Students in a large classroom

Align Assessments with Learning Outcomes

Description

Designing courses so the learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessments all work together coherently allows students to focus their efforts on meaningful learning as they more readily understand the purpose(s) of assessment tasks.

UCalgary Assessment Principle B

"Assessment practices demonstrate alignment within the curriculum of the course and program, progressively building upon and reflecting student learning, skills, and competencies throughout their academic journey. "

Aligning assessments with course learning outcomes provides transparency and clarity of how each assessment supports the learning in a program.

Also consider Principle E and Principle F.

Benefits

  • Helps outline a clear progression of student learning within each course and throughout a program (Blumberg, 2009)
  • Allows students to focus on the skills and knowledge they need to develop (Biggs, 2015)
  • Alignment with learning outcomes helps instructors to create clear criteria and provide targeted feedback
  • When students see direct connections between what they’re learning and how they’re assessed, assessment tasks feel more meaningful (Biggs & Tang, 2011) 

Ways to use this strategy

*All of these strategies are readily adaptable for large enrolment classes. 

  • Review your course outcomes to ensure they align with the program learning outcomes.   
  • Connect with those who teach other sections of the same course to discuss common alignment strategies.
  • Consider which verbs make the most sense for each course outcome.   
  • Design assessments to show skill development over time. For example, consider scaffolded assignments that allow students to progressively build toward the outcome.
  • Use a constructive alignment chart to design and communicate to students how each assessment relates to the course outcomes.
  • Use course outcomes as the foundation for developing test questions and/or assignment rubrics. 

Examples

Learning Outcome Assessment Task 

Students will be able to analyze biological processes at multiple scales of organization. 

 

Group oral presentation of a case study analysis regarding the effects of an invasive species introduction  

 

Students will be able to analyze how historical context influences artistic production and meaning. Curated exhibition proposal where each student selects 5-8 artworks, arranges them spatially, and creates wall labels and an audio guide script explaining historical connections. 

Students will be able to evaluate scientific evidence and experimental design in ecological research. 

 

Individually written structured critique and proposed redesign of the research methodology in a published study.  

 

Reflection questions: 

  • What verbs am I using in my learning outcomes?  Do they align with the level of complexity of the tasks in my assessments?
  • What type(s) of assessment would make the most sense as providing evidence of learning for each learning outcome in my course?
  • When I consider my course learning outcomes in light of the context, modality, and size of my class, what strategies or resources can help me meaningfully and effectively assess student learning?
  • How do my course level learning outcomes relate to the overall program level learning outcomes?
  • How can I help students understand the connections between the program learning outcomes, my course learning outcomes, and the assessments they complete?

References and further reading

Biggs, J. (2015). Constructive alignment in university teaching. HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 1, 5 – 22. https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-review-higher-education-vol-1/5-22  

Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2007). Teaching for quality learning at university, 3rd ed.  McGraw Hill. 

Blumberg, P. (2009). Maximizing learning through course alignment and experience with different types of knowledge. Innovative Higher Education, 34, 93–103.  https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/10.1007/s10755-009-9095-2  

Dyjur, P., Eaton, S., Grant, K.A., Kelly, P. (n.d.) Learning Module: Designing Student Assessments, Lesson 2. https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/resources/module/designing-online-assessment/understanding-alignment-assessment  

Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University.  Why should assessments, learning objectives, and instructional strategies be aligned?   

Mahalingam, S., Moinuddin, A., & Moncalvo, V. G. R. (2024). The impact of two-stage testing and other tutorial co-learning activities on cohort cohesion and learning outcomes in a large- enrollment undergraduate course. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(2), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.14931