Learning outcomes or learning objectives describe what students should be able to accomplish at the end of a period of learning. In terms of a module’s summative assessment task the learning outcomes should define what the students should be able to accomplish after studying the full module. Learning outcomes should be presented in plain English and should be shared with the students from the very outset of the module (or for elective modules before students have to make their choice of module) and should be explored with the students periodically throughout the module. It is good practice to signpost which learning outcome(s) particular learning experiences (lectures, seminars, activities, field trips, tasks, etc) align with during the module.
Learning outcomes should align with Bloom’s Taxonomy, be accessible and be assessed within the module – usually in the summative assessment task. It should not be possible for a student to pass a module if they cannot evidence achieving all of the module learning outcomes.
Learning outcomes are not the same as Assessment Criteria or grade descriptors: learning outcomes state what the students should have become able to do as a result of learning during the module whilst assessment criteria tell the students what they are expected to do or provide as evidence that they are now proficient in the knowledge and or skills described by the learning outcomes; in other words how the students’ ability to do what the learning outcomes say will be judged.
There should be constructive alignment of learning outcomes with teaching methods and assessment tasks which in turn should take into account the needs of all students and be reasonably adjusted to account for disabilities and learning contracts.
Assessment criteria should describe the qualities of the assessment submission and the accompanying grade descriptors must clearly describe different characteristics of those qualities which will be awarded different grades or marks. It is not necessary for assessment criteria to describe the characteristics of work which does not attract a pass mark: it is sometimes considered advantageous to omit descriptions of anything below a pass standard in order to avoid students focussing on what not to do rather than on what they are required to do.
At Hallam the expectation is that all Learning Outcomes will be published in Module Handbooks and that they will also appear on the module’s Blackboard site and on assignment briefs. We also expect all module assessment criteria and grade descriptors to be published on module Blackboard sites from the start of the module – normally this will be achieved by using the Blackboard Rubric.
