Course Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes:  statements of what students should know or be able to do after completing an entire course. 

Well-written course outcomes help the instructor and the students. They provide the instructor with a roadmap for assessment and lesson planning, and they communicate to students what is important.

The ABCD Model for writing  outcomes incorporates different components into your objective. The University of Maryland's Learning Outcomes Research Guide provides an introduction to the ABCD Method. 

Yale's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning provides examples of outcomes from courses from different disciplines. It also includes recommendations for designing objectives.

Using Bloom's Taxonomy as a resource provides guidance for ensuring you are varying the level of complexity of thought you are requiring of your students. Vanderbilt University's Center for Teaching reviews Bloom's Taxonomy and provides additional information for its utilization. 

Examples of Well-Written Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate various modes of thesis development (overt, implied, and delayed) and produce essays with an argumentative thesis that focuses the essay for a specific audience and purpose. 

• Compare and contrast the three financial statements, balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow 

•  Solve gas problems by applying knowledge of the gas laws and kinetic molecular theory. 

Lesson Objectives

Lesson Objectives:  brief statements of what students should know or be able to do after an individual class lesson.  

While course outcomes are statements of what students should know or be able to do after successful completion of a course, learning objectives are statements of what students should know or be able to do after successful completion of an individual lesson or unit. Because lesson objectives focus on smaller units of learning than an entire course, they focus on more narrowly defined content that course outcomes. 

Note:  Use of the terms "outcomes" and "objectives" may vary, and the two terms may be used interchangeably at different institutions. The delineation of "outcomes" and "objectives" above is how the terms are used at ECC. 

Like outcomes, learning objectives help the instructor and the students by providing the instructor with a roadmap for assessment and lesson planning, and they communicate to students what is important.

The ABCD Model for writing  outcomes and objectives incorporates different components into your objective. The University of Maryland's Learning Outcomes Research Guide provides an introduction to the ABCD Method. 

Yale's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning provides examples of outcomes and objectives  from courses from different disciplines. It also includes recommendations for designing objectives.

Using Bloom's Taxonomy as a resource provides guidance for ensuring you are varying the level of complexity of thought you are requiring of your students. Vanderbilt University's Center for Teaching reviews Bloom's Taxonomy and provides additional information for its utilization. 

Examples of Well-Written Learning Objectives.

• Students will be able to evaluate their classmates’ arguments in a Socratic seminar by taking Cornell notes during each discussion. 

• Students will be able to apply their knowledge of the writing process to a peer editing session in which they provide at least five peers with feedback aligned with the class rubric.

•  After reading “The Tell-Tale Heart,” students will be able to contrast Poe’s tone with another Romantic author in a short expository paragraph. 

Outcomes vs Objectives at ECC

Distinguishing Between Learning Outcomes vs. Learning Objectives at ECC

Learning Outcomes:  Statements that articulate what a student should be able to successfully demonstrate after completing a course or program. Learning outcomes should be student-centered (focused on what students are doing with their gained knowledge and/or skills) and measurable. The course learning outcomes should be the foundation of the course and guide instructional design choices.

ECC has course outcomes, which state what students should be able to do after completing a course, and general education outcomes, which state even more broad skills and knowledge that students should be able to demonstrate as part of their wider ECC education. Certain programs also include program learning outcomes, which state what students should be able to successfully demonstrate after completing a program. 

• Course Learning Outcome Example 1:  Develop essays through multiple drafts, reflecting and applying feedback from teachers and peers to improve one’s writing.

• Course Learning Outcome Example 2:  Demonstrate automotive shop safety procedures.

• Program Learning Outcomes Example 1:  Engage in clinical judgment to provide safe, evidence-based person-centered nursing care across the lifespan. 

• Program Learning Outcome Example 2:  Prepare basic financial statements (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Equity)

• General Education Learning Outcome Example 1:  Create clear, well-organized written, oral, or visual messages. 

• General Education Learning Outcomes Example 2:  Collect and examine scientific data.

Objectives:  Statements that articulate what a student should be able to do after the individual learning experiences (lessons for in-person courses, modules and/or units for asynchronous online courses) that are part of the larger course and course learning outcomes. Like the course outcomes, the objectives of lessons, modules, and/or units should be student-centered (focused on what students are doing with their gained knowledge and/or skills) and measurable. The lesson objectives should add up to form a larger course outcome and should be the foundation of individual learning experiences and guide instructional design choices.

• Lesson or Module Objective Example 1:  Calculate and prepare adjustments for unrecorded business transactions. 

• Course Outcome the Lesson Objective Aligns With:  Properly identify and record business transactions for service and merchandising businesses including daily transactions, monthly adjusting entries and year end closing entries. 

  • Aligned Program Learning Outcome: Identify and record business transactions applying GAAP rules and principles thru the entire accounting cycle. 

    • Aligned General Education Learning Outcomes:  Accurately perform measurements and calculations. 

• Lesson or Module Objective Example 2:  Given a sample essay and rubric, students will provide appropriate feedback based on rubric criteria and levels.

  • Course Outcome the Lesson Objective Aligns With:  Develop essays through multiple drafts, reflecting and applying feedback from teachers and peers to improve one’s writing

    • Aligned General Education Learning Outcomes:  Create clear, well-organized written, oral or visual messages. 

• Lesson or Module Objective Example 3:  Students will be able to identify examples of safe and unsafe attire for an automotive shop.

• Course Outcome the Lesson Objective Aligns With:  Demonstrate automotive shop safety procedures.