from Learning Goals or Learning Objectives?
These terms are often used interchangeably and they are all related to the teaching and learning that is expected to take place in the classroom. However, the difference between goals or objectives and outcomes lies in the emphasis on who will be performing the activities.Learning goals and objectives generally describe what an instructor, program, or institution aims to do, whereas, a learning outcome describes in observable and measurable terms what a student is able to do as a result of completing a learning experience (e.g., course, project, or unit).
Learning Goals
Learning goals are broad statements written from an instructor's or institution's perspective that give the general content and direction of a learning experience. They generally describe what an instructor or program aims to do; i.e., “The curriculum will introduce students to the major research methods of the discipline.”
Learning Objectives
Learning objectives are statements of what you intend to teach or cover in a learning experience. They tend to be
- More specific than learning goals
- Not necessarily observable nor measurable
- Instructor-centered rather than student-centered
- Useful in helping you formulate more specific learning outcomes
- We will cover historical perspectives and debates about the role of mass communication in the 20th century.
- Students will understand the impacts and effects of new media on identity formation.
Learning objectives can introduce unintended complexity because sometimes they are written in terms of what you intend to teach (the first example above) and sometimes they are written in terms of what you expect students will learn (the latter example). In contrast, learning outcomes should always be written with a focus on the learner and how the learner will demonstrate achievement, which makes it easier to assess students' learning.
Why Write Learning Outcomes?
Identifying the desired results of a learning experience is the first step of backward design.Learning outcomes are used for this purpose. Learning outcomes are also valuable in these ways:
Learning outcomes help instructors...
- describe to students what is expected of them
- plan appropriate teaching strategies, materials and assessments
- learn from and make changes to curriculum to improve student learning
- assess how the outcomes of a single course align with larger outcomes for an entire program
Learning outcomes help students…
- anticipate what they will gain from an educational experience
- track their progress and know where they stand
- know in advance how they'll be assessed
Elements of Effective Learning Outcomes
Clearly written course-level and module-level outcomes are the foundation upon which effective courses are designed. Outcomes inform both the way students are evaluated in a course and the way a course will be organized. Effective learning outcomes are student-centered, measurable, concise, meaningful, achievable and outcome-based (rather than task-based).
Student-Centered
Outcomes are phrased from the perspective of the student and are written in language that can be easily understood by them.
Outcomes are specific, observable, and can be assessed. They use a concrete action verb.
Outcomes are written in short, succinct sentences.
Outcomes emphasize higher-order thinking and are consistent with university, college, department, and program learning outcomes.
The total number of outcomes is reasonable for this population of students and is achievable within the time available.
Outcome-Based
Outcomes should specify the skills and knowledge students must demonstrate to prove mastery instead of focusing on the assignment format, such as a quiz or essay. Well-worded outcomes should remain flexible enough to accommodate a variety of formats for a corresponding assessment.
Writing Learning Outcomes
While designing a course, instructors are most likely to develop course-level outcomes, which is to say the level of analysis is the course as opposed to the program of study (at a higher level) or module/week (at a lower level)
If the educational unit is implied, based on the context in which the learning outcomes are shared, you might leave off the first portion of the learning outcome statement.
Course Learning Outcome Examples
Example course learning outcomes using this formula:
- As a result of participating in Quantitative Reasoning and Technological Literacy I, students will be able to evaluate statistical claims in the popular press.
- As a result of completing Ethics and Research I, student will be able to describe the potential impact of specific ethical conflicts on research findings.
- As a result of completing Money and Banking, students will be able determine the cost benefits and shortcomings of various cash management strategies.
Module- or Unit-level Learning Outcome Examples
Example module- or unit-level learning outcome using this formula:
- By the end of unit 4, students will be able to explain the relationship between significance levels and the null hypothesis.
- By the end of module 3, students will be able to render a video clip with a compression level appropriate for web-based viewing.
- By the end of week 2, students will be able to calculate standard deviation from the mean.
- By the end of unit 8, students will be able to recommend an appropriate treatment based on patients' symptoms.
- By the end of week 6, students will be able to build a case for or against charter schools based on interpretation of recent research
Examples of Common Learning Outcome Problems and Solutions
The Center for Teaching and Learning is available to consult with departments and individual faculty members on developing learning outcomes.
