Some of the benefits of using student learning outcomes are as follows:
- Increased student awareness of their own learning
Student learning outcomes give students a way to think and talk about what they have learned. Being able to state - either verbally or in writing - what they now can do that they could not do previously helps students organize their own learning for themselves and for external audiences, such as job interviewers. SLOs make it easier for students to "know what they know" and give them a language to communicate what they know to others.
- Another avenue for faculty self-assessment
Use and assessment of student learning outcomes help faculty evaluate and improve their own teaching.
- A common language about learning for departments
Student learning outcomes can help departments develop a common language that students, faculty, and staff share. This common language can facilitate communication and build bridges among various departmental services for students, such as advising and instruction.
- A context for course design and revision
Student learning outcomes can assist design of new courses, especially in the section asking for course rationales and positioning in departmental curriculum. In addition, SLOs can help faculty revise courses they currently teach, assisting them, for example, in developing writing assignments that incorporate the skills, methodology, and thinking that the major values.
- A map for curricular assessment and change
Use of learning outcomes helps departments think about curriculum. When learning goals are defined, units can determine in which courses each outcome is addressed, where excessive redundancy and overlap occur, and where gaps are present.
- Assistance for advisors
With well thought out and developed course outcomes that have been made public to students, it will be much easier to establish criteria for grading assignments and to develop and score examinations. Course outcomes are an important first step toward clear communications of expectations to students.
- Advising tools
The job of advising becomes easier when advisors have expected course and program outcomes that they can point to when advising students on either course or major selection.
- Improvement in promotional materials
Departments will be able to promote their programs to students and other constituents via the presentation of the outcomes toward which they strive. Common SLO language can also be of enormous benefit in designing web pages intended to highlight departmental curricula and devising keywords as metatags to attract "hits" from search engines.
- Assessment and Accreditation
Many accrediting associations, including the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, are including lists of student learning outcomes and evidence of the extent to which they are being met as part of their requirements. Furthermore, it may be just a matter of time until the State of Washington makes similar demands.
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