A Focus on Student Learning Outcomes
"Learning can occur without teaching at no loss to anyone, but teaching can and unfortunately often does occur without learning."
— Linda B. Nilson. Teaching at Its Best: A Research Based Resource for College Instructors
- Student learning outcomes (SLOs) specify what a student will be able to do (focus on behavior or action), a statement of measurable performance, and the result of instruction (learning) rather than the process.
- Specifying our desired outcomes for student learning allows us to work backward (backward planning) from the desired outcome when we select our content and design assessments and learning activities.
- With learning outcomes as our target, we can make difficult decisions regarding prioritizing content and adapting assessments and learning activities. The same SLOs are used to guide live or remote instruction; we do not change SLOs based on delivery format.
- Our ability to make explicit the connection between coursework and the learning outcomes for the course, called transparency, can enhance student motivation.
