Perfecting Program Learning Outcomes: A Recipe for Success
I’ve been in higher education for a while—having served as a full-time faculty member, CAO, provost, dean, associate dean, and chair (not the kind for sitting). Every single one of these roles, in some capacity, involved student learning outcomes and assessment, and I’ll let you in on a secret; this used to terrify me. Learning outcomes: the terminology, the unceasing workload, trying to get faculty buy-in, trying to explain their impact, and working to implement them institution-wide. These things kept me awake at night. I once spent over a year creating and implementing an institution-wide outcomes assessment plan, process, and training only to be told by external consultants that I hadn’t closed the loop. Closed the what?
Now, here we are, many years later, and I can finally say, “I learned all about student learning outcomes and assessment the hard way so that you don’t have to.” I’ve thought a lot about the best way to explain this concept, since it can be dense and jargon-filled, and here it is:
My husband loves baking pies and spent much of his time during the COVID-19 pandemic on a quest to bake the perfect pie. I have probably witnessed hundreds of pies being made over the past few years and have started to see some similarities between executing the perfect pie recipe and developing student learning outcomes. A recipe determines which ingredients you need, how much of each ingredient you need, and how much time you need, which impacts the overall quality of the result. Without a well-thought-out, tried-and-true recipe, your pie (and your educational program) can quickly fall apart.
Step 1: Define Terms
When I first started in assessment, I struggled with the jargon. There are a lot of different kinds of ‘outcomes’ in higher ed! There are Institutional Outcomes, Program Learning Outcomes, Course Learning Outcomes, and more. When we work with clients, our first step focuses on defining the terms that we need to use and create a shared understanding. For example, pie recipes call for sugar, but there are several kinds of sugar, like brown, cane, and powdered. If we do not clearly define the type of sugar that should be used, the result may turn out differently than we intended. In baking and in higher education curricula, the devil is in the details, so it is crucial to differentiate the specific terms we’re working with. Instead of using a blanket term like ‘outcomes,’ we want to see terms that convey specific concepts, like:
Institutional Learning Outcomes broadly reflect the mission, vision, and strategic objectives of an institution.
Student Learning Outcomes refer to the broad knowledge, skills, and competencies students are expected to achieve through their overall educational experience. This term is a bit of a catch-all, including program learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, and competencies students develop during their studies.
Program Learning Outcomes specify what students should achieve upon completing a particular program.
Course Learning Outcomes focus on the skills and knowledge students gain from completing individual courses.
Competencies address the specific skills needed to demonstrate achievement of these outcomes.
Various institutions might define these terms slightly differently, but establishing and adhering to clear definitions is crucial for the success of your assessment process. Don’t start out measuring your pie ingredients using the imperial system and then decide halfway through to switch to the metric system. Also, don’t list your oven temperature in Fahrenheit and then cook your pie filling using Celsius. Take the time to define your terms; it will pay off in the long run.
Step 2: Involve People
Just like consulting experienced pastry chefs can provide valuable insights into your pie recipe, involving academically and professionally qualified people in developing learning outcomes provides the foundation for a successful educational program. Here's how to gather your team of experts:
Engage Curricular Specialists and Faculty
In baking, you wouldn’t want to ignore advice from experienced pastry chefs who know the ins and outs of baking the perfect pie. Similarly, institutions should involve curricular specialists, administrators, subject matter experts, and faculty when drafting program learning outcomes. This team uses their combined expertise to determine what students are expected to achieve upon completing the program by conducting research, referencing the mission, and identifying necessary competencies. When drafting these outcomes, use measurable verbs that reflect the appropriate program level and rigor to ensure effective and meaningful assessment. A master chocolatier brings a different perspective than a prize-winning pear farmer, but if you’re making a chocolate pear pie, you need both.
Step 3: Identify Learning Expectations
After clearly defining assessment terms, the next step determines what students should learn by the end of a course or program. This involves:
Research
What should you know to make a good pie? What are common ingredients frequently used in other recipes? What ingredients can be added to make a pie more unique? The answers to these questions can only come from conducting research. Conducting thorough market research, needs assessments, and program comparisons helps institutions learn what students need and expect to know. This also helps provide insight into industry trends, student/employer needs, and program structure.
Align Outcomes
Aligning outcomes is like figuring out the order of operations before combining pie ingredients. Each step needs to be clear, precise, and logical to ensure a successful result. Just as you wouldn't start baking the crust before you’ve rolled it out, you shouldn't start drafting course outcomes and content before developing your program outcomes. Developing program learning outcomes is an important effort that pays off when monitoring outcomes assessment. So, take time to complete this step.
During this stage, ask yourself (and, ideally, a team of SMEs and instructional designers) what skills students must demonstrate to document achievement of the program and course outcomes. For example, designing a project requires creativity, and delivering a presentation requires effective communication skills (e.g., to bake the crust, we need to have made the crust). One way we can make sure we’ve carefully considered and sequenced everything properly is through curriculum mapping.
Step 4. Seek Advice
Before finalizing the program learning outcomes, seek feedback from a group of advisors, including active practitioners, subject matter experts, and professionals outside of academia (e.g., Advisory Council). Think of this step as inviting guest taste-testers to sample your pie. You need more than one palate to weigh in on the taste. These advisors provide valuable perspectives on professional trends, competencies, and the skills and knowledge employers seek when hiring. Their feedback can reveal nuances you might have missed, much like taste-testers can identify subtle flavors or textures that need adjustment. Apply their recommendations to strengthen, revise, and finalize your program learning outcomes. Just like fine-tuning a recipe based on feedback ensures the best pie, incorporating advisor insights ensures robust and relevant learning outcomes.
The journey to developing effective program learning outcomes can seem daunting at first, much like trying to perfect your first recipe. However, with careful thought, clear definitions, thorough research, aligned outcomes, expert input, and continuous feedback—you can create a robust framework that supports student success.
My husband’s quest for the perfect pie involved many trials, errors, and adjustments. Developing meaningful learning outcomes is an ongoing process. It takes time and effort, but the results are worth it. A well-crafted educational program not only meets but exceeds expectations, ensuring students gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to succeed. So, whether you're baking a pie or developing a curriculum, remember that the secret to success lies in the details, collaboration, and a willingness (and patience) to learn and improve.