Determining Student-Learning Outcomes

Transcription

1 Determining -Learning Outcomes Goal: What an individual, project/program, or organization aims to achieve. Effective goals refer to a destination, the end rather than the means, the outcome rather than the process. For example, a faculty s real goal is not that students will write a term paper, but that they will become effective writers. Learning Outcome: The knowledge, skills, attitudes, habits of mind, and changes in behaviour that students gain from a learning experience. Objective: The detailed aspects of goals; the tasks to be accomplished to achieve the goal; the means to the end; the process leading to the outcome. For example, if a goal of an astronomy professor is for students to explain science concepts in writing, her objectives might be for them to write essays, critique drafts of their peers, and maintain a journal. Behavioural Objective: A clear and unambiguous description of the educational expectations for students using concrete action words. When written in behavioural terms, an objective will include three components: 1. student behaviour: skill or knowledge to be gained (ie, vocabulary words) and the action or skill the student is able to do (ie, define, categorize, analyze, etc). Example: s will define the vocabulary words identified in bold print in the first story. 2. conditions of performance: describes under what Circumstances or context the behaviour will be performed. Example: In an oral presentation. 3. performance criteria: specifies how well the behaviour is to to be done or to what standard the behaviour will be compared. Example: 80 correct responses out of 100. Example of a well-written behavioural objective: In an oral presentation, the student will paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King s I Have a Dream address, mentioning at least three of the five major points discussed in class. Domains of Learning/Instruction: Behavioural objectives can be written for any of the three basic domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain Determining -Learning Outcomes Susan Aloi June 2004 Page 1

2 In 1956, Bloom and his research associates completed a classification system for the cognitive domain that is still widely used today. The premise of this classification (or, taxonomy) is that what educators want students to know (as delineated in the statements of educational objectives) can be arranged in a hierarchy from less to more complex. s can demonstrate learning at different levels. Knowledge of basic facts comprises the lower level of the hierarchy and generally requires the student to memorize and repeat information through multiple choice or true/false examinations. Synthesis and evaluation comprise the higher level of the hierarchy and require students to elaborate more on their learning, utilizing all the lower levels of the taxonomy. Synthesis requires rearranging the parts of a topic in a new, original way; evaluation requires a comparison to a standard resulting in a judgement or prioritization. Faculty can utilize Taxonomy to design student-learning outcomes and objectives, as well as to develop appropriate methods to assess student attainment of these outcomes. Synthesis Evaluation Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge Sample Sample Determining -Learning Outcomes Susan Aloi June 2004 Page 2

3 Level Definition Verbs Behaviours recalls or Write recognizes information, ideas, and List define the six Label levels of Knowledge principles in the approximate form Name in which they are State taxonomy of the learned. Define cognitive Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation translates, comprehends, or interprets information based on prior learning. selects, transfers, and uses data and principles to complete a problem or task with a minimum of direction. distinguishes, classifies, and relates the assumptions, hypotheses, evidence, or structure of a statement or question. originates, integrates, and combines ideas into a product, plan or proposal that is new to him or her. appraises, assesses, or critiques on the basis of specific standards and criteria. Explain Summarize Paraphrase Describe Illustrate Use Compute Solve Demonstrate Apply Construct Analyze Categorize Compare Contrast Separate Create Design Hypothesize Invent Develop Judge Recommend Critique Justify domain. explain the purpose of taxonomy of the cognitive domain. write an instructional objective for each level of taxonomy. compare and contrast the cognitive and affective domains. design a classification scheme for writing educational objectives that combines the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. judge the effectiveness of writing objectives using taxonomy. Determining -Learning Outcomes Susan Aloi June 2004 Page 3

4 Krathwohl s Taxonomy of the Affective Domain Level Definition Example Receiving Responding Valuing Organization Characterization by Value Being aware of or attending to something in the environment. Showing some new behaviours as a result of experience. Showing some definite involvement or commitment. Integrating a new value into one s general set of values, giving it some ranking among one s general priorities. Acting consistently with the new value. Person would listen to a lecture or presentation about a structural model related to human behaviour. The individual would answer questions about the model or might rewrite lecture notes. The individual might begin to think how education may be modified to take advantage of some of the concepts presented in the model and perhaps generate a set of lessons using some of the concepts presented. This is the level at which a person would begin to make long-range commitments to arranging his or her instruction and assessment relative to the model. At this highest level, a person would be firmly committed to utilizing the model to develop, select, or arrange instruction and would become known for that action. Determining -Learning Outcomes Susan Aloi June 2004 Page 4

5 Dave s Taxonomy of Psychomotor Domain Level Definition Possible Verbs attempt, copy, duplicate, imitate, mimic Imitation Manipulation Precision Articulation Naturalization Observe a skill and attempt to repeat it, or see a finished product and attempt to replicate. Perform the skill or produce the product in a recognizable fashion by following general instructions rather than observation. Independently perform the skill or produce the product with accuracy, proportion, and exactness; at an expert level. Modify the skill or produce the product to fit new situations; combine more than one skill in sequence with harmony and consistency. Completion of one or more skills with ease and making the skill automatic with limited physical or mental exertion. complete, follow, play, perform, produce achieve automatically, excel expertly, perform masterfully adapt, alter, customize, originate naturally, perfectly References Bloom, B., Engelhart, M., Furst, E., Hill, W., & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: Longmans, Green. Dave, R. Psychomotor domain. Berlin: International Conference of Educational Testing. Huitt, W. Educational Psychology Interactive. Downloaded 6/28/04 from Krathwohl, D., Bloom, B., & Masia, B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David McKay. Suskie, L. (2004). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. Determining -Learning Outcomes Susan Aloi June 2004 Page 5