Chapter 1

A Close look at Student Learning Outcomes ( SLO)

Student Learning Outcomes

What are Student Learning Outcomes?

Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes are statements that specify what students

will know, be able to do or be able to demonstrate when they
have completed or participated in a Course or Program. SLO's
specify an action by the student that must be observable,
measurable and able to be demonstrated.
What are the Sources of SLO?

1. The institution mission statement is a relevant source of student learning

expectation.
2. Policies on competencies and standards issued by government education
agencies such as DEPED, TESDA, CHED are prescribed sources of student
learning outcomes.
3. Expected competencies identified by the different professions, business and
industry should be adopted to ensure that graduates are able to perform as
expected in their respective work places and or professions.
4. The thrusts and development goals of the national government are useful
integration in the identified competencies and expectations from all sectors of
education
5. International trends and development should also be considered in identifying
and determining student learning outcomes to ensure the graduates
competitiveness in the employment and professional practice abroad

Characteristics of Good learning Outcomes

1. Good learning outcomes focuses on the students, on what the learners are
capable of doing, instead of the teaching technique.
2. Good learning outcomes are based on the program mission statement agreed
upon by the program faculty in consultation with other
stakeholders like alumni and other professionals.
3. Good Student learning outcomes are very well understood by both students and
faculty.
4. Good learning outcomes include a spectrum of thinking skills from simple to the
higher order of application of knowledge and skills.
5. Good learning outcomes are measurable. Student competencies should be
expressed as transitive verbs and/or action words
which are demonstrable and observable at various
levels. Example of observable/ measurable
competency levels:

a. For K-12 grades 3-10 reading, mathematics, language, science.

Numerical Rating Proficiency Level

1 Below basic level
2 Basic level
3 Proficient level
4 Advanced level

IN LINE WITH THIS, A GOOD LEANING OUTCOME MUST BE DONE IN

ALIGNMENT!

The taxonomy of educational objectives, often called Bloom’s taxonomy, is a

classification of the different objectives and skills that educators set for teacher’s guide
in formulating learning objectives/outcomes. This taxonomy is composed of 3
domains: Cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Bloom’s taxonomy is hierarchal,
meaning that learning at the higher level is dependent on having prerequisite knowledge
and skills at lower levels in order to attain holistic form of education.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy

There are six levels of cognitive learning according to the revised version of
Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each level is conceptually different. The six levels are
remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.
Using Bloom's Revised Taxonomy in Assessment

These levels can be helpful in developing learning outcomes because certain verbs are
particularly appropriate at each level and not appropriate at other levels (though some
verbs are useful at multiple levels). A student might list presidents or proteins or
participles to demonstrate that they remember something they learned, but generating a
list does not demonstrate (for example) that the student is capable of evaluating the
contribution of multiple presidents to American politics or explaining protein folding or
distinguishing between active and passive participles.

Remember

Definition: retrieve, recall, or recognize relevant knowledge from long-term

memory (e.g., recall dates of important events in U.S. history, remember the
components of a bacterial cell). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level
include: cite, define, describe, identify, label, list, match, name, outline, quote, recall,
report, reproduce, retrieve, show, state, tabulate, and tell.

Understand

Definition: demonstrate comprehension through one or more forms of

explanation (e.g., classify a mental illness, compare ritual practices in two different
religions). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: abstract, arrange,
articulate, associate, categorize, clarify, classify, compare, compute, conclude, contrast,
defend, diagram, differentiate, discuss, distinguish, estimate, exemplify, explain, extend,
extrapolate, generalize, give examples of, illustrate, infer, interpolate, interpret, match,
outline, paraphrase, predict, rearrange, reorder, rephrase, represent, restate,
summarize, transform, and translate.

Apply

Definition: use information or a skill in a new situation (e.g., use Newton’s

second law to solve a problem for which it is appropriate, carry out a multivariate
statistical analysis using a data set not previously encountered). Appropriate learning
outcome verbs for this level include: apply, calculate, carry out, classify, complete,
compute, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, examine, execute, experiment, generalize,
illustrate, implement, infer, interpret, manipulate, modify, operate, organize, outline,
predict, solve, transfer, translate, and use.

