How to Write Measurable Learning Outcomes

Concurrent session proposals and pre-conference workshop proposals each require four (4) specific and measurable learning outcomes.

Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner is expected to know, understand, and/or be able to do at the end of your session. Learning outcomes should accurately reflect the content of your session, and should be observable and measurable. Remember, it's about how the learner will benefit from your session - not about what you want to tell them.

Why Learning Outcomes are Important

Conference attendees look for take-away value in educational sessions. Your learning outcomes should help participants quickly establish the value of your educational program to their own learning needs.

Learning outcomes are published along with the session abstract. As a presenter, your session is evaluated on how well you met the learning outcomes you established for your session.

The quality of your learning outcomes is also assessed by reviewers during the conference proposal review and selection process, and are required for continuing education credit approval.

Tips for Writing

Download this PDF with words that will help you construct learning outcomes that accurately reflect the content of your session.

A learning objective is made up of three (3) parts:

1. BEHAVIOR:
Describes what participants will be able to do as a consequence of taking a course.
(example: calculate)

2. CONDITION:
Describes conditions under which the student will perform the behavior.
(example: using the sample course residential project...)

3. CRITERIA:
Describes the criteria you will use to evaluate student performance.
(example: the total cost of materials)

Combine the behavior, condition, and criteria and you have an official learning objective!

Use the following behavioral verbs when writing learning objectives since they describe observable and measurable behaviors.

abstract, acquire, adjust, agree, analyze, apply, appraise, argue, assess, avoid, breakdown, build, calculate, carry out, catalog, clarify, classify, combine, compare, compute, conclude, construct, contrast, convert, cooperate, create, criticize, defend, define, demonstrate, derive, describe, design, detect, determine, differentiate, discover, discriminate, discuss, dissect, distinguish, employ, estimate, evaluate, examine, explain, explore, formulate, generalize, help, identify, illustrate, implement, indicate, inspect, instruct, integrate, interpret, investigate, join, judge, justify, label, list, master, measure, move, name, observe, offer, operate, order, organize, participate, perform, plan, praise, predict, prepare, produce, propose, rank, recall, recognize, relate, repair, represent, reproduce, research, restate, resolve, select, sequence, solve, specify, state, summarize, support, systematize, taste, test, theorize, transform, translate, use, utilize, verify, weigh, write, etc.

Avoid using these behavioral verbs when writing learning objectives because they are vague and difficult to measure.

appreciate, cover, realize, be aware of, familiarize, study, become acquainted with, gain knowledge of, understand, comprehend, know, learn

Below are some samples of good learning outcomes to help you get started.
 

Sample 1:
1. Evaluate strategies for designing innovative and affordable renovations that make the most of your existing resources.
2. Determine how to appropriately plan for print and digital collections, with respect to size, access, and management.
3. Recognize how FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment) can be used to efficiently and flexibly define space and technology infrastructure to support learning.
4. Manage strategies for achieving cross-departmental, collaborative dialogue among administration, facility, library, IT, and design team members.
 

Sample 2:
1. Explain how to leverage grant money available for alternative transportation on campus.
2. Identify how to physically plan for increased bike traffic and parking issues on campus.
3. Develop a multi-modal bike transportation plan as a safe and viable alternative for automobile traffic on campus.
4. Review the surge of programs like bike-share, campus bike fleets, and campus bike centers, and their impact on the design of the physical campus.
 

Sample 3:
1. Predict how curricular changes in the health science education will impact traditional learning spaces and foster new competency-based environments.
2. Recognize how the need for student support spaces impacts the character, quality, and space model for the health sciences education facilities.
3. Discuss how traditional and emerging learning spaces are organized to accommodate interdisciplinary practice and to leverage space utilization.
4. Analyze a range of contemporary learning environments which are supporting emerging curricula.

Section Credits

American Institute of Architects

Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains

Questions? Please contact Sadie Wutka (sadie.wutka@scup.org or 734.764.2008) or Kathy Benton (kathy.benton@scup.org or 734.764.2001).