Learning outcomes are statements describing what a student will learn in a program, course, unit, or class session. They are also called learning objectives or learning goals. For example, the Office of the Provost provides University-wide and college learning outcomes. Writing learning outcomes helps you define the scope and goals of your course, module, or class session and make decisions about course content, activities, and assessments. Learning outcomes also help orient students to what they will be learning and help students decide if the course is a good fit for their academic trajectory and interests.

Learning outcomes are often written in the following format:

As a result of participating in (program/course name), students will be able to (action verb) (learning statement).

Examples of learning outcomes:

• Students will be able to describe the key characteristics of the different classes of planets.
• Students will be able to identify and interpret patterns in mythology.
• Students will be able to apply basic pharmacokinetic principles to estimate drug concentration in a patient.
• Students will be able to ​​write an integrative review of empirical literature.
• Students will be able to assess their own cultural perspectives and the potential for associated biases, and how these may shape scientific practice. 

Getting Started with Writing Learning Outcomes

• Start by making a list of all the things you want students to learn within your course. The list can include content knowledge, skills, or interpersonal outcomes (such as collaboration or communication). If you write each idea on a sticky note, you can move them around to find clusters or patterns.
• Pare down your list. What is essential? What can be cut? Aim for having 3-8 outcomes for a course. Be realistic in considering what is possible for students to accomplish in your course. 
• Take your rough list and draft sentences to describe the outcome (see examples above).
• Consult lists of verbs that are often used in learning outcomes. Bloom’s Taxonomy describes six levels of learning: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. Lists of verbs within these different categories can help inspire you when writing your outcomes. 
• Edit and review the outcomes using the list below.
• Once you have your course-level outcomes, consider drafting more specific learning outcomes for each module, week, or class session and posting them at the beginning of a class session to help orient students to what they will learn.

Reviewing your Outcomes

• Do they emphasize the participant, use an action verb, and incorporate a learning statement?
• Are they specific and clear?
• Are they measurable? How will they be assessed?
• Do they use unnecessary jargon? Can they be understood by someone new to the field?
• Are they realistic when considering the time frame of the course and the attributes of your students (e.g. prior knowledge, level within the program)?
• Do they align with the outcomes of the program, unit, or college?

Aligning learning outcomes to the curriculum

In some programs, students need to achieve learning outcomes set by accrediting agencies or to obtain certain certifications. In other programs, required courses are sequenced in the curriculum so that learning outcomes build on each other. Reach out to others in your department to learn more about the context of your course. For example: has the course been taught before? Is the course a prerequisite for other courses, or part of the major/minor curriculum? 

You can also ask for a list of departmental learning outcomes to see how your course maps onto these larger goals. Consider asking colleagues to read your learning outcomes and provide feedback, especially instructors who may teach a course that students take before or after your course. It’s a good idea to periodically check in with colleagues about learning outcomes and review the curriculum. Over time, courses may become misaligned with some content or skills being taught in multiple courses, while others are missing. You can request a CTI consultant to come to your department to lead a curriculum mapping exercise to identify how courses are aligned across a curriculum.

Selected Resources

• Course Design Institute (CTI)
• Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition. Alexandria: ASCD.
• Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.