On
Measurable
and
Meaningful Outcomes
Questions to ask & answer:
- - why you are conducting an assessment
- who the assessment is for
- how the results will be used
- to whom the results will be given and in what format
- when and how often follow-up assessments should be completed
- what decisions you expect to make from the assessment findings
Components
of a
Good Outcome?
Clarify what you are trying to assess
— Do you want to assess what your program is accomplishing and the degree to which it is being accomplished (program outcomes)?
— Do you want to assess what students are learning as a result of the curriculum program is offering (learning outcomes)?
— Do you want to assess how students are developing as a result of an intervention you are applying within your program (developmental outcomes)?
Your
outcome must be measurable
Use
verbs that specify the trait, ability, behavior, or habit of mind that you
wish to assess such as ‘create,’ ‘compose,’‘ calculate,’ ‘build,’ ‘develop,’ or ‘evaluate’ [Bloom's
Taxonomy]
The intended outcome must measure something useful and meaningful
This implies assessment approaches that produce evidence that relevant parties will find credible, suggestive, and applicable to decisions that need to be made.What are the “major criteria for which you will assess the trait, ability, behavior, or habit of mind
That is, on what basis, will you be able to ascertain how well ‘A’ is achieving or performing or using or integrating ‘B’?
Types
of Outcomes
1. Program Outcomes
Program outcomes illustrate what you want your program to do. Was the task or activity completed?
“The Deciding Student Academic Advising Office will advise deciding students of all racial groups represented in the deciding student population.”
2. Learning Outcomes
The following example is not a learning outcome. Why not?
“Three seminars on critical thinking will be presented and students who participate will be expected to write two essays on critical thinking skills – one prior to the start of the seminar and one upon completion of the seminar.”
3. Developmental Outcomes
Developmental outcomes illustrate the affective dimensions you desire to instill or enhance.
Examples of intended outcomes for affective dimensions:
- Being sensitive to the values of others,
- Becoming aware of one’s own talents and abilities
- Developing an appreciation for life-long learning
- Practicing ethical behavior
- Exhibiting personal discipline
- Providing leadership
Example of a developmental outcome:
“Students participating in SL103 – Service Learning through Latin American Studies will show evidence of increased civic responsibility as measured by increased civic responsibility correlation on the CSIPI pre-test/post-test.”
Examples
of
Learning Outcomes
Example A
You want to know whether students who participated in your service learning course improved their critical thinking skills, you could write a learning outcome that looks similar to the following.
“Students participating in the SL206 Service Learning through Music Therapy course will demonstrate an increase in critical thinking skills, as exhibited by an improvement in scores on the Chronicle Critical Thinking pre-test/post-test instrument.”
Is this is an acceptable outcome?
Q: Is it clear what you are assessing?
Q: Is the intended outcome measuring something useful and meaningful?
Q: Is the outcome measurable?
Q: How will this outcome be measured?
Example B
“Students participating in SL206 Service Learning through Music Therapy will understand the importance of the application of historical methodology.”
Is this is an acceptable outcome?
Q: Is it clear what you are assessing?
Q: Is the intended outcome measuring something useful and meaningful?
Q: Is the outcome measurable?
Q: How will this outcome be measured?
Based on Marilee J. Bresciani, PhD, NCSUD