As an Assessment Leader in Higher Education, I wanted to share some tips on how Career Services offices can be measuring and developing their learning outcomes. Feel free to contact me with questions! Hope you enjoy. Shari Lindner

1. SHARI LINDNER
DEVELOPING &
MEASURING
LEARNING OUTCOMES

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Identify resources to develop and measure learning outcomes.
• Illustrate how to create a learning outcome and method to assess.
• Develop and apply learning outcomes to Wasserman programs.

3. WHAT ARE LEARNING OUTCOMES?
Learning outcomes are statements that describe essential
learning that students have achieved, and can demonstrate
at the end of a course/program. Refers to observable and
measurable Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes.

4. BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
• “Framework created to categorize goals, consisting of six major categories: Knowledge, Comprehension,
Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. The categories after Knowledge were presented as “skills and
abilities,” with the understanding that knowledge was the necessary precondition for putting these skills and abilities
into practice.”

5. HOW TO DEVELOP A LEARNING OUTCOME
• Three main components:
• An action word that identifies the performance to be demonstrated
• A learning statement that specifies what learning will be demonstrated in
the performance
• A broad statement of the criterion or standard for acceptable
performance.
ACTION WORD
(performance)
LEARNING
STATEMENT
(the learning)
CRITERION
(the conditions of the
performance demonstration)
Illustrate
relevant examples of
transferable skills
when creating their resume
Identify appropriate topics to discuss
with follow-up
correspondence
Write Outreach goals
by identifying when they
will connect, how they will
connect, and the context of
their follow-up

6. HOW TO DEVELOP A LEARNING OUTCOME
• Questions to ask when writing an LO:
• What is the goal of the event? What do you want students to take
away?
• What activities will provide the knowledge and skills to students?
• What concepts and issues must students understand to demonstrate
the intended outcome?
• What questions do we need to implement in the presentation/event to
measure it?

7. DEVELOPING LEARNING OUTCOMES
Activity:
• Pair with a team member and take 5 minutes to think about a learning outcome that
may be relevant to a program/event/ or committee that you are involved with.

8. HOW TO ASSESS
• Written surveys and evaluations
• Project-embedded assessment
• Behavioral Observations
• Focus Groups
• Pre- and Post- test
• Simulations or demonstrations
• Project Evaluations

9. LEARNING OUTCOMES – CAREER SERVICES IDEAS
Webinar Ideas: LinkedIn
1. Learning Outcome: Students will be able to recognize 3 different types of contacts to network with.
2. Assessment: Poll question [click all that apply] question regarding the different types of people that can reach out to and build their
network.
In-Person Event Idea: Alumni Networking Event
1. Learning Outcome: Students will be able to identify techniques to perfect their professional pitch, engage in the the art of small talk,
and refine their networking skills.
2. Assessment: Pre-event question, “Top challenges for in-person networking?”; followed up by an event activity and Post-survey
question, “My knowledge has increased on how to effectively network in-person?”
3. Assessment: 71.5% of attendees completed a survey prior to the event, identifying their top challenges for in-person networking.
Four areas were identified: Delivering Your Pitch with 26.5%, Breaking the Ice with 23.5%, Standing out in the Crowd with 22.4%, and
Navigating the Awkward Silence with 20.4%. The average rating for students knowledge increasing on how to effectively network was
4.2 out of 5

10. REPORTING OUTCOMES
How to Share:
• Stakeholders
• Committees
• Year over year analysis
• Assessment Audit
• Wrap Reports