Concrete Action Verbs
The following list includes concrete action verbs that correspond with each level of Bloom's taxonomy for the cognitive domain. To ensure outcomes are measurable, you might find it helpful to start each one with a verb from this list.
compose, construct, create, design, develop, integrate, invent, make, manage, modify, prepare, propose, synthesize
assess, choose, convince, critique, decide, determine, defend, estimate, judge, justify, measure, predict, prioritize, prove, rate, recommend, select
analyze, categorize, compare, contrast, deconstruct, differentiate, examine, infer, organize, select, test
apply, carry out, choose, demonstrate, recreate, show, solve, use
Understanding
describe, distinguish, clarify, classify, compare, convert, contrast, estimate, explain, identify, locate, predict, relate, report, restate, translate, summarize
Remembering
define, describe, identify, label, list, match, name, order, recall, recognize
What about Hard-to-Measure Outcomes?
Some faculty find it stifling to only include measurable outcomes in their course-planning process. You might have learning goals in mind that are valuable but more difficult to measure in a quarter, such as
- appreciate the intangible benefits of art in society.
- question one's own beliefs and recognize personal bias.
- understand the value of ethics in business leadership.
These are all excellent examples of worthwhile goals that you might integrate into many of your learning materials and activities. It's fine to include hard-to-measure goals like these alongside your course outcomes, but it's best to keep them under a separate heading—such as "Learning Goals"—than to include them with your measurable outcomes. This separation will clarify that these goals are an important part of your course, but won't necessarily be tied to student grading and evaluation in the same way that the student learning outcomes will be.
Further Reading
- Iowa State University's Center for Excellence in Learning and teaching has a model of learning objectives , an excellent visualization incorporating action verbs from Bloom's Taxonomy.
- For more information on what makes for clear, measurable learning objectives, you can also use Arizona State University's Objectives Builder tool.
References
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, E. J., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. New York, NY: Longmans, Green and Co.
Research Methodology
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Prof. Edamana Prasad
Prof. Prathap Haridoss
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I have also created a Facebook group for this class: J380 Introduction to Research Methods: Add it Up. This will be used to send messages to the class as well as to post links. Learning Objectives and Assessment This is a core course required of all doctorate and theory and research master's students Learning Objectives. After this course:
Student Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: explain key research concepts and issues. read, comprehend, and explain research articles in their academic discipline. Learning Assessment: SLO #1 is assessed via student-led discussions of the textbook in Modules 1 through 5.
The major goals were to foster students' perceptions of the value of laboratory learning, to instill an appreciation of research methods in the social sciences, and to improve student learning outcomes through cooperative learning projects with their peers. The successes and challenges of this approach are reported, and future directions ...
research in all follow-on core, elective, quantitative and qualitative courses; and the doctoral dissertation. Completion of HIED 695 is a prerequisite for follow-on tools courses. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon completing this course, each student will be able to: 1. demonstrate knowledge of research processes (reading, evaluating, and ...
PAGE 1 OF 3 COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES Research Methods in Psychology Author: Craig A. Wendorf, Ph.D. Affiliation: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Contact: [email protected] Overview of Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes are descriptions of what students should be able to know and do following a particular
Intended learning outcomes. By the end of the subject students should be able to: Demonstrate the ability to choose methods appropriate to research aims and objectives. Understand the limitations of particular research methods. Develop skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and presentation. Develop advanced critical thinking ...
Level 9. AQF Type Descriptor. Masters Learning Outcomes. Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes. Evidence of Learning Outcome attainment. Graduates of a Masters Degree (Research) will have: a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in one or more disciplines. ods applicable to the field of work or learningCLO1.1 ...
Just as learning outcomes can be designed at the program level or university-wide level, they can also operate at a more granular scale within an individual course. Typically instructors divide their courses into smaller units such as modules or weeks, and many instructors establish learning outcomes for these smaller units that map onto the ...
of successful completion of the program. Writing Program Learning Outcomes is a critical first step that will guide subsequent steps in the assessment process. Program Learning Outcome statements should have the following three attributes: 1. meaningful to faculty and students; 2. comprehensive; and 3. measurable.
Research Methodology. By Prof. Edamana Prasad, Prof. Prathap Haridoss | IIT Madras Learners enrolled: 12772 | Exam registration: 3614 ... Designing Learning Outcomes for Courses, Conducting Classes using Active and Collaborative Learning Techniques. Awards and Distinctions: AvH Fellowship (2002), Young Faculty Recognition Award (IIT Madras ...