Learning Outcomes and Learning Outcasts

UCD School of Law

Presentation by Feargal Murphy

11/10/09

Outcasts

• Students not given clear information

• Co-ordinators unclear about what they want

Why look at learning outcomes?

• Quality Assurance

• Bologna Process

• Programme planning and time for reflection on modules and programmes

• Reviewing content (aims and objectives)

• Reviewing connection between level, learning outcomes and assessments

Why look at learning outcomes?

• The move to a more learner centred approach

Outcomes and Objectives

A Module:

Content → Outcomes → Assessment

↓

Aims/

Objectives

Know Distinguish

Understand Choose

Determine Assemble

Appreciate Adjust

Are you communicating what you mean?

Some helpful pdfs

Guidelines, learning outcomes, assessment strategies

available at:

www.ucd.ie/tl

Are outcomes clear?

Second level or third level

The test of a successful education is not the amount of knowledge that a student takes away after graduation, but the appetite to know and the capacity to learn.

If a school sends out students with a desire for knowledge and some idea of how to acquire and use it, it will have done its work. Too many students leave school with the appetite killed and the mind loaded with undigested lumps of Information.

(Abbott, 1999)

Types of outcomes

• Clear Outcomes What do I have to do to get a

better grade? What am I suppose to achieve?

• Taxonomies

– Bloom’s > Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor

– SOLO

– Fink’s Taxonomy

Experts and novices

An expert is someone who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow

field.

(Niels Bohr, 1885-1962)

SOLO analysis

• Bloom isn’t the only game in town

Learning

• Understanding Learning:

– Pre-structural

– Unistructural

– Multistructural

– Relational

– Extended Abstract

SOLO analysis

• Pre-structural

• Unistructural

The progress of learning

• Multi-structural

• Relational

• Extended Abstract

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– REMEMBERING: define repeat list recall relate

– UNDERSTANDING: restate discuss describe explain

express summarize

– APPLYING: interpret construct apply demonstrate

illustrate use

– ANALYZING: analyze differentiate compare criticize

diagram categorize

– EVALUATING: assess judge rate conclude

– CREATING: innovate create improve develop

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– REMEMBERING:

o arrange collect define describe dupicate enumerate

examine fund identify label list memorise name order

outline present quote recall recognise recollect record

recount relate repeat reproduce show state tabulate tell

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– UNDERSTANDING:

o associate change clarify classify constuct contrast convert

decode defend describe differentiate discriminate discuss

distinguish estimate explain express extend generalise

identify illustrate indicate infer interpret locate

paraphrase predict recognise report restate rewrite

review select solve translate

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– APPLYING:

o apply assess calculate change choose complete compute

construct demonstrate develop discover dramatise

employ examine experiment find illustrate interpret

manipulate modify operate organise practice predict

prepare produce relate schedule select show sketch solve

transfer use

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– ANALYZING:

o analyze appraise arrange calculate categorise classify

compare connect contrast criticise debate deduce

determine differentiate discriminate distinguish divide

examine experiment identify illustrate infer inspect

investigate order outline question relate separate test

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– EVALUATING:

o appraise argue assess argue choose dompare conclude

contrast convince criticise decide defend discriminate

explain evaluate interpret judge justify measure predict

rate recommend relate resolve revise select support

validate value

Blooming ancient

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy - Cognitive

– CREATING:

o Assemble build compose construct create design develop

devise formulate write generalise generate hypothesise

integrate invent make manage modify organise originate

plan prepare propose rearrange reconstruct reflect revise

rewrite theorise

Blooming neglected

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy – Affective, learning to believing

– RECEIVING: ask follow reply

– RESPONDING: answer recite perform report select

– VALUING: justify propose

– ORGANISING: arrange combine compare defend

– INTERNALISING: discriminate listen question revise

Blooming handy

• Bloom’s updated taxonomy – Psychomotor, observation to mastery

– PERCEPTION: detect select listen

– GUIDED RESPONSE: copy react follow reproduce

– MECHANISM: organise manipulate

– COMPLEX RESPONSE: (as above, but complexity mastered,

precision and speed improved, uncertainities eliminated)

– ADAPTATION: reorganise alter rearrange vary internalise

– ORIGINATION: compose construct design initiate create

SOLO together

• SOLO Taxonomy

• Novice to Expert

– PRE-STRUCTURAL: state of student at start of learning

– UNI-STRUCTURAL: identify memorize

– MULTI-STRUCTURAL: enumerate classify combine

– RELATIONAL: compare/contrast integrate relate apply

– EXTENDED ABSTRACT: theorize generalize hypothesize reflect

predict

SOLO together

• SOLO Taxonomy

Quantitative:

