Introduction

Student learning goals specify what we intend students to learn during the learning activity or course. This unit will help you write goals that focus on what student knowledge and abilities and are also assessable.

Learning Outcome for this Unit

Students will be able to write learning goals that focus on student knowledge and abilities, are assessable, and appropriate to the intended learners.

Video Introduction

Unit 4 Introduction Video -.mp4

Writing Student Learning Goals

Writing Student Learning Goals Video -.mp4

Taxonomies of Student Learning

Student Learning Taxonomies Video -.mp4

The following is a list of commonly referenced Taxonomies of Student Learning.

  • Chapter 2 of Creating Significant Learning Experiences; Fink, L. Dee; © 2003.
  • Chapter 4 of Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition; Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay; © 2005.
  • Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Book 1 Cognitive Domain; Ed. Bloom, Benjamin S.; Longman, New York; © 1956. View the Wikipedia article on Bloom's Taxonomy for an overview of the taxonomy.
  • Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Book 2 Affective Domain; Ed. Krathwohl, David R., Bloom, Benjamin S., Masia, Bertram B.; Longman, New York; © 1964.
Common Challenges

Common Challenges Video -.mp4

Review & Read

  • Step 2 of the Integrated Course Design process in Creating Significant Learning Experiences; Fink, L. Dee; © 2003.
  • Chapter 2 of Creating Significant Learning Experiences; Fink, L. Dee; © 2003.

Do

  1. Review the course title and description, and the situational factors you wrote in the last unit. Given that work, draft student learning goals for your course using the “Students will be able to...” framework. Write as many as you think you need for the course. Often 1-6 goals are sufficient at the course level. Add these to your Google Doc syllabus.

Handouts

Title Description File type
This sheet provides a basic framework at tips for writing student learning goals.
.pdf
This is the clarifying content priorities diagram from Understanding by Design; Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay.
.pdf
A sheet of verbs aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy. Web Resource Link.
.pdf
A list of verbs for Bloom's taxonomies including the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. From Vella, Taking learning to task, Jossey-Bass, 2000.
.pdf

There are a number of excellent materials that address this topic. These are not required for the course. Explore them as your time and interest allow.

On Writing Learning Goals
  • Learner Centered-Assessment on College Campuses, Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning; Huba, Mary E. and Freed, Jann E.; Allyn and Bacon, © 2000, pp. 151-200. Chapter 4 has excellent material on writing learning goals.
  • Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition; Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay; © 2005. Chapters 2-6 discuss goals and a taxonomy of learning.
Taxonomies of Learning Objectives
  • A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Abridged Version; eds. Anderson, Lorin W. and Krathwohl, David R. et. al; ©2001
  • Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Book 1 Cognitive Domain; ed. Bloom, Benjamin S; ©1956.
  • Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Book 2 Affective Domain; eds. Krathwohl, David R., Bloom, Benjamin S., Masia, Bertram B.; ©1964.