Analyze

Definition: break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts
relate to one another and/or to an overall structure or purpose (e.g., analyze the
relationship between different flora and fauna in an ecological setting; analyze the
relationship between different characters in a play; analyze the relationship between
different institutions in a society). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level
include: analyze, arrange, break down, categorize, classify, compare, connect, contrast,
deconstruct, detect, diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, divide, explain,
identify, integrate, inventory, order, organize, relate, separate, and structure.

Evaluate

Definition: make judgments based on criteria and standards (e.g., detect

inconsistencies or fallacies within a process or product, determine whether a scientist’s
conclusions follow from observed data, judge which of two methods is the way to solve
a given problem, determine the quality of a product based on disciplinary criteria).
Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: appraise, apprise, argue,
assess, compare, conclude, consider, contrast, convince, criticize, critique, decide,
determine, discriminate, evaluate, grade, judge, justify, measure, rank, rate,
recommend, review, score, select, standardize, support, test, and validate.

Create

Definitions: put elements together to form a new coherent or functional whole;

reorganize elements into a new pattern or structure (design a new set for a theater
production, write a thesis, develop an alternative hypothesis based on criteria, invent a
product, compose a piece of music, write a play). Appropriate learning outcome verbs
for this level include: arrange, assemble, build, collect, combine, compile, compose,
constitute, construct, create, design, develop, devise, formulate, generate, hypothesize,
integrate, invent, make, manage, modify, organize, perform, plan, prepare, produce,
propose, rearrange, reconstruct, reorganize, revise, rewrite, specify, synthesize, and
write.

B l o o m ' s Ta x o n o m y : T h e A f f e c t i v e D o m a i n

The affective domain is one of three domains in Bloom's Taxonomy, with

the other two being the cognitive and psychomotor (Bloom, et al., 1956). For an
overview of the three domains, see the introduction.

The affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia, 1973) includes the

manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such as feelings,  values,
appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes. The five major categories
are listed from the simplest behavior to the most complex:
Category
Receiving Phenomena: Awareness,
willingness to hear, selected attention.
Responds to Phenomena: Active
participation on the part of the learners.
Attend and react to a particular
phenomenon. Learning outcomes may
emphasize compliance in responding,
willingness to respond, or satisfaction
in responding (motivation).
Valuing: The worth or value a person
attaches to a particular object,
phenomenon, or behavior. This ranges
from simple acceptance to the more
complex state of commitment. Valuing is diversity). Shows the ability to
based on the internalization of a set of solve problems. Proposes a plan
specified values, while clues to these
values are expressed in the learner's
overt behavior and are often
identifiable.
Organization: Organizes values into
priorities by contrasting different
values, resolving conflicts between
Example and Key Words (verbs)
Examples: Listen to others with
respect. Listen for and
remember the name of newly
introduced people.
Key Words: acknowledge, asks,
attentive, courteous, dutiful,
follows, gives, listens,
understands
Examples: Participates in class
discussions. Gives a
presentation. Questions new
ideals, concepts, models, etc. in
order to fully understand them.
Know the safety rules and
practice them.
Key Words: answers, assists,
aids, complies, conforms,
discusses, greets, helps, labels,
performs, presents, tells
Examples: Demonstrates belief
in the democratic process. Is
sensitive towards individual and
cultural differences (value
to social improvement and
follows through with
commitment. Informs
management on matters that
one feels strongly about.
Key Words: appreciates,
cherish, treasure, demonstrates,
initiates, invites, joins, justifies,
proposes, respect, shares
Examples: Recognizes the need
for balance between freedom
and responsible behavior.
them, and creating an unique value
system. The emphasis is on comparing,
relating, and synthesizing values.  Accepts professional ethical
Internalizes Values (characterization):
Has a value system that controls their
behavior. The behavior is pervasive,
consistent, predictable, and most
important characteristic of the learner.
Instructional objectives are concerned
with the student's general patterns of
adjustment (personal, social,
emotional).
Explains the role of systematic
planning in solving problems.
standards. Creates a life plan in
harmony with abilities, interests,
and beliefs. Prioritizes time
effectively to meet the needs of
the organization, family, and
self.
Key Words: compares, relates,
synthesizes
Examples: Shows self-reliance
when working independently.
Cooperates in group activities
(displays teamwork). Uses an
objective approach in problem
solving. Displays a professional
commitment to ethical  practice
on a daily basis. Revises
judgments and changes
behavior in light of new
evidence. Values people for
what they are, not how they
look.
Key Words: acts, discriminates,
displays, influences, modifies,
performs, qualifies, questions,
revises, serves, solves, verifies
 B l o o m ' s Ta x o n o m y : T h e P s y c h o m o t o r D o m a i n