– PRE-STRUCTURAL

– UNI-STRUCTURAL

– MULTI-STRUCTURAL

Qualitative:

– RELATIONAL

– EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Finking and Linking

• Fink’s Taxonomy

Finking pie slices

• Fink’s Taxonomy

Dimension Description

Foundational Knowledge

Understanding and remembering

Application Using knowledge; critical, creative, & practical thinking; problem solving; managing complex problems

Integration Make connections among ideas, subjects, people; interdisciplinary learning

Human Dimensions Learning about and changing oneÕs self; understanding and interacting with others; Leadership; Citizenship; Ethics;

Caring Identifying/changing oneÕs feelings, interests, values.

Learning to learn How to be a better student (self-directed learning)

Samples

Outcomes (Level 1!):

• 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of children's literature as a literary genre (demonstrate how?)

• 2. Examine children's literature in the context of traditional forms of literature (outcome or objective)

• 3. Assess children's literature in terms of national designations (could be clearer)

• 4. Present ideas orally and engage in discussion (how is this assessed?)

More samples

Outcomes:

• Identify and analyze 'live' aspects in the theatrical event; (why both?)

• 2. Define and discuss the role of space and/or the audience in the theatrical event; (why both?)

• 3. Identify and investigate theatrical conventions in the context of the performance of texts; (why both?)

• 4. Identify and realise the performance possibilities implied by a particular text; (why both?)

• 5. Develop ideas in writing with respect to the transition of a text from page to stage. (‘express’?)

Samples 3

• 1. Review the range of archaeological methods and approaches.

• 2. Demonstrate an understanding of how archaeologists investigate time, space and objects to reconstruct past societies. (how?)

• 3. Visit an archaeological site or museum exhibition and adopt an archaeological perspective to the evidence provided there. (assessed how?)

Digging up outcomes

• 1. Review the range of evidence employed by archaeologists to reconstruct the societies of Iron Age Europe and Ireland and early medieval Ireland.

• 2. Explain how archaeologists use this evidence to understand specific aspects of the Iron Age and Medieval worlds such as technology, social organization, religious beliefs and artistic achievements.

• 3. Identify & define important points in the history of Europe and Ireland, 750BC to 950AD

Just keep digging

• Critically assess various approaches, debates and current issues in environmental archaeology studies of context, and relate these to other contextual approaches

• Critically appraise the relationships between disciplines and schools of thought involved in the interpretation of ancient sites, landscapes and environments

• Carry out a detailed case study in specific on-site approaches, and develop high-level research designs for assessing and conducting environmental archaeological studies on site.

• Compare and contrast different approaches to landscape (e.g. culture-historical, processual, postprocessual)

• Communicate effectively (both written and oral expression) about interpretative approaches in landscape archaeology - Apply learning skills to other coursework in the programme

Outcomes feed assessment

Assessment

– Less; More often

– Continuous assessment … continuous?

Assessment feeds learning

Why Assess?

• Help students learn

• Guide student’s improvement

• Get feedback on teaching methods

• Prompt students to engage with learning

• Classify or grade students for external bodies

• Get students to do some independent learning

• ? guarantee quality

• ? because we always do

• ? place students in a relative order

• ? let parents how their offspring are doing

Assessment

• What is assessed?

• Not the student ………… their produced work, although students feel like they are being assessed

• We must help students produce their best work

Are we clear in assessments?

Educators and the learner

The Menu…..

Assessment

• Exams

• Vivas / Oral exams

• Essays

• Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies

• Reports

• Projects

• Portfolios

• Presentations

• MCQs

Assessment types

Formative assessment‘… often means no more than that the assessment is carried out frequently and is planned at the same time as teaching.’ (Black and Wiliam, 1999)

‘… provides feedback which leads to students recognising the (learning) gap and closing it … it is forward looking …’ (Harlen, 1998)

‘ … includes both feedback and self-monitoring.’ (Sadler, 1989)

‘… is used essentially to feed back into the teaching and learning process.’ (Tunstall and Gipps, 1996)

Summative assessment‘…assessment (that) has increasingly been used to sum up learning…’(Black and Wiliam, 1999)

‘… looks at past achievements … adds procedures or tests to existing work ... involves only marking and feedback grades to student … is separated from teaching … is carried out at intervals when achievement has to be summarised and reported.’ (Harlen, 1998)

Questions and Comments