A practical guide on writing learning outcomes

1. What Are Course Learning Outcomes?

Let's look at a pragmatic summary of what learning outcomes represent, how they are constructed, and see some good examples. This moodle book is a compilation of various definitions and approaches, as we see relevant and appropriate for the purposes of De Facto. 

On a practical note, when we use the term "course", we mean your own case study, lesson or another training intervention that you have designed for use with your students that is relatable to De Facto.

  • Learning outcomes are statements clearly describing the meaningful, observable and measurable knowledge, skills and/or dispositions students will learn in your course.
  • Learning outcomes answer the question: “What demonstrable knowledge, skills, and/or dispositions should the learners possess that they did not have before you engaged them with your course?
  • Learning outcomes are statements clearly describing the specific type and level of new learning your students will have achieved – and can reliably demonstrate – by the end of your course.
  • Learning outcomes clearly identify what (and how much or how well) the learner will know and be able to do after successfully completing your course or training intervention – the essential knowledge, abilities, and attitudes that constitute the basic learning needed by a graduate of your course.

There are 3 types of learning outcomes that are aligned with De Facto:

  1. Cognitive outcomes: “What will my students know after completing my course?”
  2. Behavioral outcomes: “What will my students be able to do after completing my course?”
  3. Affective outcomes: “What will my students care about or think after completing my course?”