{"id":245949,"date":"2025-03-18T09:46:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T13:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sta.uwi.edu\/cetl\/?p=245949"},"modified":"2026-03-23T13:57:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T17:57:29","slug":"tttblogpost_21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sta.uwi.edu\/cetl\/tttblogpost_21\/","title":{"rendered":"Aligning Learning Outcomes with Assessments"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Good day Colleagues,<\/h5>\n
Welcome back for another installment in our Tuesday Teaching Tips (TTT) Blog. In our previous installments of TTT for the semester thus far, we have explored topics such as:<\/h5>\n
    \n
  1. \n
    MyeLearning Access and Support<\/span><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    Myelearning, Resources, Activities and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and H5P<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n
    Active Learning and myeLearning Activities<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n
    SECTIONS for Technology Selection<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  6. \n
    Research and the Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI)<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  7. \n
    F<\/a>ormative assessments and the myeLearning GradeBook.<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    As we continue our mid-semester phase this week, we will explore the alignment of learning outcomes with assessments. Learning outcomes are the foundations upon which all other course elements are built, and are therefore quite important in effective teaching, learning and assessment.<\/h5>\n
    A \u2013 What is a Learning Outcome?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
    A learning outcome (LO) may be defined as the knowledge, skills, or attitudes your learners acquire as a result of participating in your course or lesson. More specifically, learning outcomes are statements indicating the end result for a learner following a course or learning activity. It specifies what you can observe the learner do after a learning experience\/activity.<\/h5>\n
    For this reason, learning outcomes should focus on:<\/h5>\n
      \n
    1. \n
      The result of the learning experiences<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
    2. \n
      The essential knowledge, skills and attitudes<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
    3. \n
      The desired end of the learning experience (not the means or the process)<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
    4. \n
      The basic performance tenets that must be satisfied to successfully complete your course or programme<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
    5. \n
      Answering the question: \u201cWhy should a student do this course?\u201d or \u201cWhy is your course important?\u201d or, \u201cWhat will a learner gain by completing your course?\u201d<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      B \u2013 What is Constructive Alignment?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
      Alignment between learning outcomes and assessments is the matching of your lesson\/course learning outcomes with relevant learning activities\/(formal or informal) assessments. Sometimes called constructive alignment (Biggs, 1999), building alignment among assessments, teaching methods, learning activities and learning outcomes also allows you to develop and communicate the pathway for students’ engagement and learning progression. It enables you to explain what knowledge and skills were expected on entry to the course and the knowledge and skills that will be developed throughout the course. In so doing, this process ensures that assessments\/learning activities accurately measure what students are expected to learn, and thereby foster effective teaching and learning.<\/h5>\n
      \"Chapter<\/h5>\n
      Ideally, constructive alignment should occur on three different different levels i.e. a programme level, an overall course level, and even a course module level.\u00a0This ensures that alignment exist among the course assessments, learning activities, course learning objectives, and the overarching programme outcomes. At the course level, this may allow you to detect redundancy of course assessments (i.e. if multiple assessments are measuring the same learning objective(s)), and if all or some of the learning objectives are not addressed\/measured (see the following illustration). At the programme level, constructive alignment help you evaluate the necessity or relevance of a particular course in your overarching programme.<\/h5>\n
      \"Administravia<\/span><\/h5>\n
      C \u2013 Aligning Learning Outcomes with Assessments?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
      Constructive alignment is also a process that includes the following with some tips for your consideration:<\/h5>\n