Learning Outcomes and

Assessment Criteria

Rosie Bingham

Learning and Teaching Institute

Sheffield Hallam University

r.s.bingham@shu.ac.uk

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

Learning outcomes for the day.....

Group members will be able to... . . . . . . . . . . .

?? discuss the benefits and issues around

developing/using learning outcomes and assessment
criteria

?? identify good practice in writing and using learning

outcomes and assessment criteria

?? write appropriate learning outcomes and assessment

criteria

?? consider any implications for their own practice

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

 QAA model

I I
4

PDP* (Personal Transcripts

Development Planning)

Intended Learning Processes that Outcomes

Outcomes enable outcomes to actually achieved
be achieved

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

 ~~~

What are we trying to deal with?

?? Coherence
(in design and student experience)

?? Level
(of academic study)

?? Standards
(student expected to meet )

We need to be:
?? Educationally ‘sound’
?? Explicit

?? Accountable

plus a whole raft of other areas . . . . . . . . . ..eg

?? efficient and effective

?? feedback for learning
?? autonomous learners
?? employability

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

@
 Module planning

Programme Specification

I
~~~-

Learning
7

Outcomes
(What do I want the
students to know, do
and understand?)

Learning and Assessment

teaching criteria
strategy
(How will I know
(What methods will
- Standards if the student has
achieved the
best help students I
learning outcomes
achieve the learning - and how well?)
outcomes?)

Assessment
strategy
(What method(s) of
assessment is best
suited to students
demonstrating their
achievement of the
learning outcomes?)
0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002
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Tips for writing learning outcomes
. Keep to a manageable number - most modules have between 5 and 9

. You may not get them right first time - you may need to re-visit them as you develop
teaching, learning, and assessment/feedback strategies.

0 Each outcome should be written at a pass level - not what you would expect form the
highest achiever

? Make sure they are expressed at the appropriate level (see SHU LOS).

? Look at the balance between intended subject, personal and professional learning
outcomes. Does this reflect what your module is about?

Make sure your learning outcomes relate to overall programme outcomes.

Can they be assessed?

Are all your learning outcomes of equal importance? Determine what are essential,
useful and optional. How will your students know?
? As you are developing learning outcomes, think about how you would know if a learner
had achieved them ie the possible assessment method and criteria.

Could your typical learner achieve the outcomes within the timescale?

You could ask your previous learners what outcomes they identify/value.

Ask colleagues if they understand what your learning outcomes are about

Consider the relevant context - ie where your module fits into what learners have done
before and what they will progress to

Try to avoid:
? evaluative words eg “good” and “adequate” - they are assessment criteria

? ambiguous verbs such as “understand”, ” know”, “be aware” and “appreciate”. What level
of ‘understanding’ do you mean?
. educational jargon - students and others will need to use them

? references to the process by which the learning takes place eg “undertake a project”
suggests it is actually the ability to plan and implement a project which you want the
student to learn.

? long lists of separate outcomes which are variations of the same outcome.

? learning outcomes which are not easily assessed

. referring to specific information in learning outcomes eg particular theories and

techniques. These are included as content.

? learning outcomes which are too broad (they will be unassessible) or too narrow (leads
to over-detailed and cumbersome lists).

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

A drive to develop:

?? holistic and coherent learning experience

?? standards and expectations

?? reliability, validity and consistency of the

assessment process

?? accountability and transparency

?? efficiency and effectiveness, for students and tutors

?? feedback t o improve and develop student learning

?? student skills - to foster autonomous learners

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

Assessment criteria

Students’ assessed work may be:

?? Norm-referenced - judges student work on the basis

of their performance in relation to each other.

?? Criterion-referenced - judges student work on the

basis of their perFormance in relation to clearly stated
criteria.

?? lpsative - judges student in relation to his or her own

previous performance.

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

Main questions about criteria:

?? Do they enable students to know what

they need to do to achieve the learning
outcomes?

?? How will students (and others) know

what they need to do to achieve a
particular grade or mark?

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

KEY FEATURES OF ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Assessment criteria should:

?? relate closely to the unit Learning .Outcomes, describing

those aspects of the Learning Outcome which will be
assessed

?? indicate what is required at a pass level, in a positive way

?? help students know what they need to do

?? help students understand what you expect at differing levels

of achievement

?? be understandable to all stakeholders

?? be manageable in number

?? be distinct from each other

? be seen as an indication of achievement .rather than an exact

measurement.

