TOPIC: Set achievable and appropriate learning outcomes that aligned with learning competencies.

(INTRODUCTION)
Una sa lahat nagpapasalamat ako sa napakagandang pagpapakilala sa akin at ito’y nakalulugod sa
aking pandinig, maraming salamat Ginang ____________________________.
To start with, allow me to greet everyone a pleasant afternoon. For those who are still not yet in the
loop, I do hope that they will be able to join in this 5 th LAC session of ours. I thank God that we are
always safe and healthy, even those previous weeks some of us including me, have experienced flu,
coughs and colds. But thank God for HIS sustaining grace for we are now all ok and still be able to
normally breath again. We are also thankful that we are able to gather today even remotely/virtually as
we continue to serve our school here in LNHS.
This LAC that we have every month will really help us engage with our colleagues in collaborating and
solving shared challenges. This will encourage us to have a critical reflection amongst teachers which
increases the understanding and knowledge of the curriculum and classroom practices.
This afternoon, I am tasked to discuss to you the topic, “ Set achievable and appropriate learning
outcomes that aligned with learning competencies. .” So, may I encourage everyone to participate as I
conduct this 5th LAC session. This is actually a revisit of what had already been discussed those
previous years. So, will you please fasten your seatbelt, we are now about to take off and explore
again this topic. Just enjoy the ride.

ANALYSIS ( After the self-reflection)

Process Questions:

1. How do we plan our lesson?

Answer: (1) Identify the learning objectives (2) Plan the specific learning activities (3) Plan to assess
student understanding (4) Plan to sequence the lesson in an engaging and meaningful manner (5)
Create a realistic timeline (6) Plan for a lesson closure

2. Why do we need to plan carefully our lesson?

Answer: If we plan carefully, we could have more unified lessons. It gives teachers the opportunity to
think deliberately about their choice of lesson objectives, the types of activities that will meet these
objectives, the sequence of those activities, the materials needed, how long each activity might take,
and how student should be grouped. Teachers can reflect on the links between one activity and the
next, the relationship between the current lesson and any past or future lessons, and the correlation
between learning activities and assessment practices or the alignment of learning competency with the
learning outcomes.. Because the teacher has considered these connections and can now make the
connections explicit to learners, the lesson will be more meaningful to them.

- It allows teachers to evaluate their own knowledge with regards to the content to be taught. If a teacher
has to teach, for example, a complex grammatical structure and is not sure of the rules, the teacher
would become aware of this during the planning and can take steps to acquire the necessary
information. Similarly, if a teacher is not sure how to pronounce a new vocabulary word, this can be
remedied during the lesson planning process. The opportunity that careful planning presents to evaluate
 one’s own knowledge is particularly advantageous for teachers of English for specific purposes,
because these teachers have to be not only language experts, but also familiar with different disciplines
like business—fields that use language in specialized ways. Because I do believe that “A teacher with a
plan, then, is a more confident teacher.” The teacher is clear on what needs to be done, how, and when.
The lesson will tend to flow more smoothly because all the information has been gathered and the
details have been decided upon
beforehand. The teacher will not waste class time flipping through the textbook, thinking of what to do
next, or running to make photocopies. The teacher’s confidence will inspire more respect from the
learners, thereby reducing discipline problems

3. Why is it important to develop a lesson plan using the three learning domains?
Answer: Developing and delivering lessons by teachers are integral in the teaching process. It is hence
important for teachers to ensure that the three (3) domains of learning which include cognitive (thinking),
affective (emotions or feeling) and Psychomotor (Physical or kinesthetic) to be achieved. It is imperative
to understand that there are different categories of learners who have varying needs and as such
different methods must be adopted in the planning and delivery of lessons to ensure that such needs are
addressed. The world of education has gradually adopted the strategy of ‘Every child matters’ structure
that requires that all learners with different needs are counted.

A holistic lesson developed by a teacher requires the inclusion of all the three domains in constructing
learning tasks for students. The diversity in such learning tasks help creates a comparatively well – rounded
learning experience that meets a number of learning styles and learning modalities. An increased level of
diversity in the delivery of lessons help engage students as well as create more neural networks and
pathways that helps with recollection of information and events.

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

Were you able to classify your lesson objectives based on the level of thinking skills required of your students? If you
identified lesson objectives that asked students for simple tasks such as identifying, enumerating, and stating facts and
concepts as requiring lower cognitive skills, you are correct. If you answered that lesson objectives requiring students to
explain, analyze, perform, and create activities/concepts/facts involved higher order thinking, you are right.

