Writing Assessable Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes refer to what a student will be able to know or do at the end of a
learning unit. Learning outcomes are written for 4 areas of learning:

Knowledge
This refers to the content, topics, what we know of as the syllabus. You may start
these learning outcomes by saying:
Having successfully completed this unit, you will be able to demonstrate
knowledge and understanding of:.

Cognitive Skills
This is what you expect students to do with the content: describe, compare, evaluate,
apply etc. These always start with a verb that will guide how you assess see table
with a list of verbs below.

Subject Specific Skills

Not all units will have this set of learning outcomes, and relates to manipulation skills
and professional skills that a graduate of such a programme needs. For motor skills
you may use verbs like: co-ordinates, balances, operates, handles (with
confidence/skilfully), expresses, performs, calibrates, rotates etc.

Key Skills
The University have a guided list of key skills (see QAU Handbook, section 2.3.1.4
scroll to near bottom) which are:
communicate orally
work in a team
work independently
appropriately use ICT
research & critically evaluate information
apply techniques, theories in a new context

In assessing key skills you may want to add a particular group of key skills to a set of
core assignments and include in the marking. Or, you may ask students to evidence
their key skills work through, for example, Progress Files. You may have a mix of
techniques. For example assessing attitudes or group work/seminar work you could
use verbs like: supports, shares, responds, judges, joins, questions, praises, listens,
argues, responds, challenges, integrates, enjoys, volunteers, attempts, listens,
receives, decides.
 Cognitive Skills for Learning Outcomes
Cognitive Domain Selection of active verbs for Answers the questions
learning outcomes

1. knowledge ability to recall previously define, label, recall, order, list, quote, Who, what, when, where, how?
learned material, know specific match, state, recognise, identify, recite How do you define?
facts/methods/procedures, know basic
concepts/principles.

2. Comprehension ability to understand the describe, discuss, summarise, How would you paraphrase?
meaning of material, interpret charts/graphs, paraphrase, report, review, What are the main ideas?
estimate future consequences implied in the understands, explain How would summarise?
data. Give examples of

3. Application ability to use learned information
in new situations/problem solving/solutions
that have best answers, demonstrate correct
usage of procedures, apply laws/theories to
practical situations.
assess, demonstrate, examine,
distinguish, establish, show, report,
implement, determine, produce, solve,
draw, interpret, provide, use, utilise,
write
How is xxx an example of yyy ?
How is xx related to yy?
Why is xx significant?

4. Analysis ability to identify component parts
of knowledge, to understand its structure and
composition, recognise logical fallacies in
reasoning, make distinctions between facts
and inferences.
analyse, illustrate, discriminate,
differentiate, distinguish, examine,
question, infer, support, prove, test,
experiment, categorise, write
What are the parts/features of xx?
Classify acccording to ..?
Outline/diagram
How does xx compare/contrast with ?
What evidence is there for ?

5. Synthesis- ability to creatively apply
knowledge to new areas, integrate new
knowledge, write well argued paper/speech,
propose research design to test hypothesis.
6. Evaluation ability to judge the value of
evidence/ material for a given purpose.
Compile, categorise, generate,
negotiate, reconstruct, reorganise,
revise, validate, organise, plan,
propose, set up, write, substitute,
initiate, express, compare, modify,
design, create, build, devise, integrate
Appraise, criticise, assess, argue,
justify, defend, interpret, support,
estimate, evaluate, critique, review,
write
What would you infer/predict from ..?
What ideas can you add to ?
How would you create/design ?
What might happen if you ?
What solutions would you suggest..?
Do you agree that?
What do you think about..?
What is the most important?
Prioritise & give rationale
Decision making rationale
Criteria for assessing .

As can be seen the cognitive complexity increases with evaluation being a more
complex cognitive activity than knowledge.

Writing Learning Outcomes

Select likely learning outcomes from the subjects benchmark statement, from
your unit aims and from your professional body (if appropriate). Learning
outcomes should be written at both Programme and Unit level. You can start at
either level.
Your learning outcomes will need to range: knowledge, key skills, cognitive skills
and subject specific skills although you may find your benchmark statement uses
slightly different headings.
Start your learning outcome with an active verb use verbs above as a guide.
Check you cognitive learning outcomes span the range of cognitive skills,
ensuring that a balance of skills at the various levels of the programme.
Map learning outcomes to teaching method/activity/assignment.
Map learning outcomes to a type of assessment you may find several learning
outcomes are assessed in one assignment. Ensure that the learning outcomes
can be identified in that assignment for assessment.
The verb will help you devise the assessment strategy.
 Mapping Learning Outcomes to Assessment

You may want to map your core learning outcomes with a type of assessment.
This will give you an overview of what you are doing and you may see that you
are assessing a learning outcome across several types of assessment. You could
get your core learning outcomes from your Programme Specification, but ensure
you consider how you deal with the various levels. To do this you could take some
information from units across the various levels.

Programme_______________________-

Learning outcomes Learning- Type of Unit Code

(include: knowledge, teaching assessment
cognitive, key & subject activity Eg. essay, group
specific skills) select You will need this work, presentation,
core learning outcomes for the learning- work-based,
that appear across units teaching- extended project etc.
it is not necessary to assessment cycle
list all learning part just give idea
outcomes. of different
teaching& learning
used to
accommodate a
learning outcome.