Steps for Developing Student Learning Outcomes Ask yourself: what are the most important things a student should know (cognitive), be able to do (skills), or value (affective) after completing the course/program? Consult a list of action verbs, which are verbs that result in overt behavior or products that can be observed and measured. Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives provides some useful verbs to write objectives for different levels of learning. Draft a list of possible learning outcomes. Be realistic in considering what is possible for students to accomplish in your course. Only keep the most essential learning outcomes. Purposes of SLO By knowing where you intend to go, you increase the chances of you and the learner ending up there. SLOs make teaching more focused and organized. They guide the teacher relative to the planning of instruction, delivery of instruction and evaluation of student achievement. SLOs guide the learner; helps him/her focus and set priorities. They for analysis in terms of the levels of teaching and learning They show colleagues and students what we value. They help the learner self-assess. General Advice Don’t stress out. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Do a Google search for “SLO” (Student Learning Outcomes) and the syllabus you are working on. You’ll see lots of examples out there. Borrow & customize. Do a Google search for Learning Outcomes” if you want to learn more about “Student SLOs in general. There are lots and lots of web sites out there! Some are targeted at beginners, while some are more advanced. Some are wordy, others minimalist, and others rely on videos; pick whichever seems more appealing to you! Contact Ramona Ilea at if you need more help.
Steps for Developing Student Learning Outcomes Ask yourself: what are the most important things a student should know (cognitive), be able to do (skills), or value (affective) after completing the course/program? Consult a list of action verbs, which are verbs that result in overt behavior or products that can be observed and measured. Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives provides some useful verbs to write objectives for different levels of learning. Draft a list of possible learning outcomes. Be realistic in considering what is possible for students to accomplish in your course. Only keep the most essential learning outcomes. Purposes of SLO By knowing where you intend to go, you increase the chances of you and the learner ending up there. SLOs make teaching more focused and organized. They guide the teacher relative to the planning of instruction, delivery of instruction and evaluation of student achievement. SLOs guide the learner; helps him/her focus and set priorities. They for analysis in terms of the levels of teaching and learning They show colleagues and students what we value. They help the learner self-assess. General Advice Don’t stress out. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Do a Google search for “SLO” (Student Learning Outcomes) and the syllabus you are working on. You’ll see lots of examples out there. Borrow & customize. Do a Google search for “Student Learning Outcomes” if you want to learn more about SLOs in general. There are lots and lots of web sites out there! Some are targeted at beginners, while some are more advanced. Some are wordy, others minimalist, and others rely on videos; pick whichever seems more appealing to you! Contact Ramona Ilea at if you need more help.