One way to categorize lesson objectives and thinking levels is by using a taxonomy. A taxonomy is simply a means to
classify or put things in an orderly arrangement. In the field of instruction, lesson objectives, learning behaviors, and
thinking levels can also be classified using a taxonomy.

_______________________________________________________

Learning Outcome vs. Learning Objective

Learning objectives are clear and concise statements that describe what you intend your students to learn by the end of
the course. The difference between course objectives and learning outcomes—and the reason these terms are so often
conflated with each other—is the learning objectives describes an intended state (what you hope your students will
learn), whereas the learning outcomes expresses a present or observed state (what your students actually learned).

A learning outcome describes the overall purpose or goal from participation in an educational activity
- A written statement that reflects what the learner will be able to do as a result of participating in the educational
activity
Objectives are used to organize specific topics or individual learning activities to achieve the overall learning outcome.
The learning outcome is a reflection of the desired state.
- Statements that define the expected goal(s) of an educational activity

while objectives are written as tasks:

Learning Outcome Learning

Objective Knowledge: Demonstrate knowledge of evidence based treatment for hypertensive patients by passing post-
test with score of ≥ 80%. Learning Objectives: List 5 side effects of anti-hypertensive agents.

Competence/Skill: Correctly identify required actions to manage patients in hypertensive crisis by analyzing a case study.
Discuss risks associated with untreated hypertension. Performance: Utilize an evidence-based protocol. State normal
range for blood pressure.

Learning Outcomes

• Are measurable and capable of being assessed

• Are an outcomes-based approach
• Are Learner-centric
• Are explicit descriptions of what a learner should know, be able to apply and/or be able to do as a result of participating
in the educational activity
• Must be based on the desired outcome of the activity
• Frame the context for objectives (why is it important to “list”, “discuss” or “state” information?)

vAGUE OUTCOME
By the end of the course, I expect students to increase their organization, writing, and presentation skills.
MORE PRECISE OUTCOME
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

 produce professional quality writing

 effectively communicate the results of their research findings and analyses to fellow classmates in an oral presentation

Remembering:
(i) Who are the characters in the story?
(ii) What happened in the story?

Understanding:
(i) Why did the wolf mingle with the sheep?
(ii) Why did the shepherd select the wolf to be killed?
Applying:
(i) What would you have done if you were the wolf?
(ii) How would you demonstrate the beginning, middle, and ending
of the story?

Analyzing:
(i) How would you feel if you were the wolf?
(ii) Which part of the story did you like best?

Evaluating:
(i) What do you think of the story?
(ii) Why has this story been told repeatedly over the years?

Creating:
(i) How would you re-write this story with a different ending?
(ii) Write a set of rules to prevent what happened in the story
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy for the “Girl Guide Promise,” give a suitable example

for each level of cognitive thinking below:

A suitable example for each level of thinking skill Using Bloom’s Taxonomy for the Girl Guide Promise:

Level of cognitive thinking

Example

Knowledge - Recite the Guide Promise.

Comprehension - Explain what the Guide Law is.

Application - Create your own promise to do something you believe in.

Analysis - Discuss the meaning of “to help other people.”

Synthesis - Write a contract to yourself that includes an allegiance to a symbol for something you believe in.

Evaluation - Describe the purpose of the Guide Promise and assess how well it achieves its aim

For the following cognitive domain levels of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, provide three examples of suitable action words.

a. Remembering - Retrieving, Recalling, Recognizing

b. Understanding - Interpreting, Classifying, Summarizing

c. Applying - Executing, Implementing, Carrying out

d. Analyzing - Organizing, Distinguishing, Attributing

e. Evaluating - Checking, Critiquing, Recommending

f. Creating- Generating, Planning, Producing

Illustration of practice 1
1. What does a learner need to know and understand to attain mastery on this competency? Ano ang
kailangang malaman at maunawaan ng isang mag-aaral upang maging kabisado sa kakayahang ito?

2. What patterns of reasoning, if any, are required to attain mastery of this competency? Anong mga
pattern of reasoning, kung mayroon man, ang kinakailangan upang maging bihasa sa kakayahang ito?

3. On what specific performance skills, if any, must learner attain proficiency to attain mastery of this
competency? Sa anong partikular na mga kasanayan sa pagganap, kung mayroon man, ang mag-aaral ay
dapat magkaroon ng kasanayan upang matamo ang karunungan sa kakayahang ito?

