Assessment and Outcomes
Program Objectives: Identifying Intended Learning Outcomes
Program objectives are brief, clear, focused statements of specific intended
learning outcomes. Each objective can be linked directly to one or more
program goals. Each objective should be defined with outcomes assessment
criteria in mind for "measuring" how well each objective has
been accomplished. Operationally, it is very helpful to formulate each
objective statement to include.
Stating each objective in the form of an "action verb" combined
with a description of a very specific ability helps translate objectives
into learning outcomes students can actually demonstrate and faculty can
actually measure. The use of the verb form emphasizes that objectives
can be assessed by examining very specific products or behaviors students
can actually do. By implication, each objective must have associated criteria
for evaluating the success of the program in terms of the actual accomplishments
of its graduates. For example, here are some sample learning objectives
from the Human Services program:
- Examine the history and philosophies of human services;
- Identify what constitutes genuine and empathic relationship
- Analyze the role of conflict in individual and societal systems
- Demonstrate a broad range of relevant communication skills & strategies
- Design integrated services using innovative practices in diverse settings
Two kinds of learning objectives: mastery and development
There are two general categories of learning objectives. Mastery objectives
establish minimum criteria for the acquisition and demonstration of foundational
skills or knowledge. Mastery implies the achievement of a minimal or threshold
level of competence, and also implies that what is important is the attainment
of a minimum or threshold level of competence. Mastery objectives are measured
on a binary scale: pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory, etc.
In contrast, developmental objectives imply a sequential continuum of
integrative abilities. In general these include two distinct categories
of abilities to be assessed as student learning objectives: general, across-the-curriculum
abilities, and abilities specific to the major. Developmental objectives
form a hierarchy of sequential skill levels which become the basis for
particular course sequences within a program.
Because developmental objectives are best represented as a sequence of
checkpoints for student learning, it is important and useful for departments
to establish criteria for defining and assessing several different levels
of developmental abilities, and to associate the attainment of sequential
levels of such abilities with specific courses or groups of courses in
their programs. In this way program objectives can be integrated meaningfully
into individual courses, and learning objectives for one course become
prerequisite knowledge for more advanced courses.
For example, a sequence of developmental objectives might include:
- Demonstrate observational skills
- Draw reasonable inferences from observations
- Demonstrate perception of important relationships in observations
- Analyze structure and organization
- Select and apply appropriate theoretical constructs to observations
Both mastery and developmental objectives can be associated with a wide
variety of competencies:
- Knowledge
- Cognitive development--area and level
- Technical skill development--skill and level
- Process skill development--skill and level
- Comprehension--type and level
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Evaluation
- Integrative thinking/ creativity
- Attitudes, behaviors, and values
- Development of desirable personal/professional qualities
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