33 Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are statements that articulate what a learner should know or be able to do by the end of a lesson. Outcomes are typically stated near the beginning of the lesson to help learners focus their attention on what is most important in the lesson. Outcomes can refer to what the learner should know, do, or feel/believe by the end of the lesson.
Incorporating outcomes into your lesson helps learners to direct their learning and monitor their own progress, signals what is important and valued in the lesson, and helps the instructor to select the content and activities that will best allow the learner to achieve the outcomes in the time allowed. They can also be used to help keep the lesson focused.

Learning outcomes may be pre-determined by the instructor when designing the lesson, but there is also an opportunity to involve learners in the development of their own goals and outcomes for the lesson. Although outcomes are introduced at the beginning of the lesson, they are often referenced either directly or indirectly at the end of it as well. The post- assessment, for example, is one way that the instructor can encourage learners to reflect upon their experience, as well as to determine whether or not the outcomes for the lesson were met by the learners.

Strategies for Writing Effective Learning Outcomes

In the FLO course, participants use learning outcomes to help them plan their lesson content. Keep the following strategies in mind when writing outcomes:

• Use language that learners will understand.
• Start by deciding on the verb.
• Make sure the learning is achievable during the time frame of the lesson.
• Make sure the outcome reflects what is most important in the lesson.

Writing measurable learning outcomes is certainly the subject of an entire other course, but generally you could begin with the stem, “By the end of the lesson, participants will be able to…” and then use appropriate verbs (perhaps using  Bloom’s taxonomy to guide you) to try to articulate what you’d like participants to be able to achieve. (Hint: Avoid the terms ‘know’ or ‘understand’ – they aren’t very measurable!)

Examples:

• By the end of the session participants will be able to describe why learning from failure is an important part of innovation.
• By the end of the session participants will be able to name the essential three parts of an essay.
• By the end of the session participants will be able to summarize briefly three different change models and their key points.