4. What products, if any, would learners be proficient in creating if they have mastered this
competency? Anong yung mga varied concrete evidences, kung mayroon man, would the learners be
proficient in creating kkung na master na nila ang competency?
Backward design
“Backward Design” is an approach to creating curriculum, subjects, and even single class sessions that treats the
goal of teaching as not merely “covering” a certain amount of content, but also facilitating student learning.
Backward design prioritizes the intended learning outcomes instead of topics to be covered. (Wiggins and
McTighe, 2005) It is thus “backward” from traditional design because instead of starting with the content to be
covered, the textbook to be used, or even the test to be passed, you begin with the goals.

Backward design involves a 3 stage process:

1. Identify desired results

2. Determine acceptable evidence
3. Plan learning activities

The “desired results” are your intended learning outcomes (ILOs). Even if you have not articulated them
explicitly, you have some set of goals and some image of what succeeding at those goals looks like. Ask
yourself: what should students know or be able to do at the end of this course? (Lang, 2010) With a sense of your
desired results, you can then consider “acceptable evidence” of obtaining these results, the measures you use to
determine whether a student’s performance meets the goals you have for them. This evidence is often gathered
through assessments: exams, projects, and assignments. “Learning activities,” then are what you do with students
to help them achieve the desired results. These are the lectures you give or the activities and practices you
facilitate.

Generally, in a backward-designed course, curricular decisions flow from left to right in the figure above.
However, during your design process, you may need to iterate among phases: making some revisions to previous
phases of your design (e.g., you may find that you need to alter your learning outcomes if they cannot be
assessed).

Defining intended learning outcomes

The process of designing a subject, then, begins with defining the goals or intended learning outcomes for the
subject. Traditionally, learning outcomes often take the form:

“By the end of this course students will be able to [ACTIVE VERB]…”

This model useful for two reasons:

(1) by using active verbs, we articulate actions that students will be able to do. These actions can
be observed and compared with our desired results;

(2) it puts the focus on students (note: it is not “By the end the course the instructor will have…”), and advances
the ultimate goal of backward design–-to facilitate learning, not simply to “cover” content.

When selecting an appropriate verb that accurately describes the desired level of skill or knowledge students will
obtain, some find it useful to refer to different models like Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) or Fink’s Taxonomy
(2013) and the associated verbs for each. See additional resources below.
Qualities of effective intended learning outcomes
Specific

Since the point of defining ILOs is to provide a design focus for your course and to clarify goals for students,
specificity is very important. In your statement of your learning outcomes, it should be clear exactly what the
goal is. In particular, beware of words like “understand” or “know.” Exactly what it means to “understand” or
“know” something is open to interpretation. An undergraduate’s level of “understanding” of a topic and that of
the instructor will vary wildly, and it will be difficult for students to know which level of understanding they
should be aiming for. When developing ILOs, ask yourself how you will know that a student “understands” the
material – what will they need to do, or say to demonstrate their understanding? Your answer to this question
should provide you with more specific (and measurable ILOs.

Measurable

Looking ahead to step two of backward design, you will need to identify evidence that an intended learning
outcome has been obtained. If a learning outcome is not measurable, then we will not be able to know whether or
not our course successfully achieved its goals. Contrary to a popular assumption, this does not mean that the
leaning goal has to be quantitatively measured by some objective instrument (like a multiple-choice test). Valid
and accepted measurements will vary from discipline to discipline and include both quantitative and qualitative
measures. As the course designer, you decide what kind of measurements will work best for your subject. The
important thing is that there is some way to identify whether or not learning outcomes are being met.

Realistic

Your learning outcomes should be achievable for the students in your class and achievable in the time allotted to
your subject. Crafting realistic learning outcomes requires some understanding of students’ prior knowledge and
skills in your subject. An unrealistic learning outcome sets students up for failure.

Student-centered

Learning outcomes describe what students know or can do, not what the instructor does. Remember that
“students” is the subject of the generic learning outcome stem shown at the beginning of this section. The goals
for your course should not be stated in terms of what the instructor will cover, but rather in how the students will
change, facilitated by the instructor’s guidance.

ILO examples from MIT subjects

From Physics II (8.02)

The intended learning outcomes of this course are to tease out the laws of electromagnetism from our everyday
experience, using specific examples of how electromagnetic phenomena manifest. You will be able to:

 describe, in words, how various concepts in electromagnetism come into play in particular situations
 represent these electromagnetic phenomena and fields mathematically in those situations
 to predict outcomes in other similar situations.
Notice that a general learning outcome (“tease out the laws of electromagnetism…”) is rather non-specific.
However, the instructors have analyzed and described what it means to be able to tease out these laws with three
much more specific ILOs with active verbs (“describe in words,” “represent…mathematically,” and “predict”)
that describe what actions students will take to show that they can tease about the laws of electromagnetism.

