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Appendix

WHAT ARE LEARNING OUTCOMES?

In working with individuals or groups in communities we take time to reflect and review learning. Through this process we may become aware of emergent learningoutcomes. These types of learning outcomes are what individuals have learned through and from engagement in community learning and development work. These are often learner specific and may be unanticipated. They may develop alongside intended learning outcomes which are specified before learning takes place.

Intended learning outcomes are statements of what is expected that a learner will be able to do as a result of a learning activity. If you are planning learning and are drafting learning outcomes you use active verbs.

Look at the example. The active verb is in bold print:

• state what is meant by a learning outcome.

So the first intended learning outcome is that:

• the participant will be able to state what is meant by a learning outcome.

We can provide a context:

• using the information provided the participant will be able to state what is meant by a learning outcome.

We can add other conditions or criteria through changing the verb:

• using the information provided the participant will be able to outline two types of learning outcomes.

WHY LEARNING OUTCOMES?

Learning outcomes help you to let learners know what you expect of them. There are various benefits in using learning outcomes. Learning outcomes:

• help learners select a particular learning programme through making it clear what learners can hope to gain;
• help you to design learning;
• help you select the most suitable delivery method and suitable assessment to match the intended outcome; and
• help you to tell colleagues and managers what a particular activity is designed to achieve.

WRITING LEARNING OUTCOMES

Think of what learners are able to do before engaging in the learning activity. This gives a base line.

Now think what learners should be able to do as a result of their participation in the learning event.

Learning outcomes have the following characteristics:

1. The learning outcome should say who is to undertake the action (the learner/student/participant/ trainee/youth worker, etc.).

2. what specific action they are to take.

It may also indicate the circumstances, any conditions or other criteria which apply.

e.g.

• The swimmer will be able to swim the length of the swimming pool using water wings or other flotation aids.
• The swimmer will be able to swim the length of the swimming pool without using any aids.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Drafting learning outcomes is not an exact science. It helps to discuss with colleagues to check that your intended outcomes are realistic and achievable.

How are you going to know if the intended outcomes have been achieved? You need some method of generating evidence of achievement so learners can show what they know or can do. The method of checking this should fit the learning.

The most straightforward way of doing this is through constructive alignment. The active verb is what achieves alignment: it's in the intended outcomes, in the teaching/learning activities and in the assessment tasks.

Look at our simple example of the swimmer. In order to be able to achieve the learning outcome the learning/teaching activity will be swimming. The assessment is observation of them swimming. This principle holds good for more complex learning outcomes and this approach is used in Higher Education.

For further information there are numerous websites giving details around this topic. Google Constructive Alignment/John Biggs/Blooms taxonomy/writing learning outcomes/etc./etc./

Blooms taxonomy is useful when writing learning outcomes. The following list of verbs might help your thinking when describing different sorts of outcome.

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