ASMT - 201 Student Learning Outcome Essentials

Student learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, or competencies that students are expected to acquire through completion of an academic program. The Student Learning Outcomes Essentials micro-credential focuses on the identification of learning outcomes for curriculum design and academic assessment. Academic assessment indicates the extent to which students have achieved the learning outcomes. Therefore, identifying effective learning outcomes is an essential first step in designing and improving academic programs.

a) In this module, participants learn what learning outcomes are and their importance for curriculum design and assessment of academic programs. There is an emphasis on aligning learning outcomes with employer needs and/or industry standards. Participants learn how to write effective learning outcomes using action verbs (Bloom’s Taxonomy), S.M.A.R.T criteria, and the ABCD method (audience, behavior, conditions, degree).

b) The targeted audience for this micro-credential is faculty, program coordinators, department chairs, and associate deans for assessment.

c) The entire Academic Assessment Series consists of five modules focusing on foundational aspects of academic assessment and continuous improvement. Student Learning Outcomes Essentials is the first of the five modules.

Each module entails two weeks of asynchronous online material, with a corresponding 1.5 hour synchronous session for collaborative discussion and hands-on application (either virtual or face-to-face).

d) The learning outcomes for Student Learning Outcomes Essentials are:

Define student learning outcomes and their purpose.
Describe how program outcomes relate to course-level learning outcomes.
Explain why it is important to include student learning outcomes in course syllabi or as program outcomes.
Determine which curriculum model is most appropriate for you given the content you teach.
Examine the industry standards and the rapidly changing workplace skills that should inform the student learning outcomes.
Create student learning outcomes within a course you teach or a program you oversee using the S.M.A.R.T. criteria, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the ABCD method.

Participants submit an assignment where they create student learning outcomes using Blooms Taxonomy, S.M.A.R.T. Criteria, and the ABCD Method skills from the module. Our assessment team provides qualitative feedback on the assignment during the synchronous session. Following the session, participants are provided the opportunity to submit the final version and we use a checklist to share additional feedback.

By finishing these items, learners are rewarded a Badge I and are better prepared to write effective student learning outcomes.

Skill(s):