From Unified Engineering (16.01-16.04), Prof. Seven Hall

Students graduating from 16.030/040 will be able to:

 Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental properties of linear systems, by explaining the

properties to others.
 Use linear systems tools, especially transform analysis and convolution, to analyze and predict the
behavior of linear systems
 Gain an appreciation for the importance of linear systems analysis in aerospace systems.

Measurable Outcomes (assessment method)

 Students graduating from 16.030/040 will be able to:

 Explain the importance of superposition in the analysis of linear systems. (concept test, homework, quiz)
 Explain the role of convolution in the analysis of linear time-invariant systems, and use convolution to
determine the response of linear systems to arbitrary inputs. (concept test, homework, quiz)
 List and apply properties of the unilateral and bilateral Laplace transforms. (concept test, homework,
quiz)
 Use Laplace transforms to solve differential equations and to determine the response of linear systems to
known inputs. (homework, quiz)
 Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the stability and causality of systems and the
region of convergence of their Laplace transforms, by correctly explaining the relationship, and using the
relationship to determine the stability and causality of systems. (concept test, homework, quiz)
 Demonstrate an understanding of the relation among the transfer function, convolution, and the impulse
response, by explaining the relationship, and using the relationship to solve forced response problems.
(concept test, homework, quiz)
 Explain the relationship between a signal’s bandwidth and its duration, and use that relationship to
predict and explain the bandwidth requirements for aerospace applications such as Loran navigation,
amplitude modulation, etc. (homework, quiz)

With this detailed set of ILOs, we see exactly how the three general ILOs in the first section will be measured.
Relatively immeasurable outcomes (e.g., “Gain an appreciation…”) are analyzed into the homework and exam
tasks through which students can show that they have gained such an appreciation. This second set of ILOs also
provides much more detail, specificity, and measurability. In contrast, the 3 general ILOs help students
understand the course’s scope and aim in a more digestible way.

From Management Communication for Undergraduates (15.279)

Good communication is one of the keys to a successful career no matter what field you choose, and many
different skills contribute to a professional’s capacity to communicate well. The objective of 15.279 is to help
you improve the ability to:

 Formulate an effective communication strategy for any message, in any medium, and in any situation.
  Write clearly, concisely, and convincingly.
 Create impressive formal presentations that are delivered with confidence and poise.
 Give and receive feedback that will improve yours and others’ communication.
 Listen for understanding
 Work effectively with others in small groups or teams.
 Understand and negotiate the difference in communication between yourself and people who are not from
your culture.

This last example provides intended learning outcomes for a subject focused more on soft skills, where
measuring student ability objectively is significantly more nuanced and difficult. However, these ILOs still
communicate crucial information to students about what good communication looks like to the instructor and
help them better understand what will be expected of them in the course.

Aligning assessments & instruction

With intended learning outcomes in hand, the next step of the backward design process is to create assessments
that appropriately measure students’ attainment of intended learning outcomes. Various kinds of assessments can
fill this role, as long as the assessment task is closely aligned with the action described in the ILO.

The scope of your assessments should be in line with the outcomes, and the balance between concepts and skills
in these assessments should match that presented in your ILOs. Moreover, in assessments, you should strive to
measure the kind(s) of engagement described in your intended learning outcomes. If your ILO states that
students will be able to describe some phenomenon, don’t use a true/false or multiple-choice question to measure
their attainment of this outcome. Rather, ask them to describe it. How you evaluate and grade an assessment
should also track with your intended learning outcomes. If your ILO states that students will be able to analyze
the relationship between two concepts in a term paper, then grammar and conventions should not be a large part
of the grade, particularly if they can satisfactorily complete the analysis. A well-designed rubric can help you
align your assessments to your intended learning outcomes.

Once the assessments are aligned to the intended learning outcomes, the job of in-class instruction becomes
much clearer. Instead of asking before each class session, “what am I going to cover today,” in-class time can be
devoted to helping students actually achieve the desired learning outcomes – and ultimately succeed on the
various assessments.

In a sense, this is “teaching to the test.” But, in a subject with well-defined intended learning outcomes and
assessments aligned with them, succeeding at these assessments is the evidence that students have met the
subject’s goals.