UT Snapshot: Aligning Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Brenda Berkelaar (Communication Studies) aligned Links to an external site. her learning outcomes for her Career Dynamics course with her assessment in order to evaluate the extent to which students have learned the intended curriculum.

For Brenda, proper alignment ensured:

• the course provided a holistic experience
• students received consistent messages about what they should learn
• students spent time on activities that lead to intended course goals
• the instructor could reasonably estimate the effectiveness of instruction

Brenda wanted to empower students to assess and communicate skills they have in preparation of the job market. Her learning outcomes, listed on her syllabus under course objectives, are:

From these learning outcomes, Brenda developed a series of learning activities designed to assess her students' skill development. Notice how she uses the syllabus to communicate with her students which activities are expected to serve as opportunities to measure which learning outcomes:

This gesture may seem small, but its impact is huge. By drawing connections between learning outcomes and assessment for herself and for her students, Brenda is focusing her students on what they need to know and how they should learn it. 

 

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