We walk through recommendations and examples of how to write learning outcomes that can be measured.

1. TIPS FOR WRITING
MEASURABLE LEARNING
OUTCOMES
The International Institute for Innovative Instruction
FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY

2. Many times, learning
outcomes are written in
ways that are not
measurable.

3. Unmeasurable
learning outcomes
have no observable
performance to
capture what a leaner
would do to achieve
them.

4. Examples of Unmeasurable
Learning Outcomes
What would the learner do to "appreciate" or
"understand?"
...the learner will
appreciate the
significance of...
...be able to
demonstrate an
understanding...

5. MEASURABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES...
Define specific actions a learner must
perform
Focus on the results of the instruction, rather
than the process

6. Writing measurable learning
outcomes helps us to
SELECT & DESIGN... DEFINE...
PROVIDE
INFORMATION...
...relevant instructional
materials.
...expected performance for
the learner and the
instructor.
...to help learners organize
their efforts.
i
Define specific actions a learner must perform

7. Examples of Measurable Learning
Outcomes
"1. Analyze instructional scenarios for the
attributes of CIP theory."
"2. Create instructional solutions based on CIP."
"3. Defend the presence of CIP in instructional
solutions."

8. WHAT ASK YOURSELF BEFORE WRITING
LEARNING OUTCOMES
What Why How

9. WHAT ASK YOURSELF BEFORE WRITING
LEARNING OUTCOMES
What skills should learners
be able to perform upon
completing the learning?

10. WHAT ASK YOURSELF BEFORE WRITING
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Why do I want learners to
understand this?

11. WHAT ASK YOURSELF BEFORE WRITING
LEARNING OUTCOMES
How can learners do
something that's related to
what I want them to
understand?

12. Let's look at how to write measurable learning outcomes
using verbs related to five levels of Bloom's Taxonomy:
UNDERSTAND
APPLY
ANALYZE
EVALUATE
CREATE
HOW TO WRITE MEASURABLE
LEARNING OUTCOMES

13. "UNDERSTAND"
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE

14. If we want learners to
understand what they’re
learning, ask them to
construct meaning from
what they are learning.
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
UNDERSTAND

15. UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
Example "Understand" Action Verbs
CATEGORIZE PARAPHRASE
COMPARE
EXTRAPOLATE
ILLUSTRATE
SUMMARIZE
CLARIFY
EXPLAIN
INFER
PREDICT
GENERALIZE

16. "APPLY"
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE

17. If we want learners to
apply what they’re
learning, ask them to
perform a task or use a
procedure.
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
APPLY

18. UNDERSTAND
EXECUTE
APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
Example "Apply" Action Verbs
EXPERIMENT
FACILITATE
MODIFY
PRODUCE REPORT
IMPLEMENT
PREPARE

19. "ANALYZE"
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE

20. If we want learners
to analyze what they’re
learning, ask them
to break material into
parts and determine how
those parts relate.
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
ANALYZE

21. UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
Example "Analyze" Action Verbs
CLASSIFY OUTLINE
DIFFERENTIATE
DISTINGUISH
INTEGRATE
SELECT
DECONSTRUCT
DISCRIMINATE
ORGANIZE
PARSE
STRUCTURE
FIND

22. "EVALUATE"
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE

23. If we want learners
to evaluate what they’re
learning, ask them
to make judgments
based on criteria and
standards.
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
EVALUATE

24. UNDERSTAND
CHECK
APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
Example "Evaluate" Action Verbs
CRITIQUE
JUDGE
RESEARCH TEST
MONITOR
DETECT
COORDINATE

25. "CREATE"
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE

26. If we want learners
to create something
related to what they’re
learning, ask them to put
elements together to
form a whole or
reorganize elements into
a pattern/structure.
UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
CREATE

27. UNDERSTAND APPLY ANALYZE EVALUATE CREATE
Example "Create" Action Verbs
COMBINE PLAN
CREATE
GENERATE
INVENT
CONSTRUCT
DESIGN
HYPOTHESIZE
PRODUCE
MODEL

28. Remember, when writing outcomes, ask yourself:
How can learners do something that's related
to what I want them to understand?
HOW
Why do I want learners to understand this?
WHY
What skills should learners be able to perform
upon completing the learning?
WHAT

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­ BASED ON THE BLOG POST BY DR. ROB WOOD ­