This keynote will enable you to determine, write, and assess high-value student learning outcomes/objectives for your program or curriculum, where “high-value” means what potential employers need and want from your graduates. Ensure that your students achieve your program outcomes by identifying the courses that teach the content and skills in these outcomes, and then incorporating learning activities that should prepare students to achieve these outcomes. Along the way, we will examine 1) the nature of well-formulated, assessable learning outcomes, 2) an approach to program design that lays out the students’ learning process, and 3) guidelines for selecting learning activities and designing assessments. Be prepared to reflect on your current programs and work with your program team to plan modifications.

1. Laying a Foundation for
Your Program Design
Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D., Director Emeritus
Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation
Clemson University * nilson@clemson.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/lindabnilson
www.lindabnilson.com

2. Outcomes for You
You will be able to determine, write,
and assess high-value student
learning outcomes/objectives for
your program or curriculum, where
“high-value” means what potential
employers need and want of your
graduates.

3. You will also be able to ensure that your
students achieve your program outcomes
by:
•identifying the courses that teach the
content and skills in these outcomes
and
•selecting learning activities in these
courses that should prepare students to
achieve these outcomes.

4. Models of the “Perfect Fit” in
Program/
Curriculum (or Course or Unit) Design
Appropriate Assessment of Students’
Performance on Outcomes (the measurement of
progress to the ends)
↑
Teaching Methods/Learning Experiences to Help
Students Achieve Outcomes (the means to the
ends)
↑
Student Learning Outcomes
(the foundation, the ends)

5. Teaching Strategies/Learning
Experiences to Help Students Achieve
Outcomes
(the means to the ends)
Inform Improve
Learning Outcomes = Performance Assessments
(the foundation, the ends) (measurements of students’
progress to the ends)

6. Well-Formulated, Assessable
Learning Outcomes
• Statements of what students should
be able to do by end of the
program.
–What will your graduates have to be
able to do* to be successful in their
early jobs TODAY?
* that an employer won’t teach them

7. Anonymous Poll: How confident are
you that your graduates will be able to
do what they are expected to do in
today’s world?
1) Very confident
• Somewhat confident
• Not very confident, but I know
how to rectify the situation.
• Help!

8. Assessable =
You can observe/perceive the
performance with 1 or more
senses.

9. Do not assume your
accrediting agency
furnishes
well-formulated,
assessable outcomes!

10. Unassessable,
Internal-State
Verbs
Know Learn
Understand
Appreciate
Feel

11. An Approach to Program
Design
Lay out the Learning Process
1. Set ultimate outcomes for
graduates – the most
sophisticated/advanced program
outcomes.
2. Work backward to determine the
mediating outcomes: What will
students have to be able to do before
they can achieve the ultimate

12. 3. Determine what foundational (basic)
outcomes students need to achieve
early in the program to build on.
Think flowchart of the learning
process through the program
(“outcomes map”).

13. Outcomes Map of a
Course Design Workshop
To identify &
dispel
common
student
misconceptions
To formulate
good student
learning
outcomes
To sequence
outcomes and
create an
outcomes map
To distinguish
among ultimate,
mediating, &
foundational
To develop
fair
assessment
s
To select
effective
teaching
methods
To design
& develop
an
outcomes-
based
course

14. 4. Go to the course level and
determine:
• What course(s) do or should teach
and assess the content and skills of
each outcome – and how?
• At what level of competency?
✔ Existence (very early in program)
✔ Supported (early in program)
✔ Independent
✔ Lifetime

15. Assessments Should Mirror
Outcomes.
Outcome
Assessment

16. Golden Rule of Assessment
If you want your students to
be able to do X, Y, and Z,
have them do X, Y, and Z to
assess whether they can.

17. Other Assessment
Guidelines
•Before you assess summatively (for a
grade), assess formatively to:
– Give students practice in performing
the outcomes with feedback from you,
their peers, computer program, etc.
– Get frequent feedback for yourself on
their progress.

18. Practice in performing outcomes
= class activities, low-stakes
assessments, short homework
assignments
= students’ learning
experiences/activities
= your teaching strategies
Therefore, outcomes = assessments
= teaching strategies

19. Types of Evidence for
Program Assessment
• Performances in relevant courses
(benefit of CourseTune)
• Graded artifacts of course-based
assessments addressing program outcomes
• ePortfolio with selected artifacts and student
reflections on competency
• Competency exit exam *OR*
• Practicum, internship assessing
competency

20. Effective Learning
Activities
from Davis, J.R. & Arend, B.D. (2013). Facilitating Seven
Ways of Learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Program outcomes: Building skills
(physical and procedural requiring
accuracy, precision, and efficiency)

21. Program outcomes: Building skills
Way of Learning: Behavioral
(feedback, operant conditioning)
Learning Activities: Tasks, procedures,
modeling demonstrations, skill
practice exercises

22. Program outcomes: Acquiring
knowledge (information, concepts,
and terminology in a discipline)

23. Program outcomes: Acquiring
knowledge
Way of Learning: Cognitive
(psychology, attention, info processing,
memory)
Learning Activities: Presentations,
demonstrations, explanations,
practice using disciplinary language

24. Program outcomes: Developing
critical, creative, and dialogic
thinking (better thinking and
reasoning)

25. Program outcomes: Developing
critical, creative, and dialogic
thinking
Way of Learning: Inquiry-based
(logic, critical and creative thinking
theory)
Learning Activities: Question-driven
inquiries, discussions, debates,
metacognitive activities

26. Program outcomes: Developing
problem-solving and decision-making
abilities (mental strategies for solving and
deciding)

27. Program outcomes: Developing
problem-solving and decision-making
abilities
Way of Learning: Mental models,
schemas (Gestalt psych, problem-solving
strategies, decision-making theory)
Learning Activities: Problems, cases,
problem-based learning, labs, projects

28. Program outcomes: Exploring attitudes,
perspectives, and feelings (awareness
of others and own biases, ability to
collaborate)

29. Program outcomes: Exploring attitudes,
perspectives, and feelings
Way of Learning: Group and team work
(communication, group dynamics, group
counseling theory)
Learning Activities: Group activities,
team projects

30. Program outcomes: Practicing
professional judgment (appropriate
appraisal and action in complex, context-
dependent situations)

31. Program outcomes: Practicing
professional judgment
Way of Learning: Virtual realities
(psycho-drama, sociodrama, game theory)
Learning Activities: Simulations, role
plays, games, dramatic scenarios
(cases) of increasing complexity over
time

32. Program outcomes: Reflecting on
experience (self-discovery and
personal growth from real-life
experience)

33. Program outcomes: Reflecting on
experience
Way of Learning: Experiential
(constructivism, experiential learning,
cognitive neuroscience)
Learning Activities: Service-
learning, field work, study abroad,
internship—all + reflection

34. Series of Anonymous Polls:
What are your program outcomes?
Building skills
Acquiring knowledge
Developing critical, creative, & dialogic thinking
Developing problem solving & decision making
Exploring attitudes, perspectives, & feelings
Practicing professional judgment
Reflecting on experience

35. Building skills
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

36. Acquiring knowledge
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

37. Developing critical,
creative, and dialogic
thinking
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

38. Developing problem
solving and decision
making
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

39. Exploring attitudes,
perspectives, and feelings
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

40. Practicing professional
judgment
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

41. Reflecting on experience
1) Major program learning
outcome
2) Minor program learning
outcome
3) Not a learning outcome of my
program

42. Concluding Reflection
• What are the most important
or most valuable things that
you learned during this
keynote?
Type some ideas into the chat
box.