Learning outcomes

Lesson 3: Developing online course learning outcomes

Affective domain

Feelings, emotions and attitudes

Open to experience; willing to listen.

  1. Key verbs

    Ask, listen, focus, attend, take part, discuss, acknowledge, hear, read

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Listen to new information with neutrality.

React and participate actively.

  1. Key verbs

    React, respond, seek, discuss, interpret, clarify, provide additional examples, contribute, question

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Participate actively in a group by contributing to or building on new ideas.

Identify values and express personal opinions.

  1. Key verbs

    Demonstrate, differentiate, explain, justify, propose, affirm

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Demonstrate sensitivity towards individual and cultural differences.

Reconcile internal conflicts; develop value system.

  1. Key verbs

    Build, develop, formulate, defend, modify, relate, prioritize, reconcile, contrast, arrange, compare, propose, verify

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Prioritize emergency responses after a disaster.

Adopt belief system and philosophy.

  1. Key verbs

    Act, display, influence, solve, practice, propose, revise, defend, organize

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Revise judgments and change behaviour in light of new evidence.

Psychomotor domain

Physical movement and motor skills

Copy action of another; observe and replicate.

  1. Key verbs

    Copy, follow, replicate, repeat, adhere

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Observe and copy dance steps.

Reproduce activity from instruction or memory.

  1. Key verbs

    Re-create, build, perform, execute, implement, follow

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Follow instructions to dissect a shark.

Execute skill reliably, independent of help.

  1. Key verbs

    Demonstrate, complete, show, perfect, calibrate, control, measure

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Fix a leaking faucet.

Adapt and integrate expertise to satisfy a new objective.

  1. Key verbs

    Construct, solve, combine, coordinate, integrate, adapt, develop, formulate, modify, master, illustrate

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Drive a vehicle in various weather conditions.

Create new movement to fit a particular situation or specific problem.

  1. Key verbs

    Design, specify, manage, invent, convert, create, fix, generate, plan

  2. Example

    Students should be able to:

    • Create a new gymnastic routine.

Course Design Checklist

Once you have reviewed and modified your course learning outcomes, you can start planning online activities and assessments. Review your course design with this checklist. 

Complete the checklist

Additional resources

The template is an optional tool designed to help instructors provide students with consistent presentation of course information. Basic instructions regarding the content and suggested order of each course outline category are provided, in addition to several boilerplate examples that may be used. The development of the templates was informed by consideration of best practices in instructional design, the content of several existing U of C course outlines, course outline templates used at other institutions.

 

 

Download the template

A video on constructive alignment of learning outcomes from the Open Education Practice Development Project. 

Watch Video

Additional reading on how to writing learning outcomes/objectives from the University of Saskatchewan. 

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Lesson checklist

  • Write or review your course learning outcomes

  • Complete the Course Design Checklist

More lessons

Gamification

Lesson 4: Designing online learning activities and assessments

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Communication

Lesson 5: Communicating with students

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Structuring course content

Lesson 6: Structuring course content

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