Outcomes
The available literature demonstrates that some of the key learning outcomes that should be achieved by students include knowledge, comprehension/competence, skills, application, synthesis, as well as evaluation (Crespo et al., 2010; Hall, 2002). In online learning contexts, it is important for educators to align all educational activities and resources with the anticipated learning outcomes of a learning module or course with the view to assisting the students in achieving and internalizing the above-mentioned learning outcomes upon successful completion of their learning experience. In particular, students should demonstrate sufficient knowledge and competence in applying the contents of the module or the course to real-life contexts. The faculty can pride itself on having achieved effectiveness if the students are able to demonstrate comprehension of tasks as well as application of skills in real-life contexts upon completion of the module or the course. Synthesis and evaluation are another important learning outcomes that should be achieved by students.
As the faculty chair, it would be important to underscore the importance of knowledge, skill and competence as the primary learning outcomes in online environments. Knowledge means assimilation of information through learning and encompasses the capacity developed by students to enumerate and explain the facts, principles, theories and practices that are linked to a particular field of study. Being another important learning outcome, “skill means the ability to apply knowledge and use knowhow to complete tasks and solve problems” (Crespo et al., 2010, p. 1). Lastly, competence denotes the confirmed or verified capability of students to employ knowledge and skills learned in study contexts not only to further their academic and personal development, but also to demonstrate their autonomy and independence in fulfilling particular tasks with minimal supervision by the tutor.
Steps in Creating Effective Outcomes
As the faculty chair, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of the steps that could be used to develop effective learning outcomes based on the fact that the assessment criteria must have the capacity to “establish clear and unambiguous standards of achievement and must be related to the learning outcomes of a course” (Hatziapostolou & Paraskakis, 2010, p. 113). The steps involved in creating effective outcomes in online learning contexts include
- engaging in a clear and coherent description of course or module outcomes and assessments,
- ensuring curriculum coherence by relating module or course requirements to programmatic outcomes,
- defining program level outcomes in a comprehensive and understandable manner,
- defining the measurable outcomes for the course or module under study,
- associating the noted learning outcomes with assessments, and
- creating an enduring understanding of the desired learning outcomes as they relate to learning activities (A Short Guide, n.d.).
It is also important to not only design learning activities or the unit assessment in a way that enables students to demonstrate their understanding, but also to ensure that the learning process around which the course is built has the capacity to support the student’s approach to fulfill the course outcomes in a manner that also reinforces the comprehensive understanding of specific course objectives. Effective learning outcomes, according to van Melle and Pinchin (2008), should assist in focusing the overall purpose of the learning experience, determining where the particular learning experience best fits within the larger curriculum, selecting the suitable learning experience, as well as selecting the appropriate method of assessment.
Concept of Aligning Assessments with Objectives
The term ‘assessment’ indicates the measurement of student learning through the collection and ranking of information “that might include not only tests but also a variety of techniques such as performance tasks, portfolios, and observation” (Rogier, 2014, p. 14). Drawing from this description, it is evident that assessments should not only provide educators and learners with quantifiable and/or qualitative evidence on how well the students have learned the material, but should also have the capacity to demonstrate if the teaching methods and techniques are effective. Consequently, the concept of aligning assessments with objectives basically implies that any form of assessment should have the capacity to demonstrate if the set learning objectives are being met or not.
Importance of Aligning Assessments with Objectives
It is of immense importance to align assessments with their objectives so that educators are able to make informed decisions associated with instruction and also to determine the extent to which instructional and assessment objectives have been met (Rogier, 2014). For faculty, effective alignment serves as a solid base for grounding major administrative decisions related to the reliability of student learning outcomes and achievement. Here, reliability means that the students’ learning outcomes and achievement should be consistent in the event that the students are assessed more than once using the same assessment criteria. Additionally, effective alignment should not only enhance the probability that educators will provide learners with the opportunities to learn and practice the knowledge and skills required on the various assessments, but also ensure that the “good grades” achieved by students will most likely translate into “good learning” experiences as learners will be empowered to focus their efforts on learning what the faculty educators believe is important (Crespo et al., 2010; Hall, 2002).
Strategies for Ensuring Alignment of Assessments with their Objectives
In the online learning environments, educators within the faculty may ensure the alignment of assessments with objectives through the use of formative feedback. Available literature demonstrates that “feedback is an essential component in all learning contexts and serves a variety of purposes including evaluation of students’ achievements, development of students’ competencies and understanding, and elevation of students’ motivation and confidence” (Hatziapostolou & Paraskakis, 2010, p. 111). These authors further acknowledge that, for formative feedback to be used as a strategy in ensuring alignment between assessment and objectives, educators must ensure that it is timely, productive, motivational, individualistic, manageable, and straightforwardly associated with the assessment criteria as well as learning outcomes. Formative feedback can be provided in terms of word-processed feedback forms, e-mails, as well as electronic annotations on students’ work.
Educators should also always ensure that they plan their assessments in close reference to the course learning objectives, implying that how they plan to assess student learning should have a bearing on how they present materials and teach the course in online contexts (Rogier, 2014). Another strategy for ensuring alignment is to capitalize on the initial planning stage in the assessment process to ensure that the assessment context, available resources, purpose of the course, and instructional settings are described in great detail and ensuing that all the information is included in the assessment specifications (Rogier, 2014). Lastly, alignment can be ensured by undertaking comprehensive research on the intended teaching objectives with the view to developing a practical assessment criterion or rubric which could then be used to maintain consistency.
References
A short guide to developing effective learning outcomes and assessments. (n.d.). Web.
Crespo, R.M., Leony, D., Najjar, J., Totschnig, M., Simon, B., Derntl, M…Oberhuemer, P. (2010). Aligning assessment with learning outcomes in outcome-based education. Web.
Hall, R. (2002). Aligning learning, teaching and assessment using the web: An evaluation of pedagogical approaches. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(2), 149-158.
Hatziapostolou, T., & Paraskakis, I. (2010). Enhancing the impact of formative feedback on student learning through an online feedback system. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 8(2), 111-122.
Rogier, D. (2014). Assessment literacy: Building a base for better teaching and learning. English Teaching Forum, 52(3), 2-13.
van Melle, E., & Pinchin, S. (2008). Writing effective learning outcomes. Web.