The learning outcomes teachers should set for themselves
At the end of this module, I will know more about: the learning strategies my students use in this module; why they choose these strategies; how my students approach particular activities, such as reading set texts. All of my previous posts, and all of the work undertaken in the ‘Learning Outcomes Project’ so far, […]
Unravelling the assumptions in learning outcomes
In a previous post I described a specific study that we are currently undertaking in the ‘Learning Outcomes Project’ that aims to explore frameworks regarding how student involvement in developing learning outcomes (LOs) could occur and what type(s) of LOs support collaborative student/tutor development (e.g. content-based ones, broader ones, those that are more specific or tightly […]
Students developing their own learning outcomes
In a recent post I questioned how we might frame the concept of learning outcomes (LOs) from the students’ perspective. I was interested particularly in developing a student-focused definition of LOs that goes beyond LOs simply as statements of what a student will know, understand or be able to do at the end of a learning period. […]
Understanding and enacting learning outcomes: the academic’s perspective
Our second ‘Learning Outcomes Project’ paper has just been published in Studies in Higher Education. It is called ‘Understanding and enacting learning outcomes: the academic’s perspective’ and follows on from our previously published paper ‘Learning about learning outcomes: the student perspective’. Both papers are based on research we conducted with students and academic staff at the University of Leicester […]
How do your students view/use ‘learning outcomes’? Participate in our study to find out
What do your students think about ‘learning outcomes’? Do they use them? What do they use them for? Are they helpful for their learning? How could they be made more helpful? What, if any, specific aspects of their studying do ‘learning outcomes’ support? These are some of the questions that the ‘Learning Outcomes Project’ team at […]
Unwarranted research claims in educational research: reflections for ‘learning outcomes’
Some time ago I came across a paper from Stephen Gorard called ‘Warranting research claims from non-experimental evidence’. This paper makes some important points about warrants for research conclusions in educational research. Gorard states: many of the high-profile criticisms of educational research are not, on reflection, about the nature of the evidence produced but about […]
Arguing against learning outcomes: limited evidence and moving forward
As part of the ‘Learning Outcomes Project’, I’m always very eager to see the different contexts in which other academics/scholars write about learning outcomes (LOs). Last week I came across a piece from Graham Gibbs on the SEDA blog in which he discusses the importance of conveying clear and high expectations to students. The key […]
Conducting a systematic literature review: reflections and resources
For the past couple of months I have been undertaking a systematic review (of sorts) of the learning outcomes (LOs) literature. I say ‘of sorts’ because I have followed all but the final few protocols of a systematic review – I have reviewed the extent of certain features within the LOs literature but have not quality assessed studies […]
Learning about learning outcomes: the student perspective
Our first ‘Learning Outcomes Project’ paper has just been published in Teaching in Higher Education. It’s called ‘Learning about learning outcomes: the student perspective’, and is based on research we conducted with students at the University of Leicester concerning their perceptions about, and uses of, learning outcomes. We are particularly pleased with this publication as it […]
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