It should be clear to tutors, students and other

stakeholders, how and why marks/grades have been
awarded, and that they have been awarded fairly.

Open, fair and justifiable

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

Some issues raised by students include:

?? mixed messages about what to do

?? the need to second guess what’s in the

tutor’s mind

?? ‘fairness

?? marks and feedback not relating to each

other

?? not knowing which aspects of their work

were good and which weren’t (eg a mark of
60%, but which 60% was good and which
40% was weak)?

?? not knowing what to do to improve

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

When developing criteria, you might find it helpful to think of them in terms of
a flow chart, linking one stage to the next:
-
ifarf here: Assessment CI ?ria
1. Learning Assessment ). Pass/threshold 4. Differentiated
Outcome
-
Criterion
-
desczptor
zvel
descrietors
i statement 1 statement of L statement of the L description of what the
If what a Yhich aspects of ypical pass ;tudent must do to achieve
&dent ;tudent work will equirement, in I particular grade/mark
;hould know, )e judged, in elation to the against the assessment
lo or *elation to the -earning xiterion
Jnderstand -earning Iutcomes
3utcomes
3y the end of Student work will -or a typical pass n order to achieve a
:he unit, a 3e judged on he student larticular mark/grade (eg
student I . . . . . . . fvill... . . . . . degree classification) the
should be student’s work will.. . . . .
sble to.. . . . . .
The critical The critical The critical The critical question is:
question is: question is: question is:
Where do On what basis A/hat must they do How will you know how well
you want the will you judge to get there, ie to they have got there?
student to whether they’ve meet the criterion?
get to? got there?
For example
By the end of Student work will For a typical pass, In order to achieve a 1,2.1,
the unit, a be judged on...... the student will . . . . . 2.2,3rd, student’s work will . . .
student shoulc 1 st - locate a wide range of
be able to.... sources, identifying
locate the main appropriateness of sources for
locate and the range of sources of own needs. Select and justify,
select from information information and making explicit, their choices,
information sources and the select those most
sources relevance of 2.2 - locate a wide range of
relevant to their own sources and select those most
(Level 1) material selected needs. relevant, in relation to own need.
for their needs Justify, making explicit, their
choices
2.2 - locate a range of sources
and select those most relevant,
clearly identifying own needs

3rd - locate main sources and

select those most relevant to OWI
needs
below 40% - limited sources
located. lnappropria te or
inaccurate selection

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

Areas to consider

?? How many criteria will you have?

?? How many grades of achievement will you have?

?? How will you relate them to the Learning Outcomes?

? How will you avoid telling the student what to do?

?? How will you avoid writing criteria which could restrict

or restrain students?

?? Weighting criteria

?? How will you ensure a holistic approach?

?? Exam criteria?

0 Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002

Tips for developing grids:
? It takes time - to articulate your thoughts, to select appropriate and
meaningful language, to clarify the progression from one grade to
another, and to check out understanding with others. Never the less,
it is a valuable and important exercise.

? It helps to start by developing the criteria for the 40% column -

what is the minimum standard required to pass? Once this is
articulated, you can build up and down the columns. Some staff find it
easier to next articulate the 70%+ level.

? Phrase the 400/dpass descriptor in positive terms. Words such as

‘inadequate’, ‘limited’, ‘inaccurate’ generally describe failing work.

? Tutors have found it useful to create grids with a colleague(s) -

discussion helps articulation of difficult ideas.

? As you move up the grades, avoid introducing new criteria into

the descriptors. The main aspects of the criterion should follow up
the levels, with an increasing demand in that particular aspect

? The following are some examples of ways you could move up the
levels:
? Increasing the degree of autonomy required -
eg the level of independence or decision-making needed,
initiative
? Broadening the situation/context in which the student applies
the learning
eg a pass might be unit-specific, higher grades might draw on
wider experiences/sources
? Increasing the range/number of elements you expect the
student to use
eg using a wider range of presentation techniques, combining
more problem solving techniques, using a combination of skill
elements

Q Rosie Bingham, Sheffield Hallam University April 2002