Learning Outcomes

What is a Learning Outcome?

Learning outcomes are direct statements that describe the essential and enduring disciplinary knowledge and abilities that students should possess, and the depth of learning that is expected upon completion of a lesson, course, major, or degree (Anderson et al., 2001; Harden, 2002). They focus on transferable knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be observed and assessed, and are reflective of disciplinary contexts.

Learning outcomes answer the questions: 

1. How would you describe the attributes of an ideal graduate of the program? What unique strengths should students who complete this program possess?

2. What is essential that students know and be able to do at the end of their learning experiences? What key knowledge, skills and values/attitudes should students who complete the program possess? 

The University of Guelph’s five University-wide Learning Outcomes are:

1. Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Literacy
3. Global Understanding
4. Communicating
5. Professional and Ethical Behaviour

For more information on the University of Guelph’s Undergraduate and Graduate Learning Outcomes and their alignment with the province’s University Undergraduate and Graduate Degree-Level Expectations, see the website of the Associate Vice-President (Academic). For information on the role of learning outcomes in the Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP), see the website of the Office of Quality Assurance. 

Why are Learning Outcomes Important?

• Learning outcomes set student's expectations and clearly define what they should know and be able to do. 

• They help students take responsibility for their own learning by allowing them to track their progress through the course by checking learning outcomes regularly. 

• Learning outcomes allow instructors to use constructive alignment to plan teaching activities and assessments that align with the course learning outcomes, resulting in higher-quality learning experiences. 

• Learning outcomes help to standardize learning experiences between courses so that students who take the same course at different times with different instructors achieve similar knowledge and skills. 

• Clear learning outcomes increase transparency and lead to easier curricular and outcomes assessment. 

• The University of Guelph’s IQAP places strong emphasis on the importance of learning outcomes. All degree programs and specializations must have learning outcomes in place when they undergo cyclical program review. 

How to Formulate Learning Outcomes:

Sample Learning Outcomes:

Keys to Writing Effective Learning Outcomes 

The following guidelines should be considered when preparing effective learning outcome statements.  

Learning outcomes should: 

• complete a phrase describing what students should know and/or be able to do by the end of the program or course.

• start with an action verb that specifies the depth of learning expected, followed by a statement describing the knowledge and abilities to be demonstrated, and finally a statement to provide context within the discipline (see Table below).

• be concise, direct and clearly stated. Avoid terms such as know, understand, learn, appreciate and be aware of because they do not specify the level of achievement students are expected to attain.

• be observable and measurable. Learning outcomes must be capable of being assessed, based on clearly defined criteria associated with the teaching/learning activities and assessment strategies contained within the curriculum.

• be balanced. If the learning outcome is too broad, it will be difficult to assess. If the list of learning outcomes is long and detailed, the outcomes are likely to limit flexibility and adaptability in the curriculum.

• be grounded within the discipline, and consistent with disciplinary language, norms, and standards. 

• be cohesive with the rest of the curriculum. Learning outcomes often follow a sequenced progression from introductory to advanced levels. Create a  curriculum map to verify how your course outcomes fit with the rest of the courses in the program.

• be easily accessible to students. Include your learning outcomes at the beginning of each class (for a lecture, tutorial, or lab), on the course outline (for a course), or your program website (for program-level or degree-level outcomes). Direct students’ attention to the outcomes and discuss how they can use the outcomes to direct their learning. For more information on including learning outcomes on your course outline, see this website. 

Depth of Learning and Associated Verbs 

Reviewing and Revising Learning Outcomes 

Learning outcomes should be both developed and reviewed collectively by curriculum committees, instructors and students. Learning outcomes should become part of a living curriculum, where a process of continuous review and improvement is supported.  

The following questions can help guide the review of learning outcomes: 

1. Do the outcomes accurately describe what a graduate should know, value and be able to do?  Do they describe adequately the unique strengths that a graduate of the program should possess? Are there any specific statements that should be added, consolidated and/or removed?

2. Do the action verbs adequately convey an appropriate level of understanding for each learning outcome?

3. Are the learning outcome statements concise and specific?  Could they be understood by multiple audiences (e.g., students, instructors, employers, administrators, across institutions)?

4. Are they reflective of the discipline? Would the discipline be clear if the statement were read in isolation? If not, what additional detail could be added to provide additional disciplinary context?

5. Are they specific, observable and measurable qualities? Could you appropriately assess each outcome? If not, how should they be revised? What additional detail/context is required? 

Learning outcomes should be: 

• Easily understandable
  • Avoid complex language and jargon.
• Observable and measurable 
  • Specify how students will demonstrate their learning.
• Cohesive with the rest of the curriculum 
  • Learning outcomes often follow a sequenced progression from introductory to mastery levels. Create a curriculum map to verify how your course outcomes fit with the rest of the courses in the program. 
• Easily accessible to students 
  • Include your learning outcomes at the beginning of each class (for a lecture, tutorial, or lab), on the course outline (for a course), or your program website (for program-level or degree-level outcomes). Draw your students’ attention to the outcomes and discuss how they can use the outcomes to direct their learning. 

For guidance in writing or revising learning outcomes, use our guide below to write, revise, and refine course learning outcomes, or reach out to an Educational Developer at otl@uoguelph.ca for a consultation.