The psychomotor domain (Simpson, 1972) includes physical movement,

coordination, and use of the motor-skill areas. Development of these skills
requires practice and is measured in terms of speed, precision, distance,
procedures, or techniques in execution. Thus, psychomotor skills rage from
manual tasks, such as digging a ditch or washing a car, to more complex tasks,
such as operating a complex piece of machinery or dancing.

The seven major categories are listed from the simplest behavior to the most
complex:

Category Example and Key Words (verbs)

Perception (awareness): The ability
to use sensory cues to guide
motor activity.  This ranges from
sensory stimulation, through cue
selection, to translation.
Examples:  Detects non-verbal
communication cues. Estimate where
a ball will land after it is thrown and
then moving to the correct location to
catch the ball. Adjusts heat of stove to

Set: Readiness to act. It includes
mental, physical, and emotional
sets. These three sets are
dispositions that predetermine a
person's response to different
situations (sometimes called
mindsets).
Guided Response: The early
stages in learning a complex skill
that includes imitation and trial
and error. Adequacy of
performance is achieved by
practicing.
Mechanism (basic proficiency):
This is the intermediate stage in
learning a complex skill. Learned
responses have become habitual
and the movements can be
performed with some confidence
and proficiency.
Complex Overt Response (Expert):
The skillful performance of motor
acts that involve complex
correct temperature by smell and taste
of food. Adjusts the height of the forks
on a forklift by comparing where the
forks are in relation to the pallet.
Key Words: chooses, describes,
detects, differentiates, distinguishes,
identifies, isolates, relates, selects.
Examples:  Knows and acts upon a
sequence of steps in a manufacturing
process. Recognize one's abilities and
limitations. Shows desire to learn a
new process (motivation). NOTE: This
subdivision of Psychomotor is closely
related with the “Responding to
phenomena” subdivision of the
Affective domain.
Key Words: begins, displays,
explains, moves, proceeds, reacts,
shows, states, volunteers.
Examples:  Performs a mathematical
equation as demonstrated. Follows
instructions to build a model.
Responds hand-signals of instructor
while learning to operate a forklift.
Key Words: copies, traces, follows,
react, reproduce, responds
Examples:  Use a personal
computer. Repair a leaking faucet.
Drive a car.
Key Words: assembles, calibrates,
constructs, dismantles, displays,
fastens, fixes, grinds, heats,
manipulates, measures, mends,
mixes, organizes, sketches.
Examples:  Maneuvers a car into a
tight parallel parking spot. Operates a
computer quickly and accurately.
movement patterns. Proficiency is
indicated by a quick, accurate, and
highly coordinated performance,
requiring a minimum of
energy. This category includes
performing without hesitation, and
automatic performance. For
example, players are often utter
sounds of satisfaction or
expletives as soon as they hit a
tennis ball or throw a football,
because they can tell by the feel of
the act what the result will
produce.
Adaptation: Skills are well
developed and the individual can
modify movement patterns to fit
special requirements.
Origination: Creating new
movement patterns to fit a
particular situation or specific
problem. Learning outcomes
emphasize creativity based upon
highly developed skills.
Displays competence while playing the
piano.
Key Words: assembles, builds,
calibrates, constructs, dismantles,
displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats,
manipulates, measures, mends,
mixes, organizes, sketches.
NOTE: The Key Words are the same
as Mechanism, but will have adverbs
or adjectives that indicate that the
performance is quicker, better, more
accurate, etc.
Examples:  Responds effectively to
unexpected experiences.  Modifies
instruction to meet the needs of the
learners. Perform a task with a
machine that it was not originally
intended to do (machine is not
damaged and there is no danger in
performing the new task).
Key Words: adapts, alters, changes,
rearranges, reorganizes, revises,
varies.