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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is an "expected learning outcome"?

An expected learning outcome is a formal statement of what faculty members expect their students to learn. Expected learning outcomes can refer to knowledge, practical skills, critical thinking skills, areas of professional development, etc. that students are expected to develop or learn.

Note: Expected learning outcomes are frequently referred to simply as "learning outcomes" or as "student learning outcomes".

Q2: Where can I find some resources related to expected learning outcomes?

Links to some good articles related to learning outcomes can be found on this website under Web Resources and links to Articles on Learning Outcomes. There is also a link to the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center’s Writing and Assessing Student Learning Outcomes handbook on this website.

Q3: What is "assessment"?

The term "assessment" refers to the investigation of student learning. In this investigation, faculty:

  1. gather evidence of students' learning (e.g., comments made during class discussions, students' performance on a non-graded quiz, students’ scores on exams or papers, etc.);
  2. review this evidence to determine if students are learning what they were expected to learn as well as they were expected to learn it; and
  3. use this evidence to alter the educational process (e.g., ask student to re-read a chapter, orally review a concept in class, etc.) to increase student learning.

Assessment exercises are undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development. Assessment should investigate how well students' actual learning matches the expected learning outcomes.

Note: Assessment is not really the same as evaluating/grading students' assignments, exams, etc. Evaluation typically has the goal of judging students' performance and assigning a grade based on that judgment. The goal of assessment is to investigate learning and decide how to best improve this learning. Assessment is frequently not graded and done anonymously (e.g., asking students to discuss a certain concept as a class to determine how well they understand said concept). So, although graded elements of a course may be a part of the assessment process, they are not the only part.

Q4: What are some resources for methods used to assess learning outcomes?

The term "Classroom Assessment Technique" (often abbreviated CAT) is commonly used to describe a technique or activity that can used to assess student learning outcomes. Here is a reference to a great book on classroom assessment techniques:

Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

There are also several useful websites on Classroom Assessment Techniques (CAT's) available in the Web Resources section of this website.

Q5: Where can I find information on adding expected learning outcomes and methods for assessing those outcomes to a course syllabus?

The TLTC will be providing several workshops related to learning outcomes and assessment. A list of these workshops can be found under the Workshops link on this website.

The TLTC has also created a handbook title "Writing and Assessing Student Learning Outcomes" that may be of assistance in this process. A link to the handbook can also be found on this website. To request a paper copy of this handbook, please contact the TLTC at (806)742-0133.

Q6: What is the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)?

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is research or other systematic study of teaching and/or learning and the public sharing (through presentations or publication) of the SoTL work (McKinney, in review).

McKinney, K. (in review). The scholarship of teaching and learning: Past lessons, current challenges, and future visions. To Improve the Academy.