2. Learning outcomes, activities & assessment
Developing and aligning the learning outcomes with the teaching and learning activities and their assessment is the most challenging yet most important aspect of preparing a unit of study outline.
- Learning outcomes are the most important first step in designing relevant teaching and learning activities and relevant assessments.
- Teaching and learning activities are the experiences we provide for students to enable them to develop these skills, acquire these qualities and construct this knowledge.
- Assessment allows students to demonstrate that they have achieved these learning outcomes in a valid and reliable manner. Students should have opportunities to practise tasks prior to their use in summative assessment and to receive timely and useful formative feedback to improve their final performance.
Learning outcomes are expressed at the University of Sydney as graduate attributes. Because knowledge changes over time, employers expect our graduates to have generic qualities and attributes beyond an ability to recall current theories and facts. Each learning outcome should contribute to the development of one of the five graduate attributes. The 25 learning outcomes listed in the Faculty’s statement of graduate attributes in previous Faculty templates are merely a guide as to the kinds of outcomes under each attribute.
The development of global citizenship, through the University's 5 graduate attributes, is important and elements can be incorporated into your UoS as detailed in ‘Beyond the numbers – levels and layers of internationalism to utilise and support growth and diversity’.
There are many resources and people in the Faculty to support you in your studies.
Example 2.1
Learning outcomes aligned with graduate attributes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment
| Learning outcomes | Graduate Attributes | Teaching & learning activities | Assessments |
1. You should be able to examine problems and present solutions for identification, measurement, recognition, reporting, and interpretation of economic information required for external and internal decision-making. 2. You should be able to analyse and apply knowledge in a range of settings. |
Research and Inquiry |
Read assigned material Participate in online and tutorial discussion Understanding assessment criteria exercise |
Tutorial exercises Mid-semester and final examination Tutorial participation Annotated discussion board contributions Mid-semester and final examination |
3. You should develop awareness of professional ethics, how ethical issues affect society and people working in commerce, and how ethics affect the decision making of a wide group of stakeholders. |
Ethical, Social and Professional Understanding |
Out-of-class group discussion |
Ethics case study of newspaper article Final examination |
4. You should develop your written communication skills. 5. You should develop your oral communication skills 6. You should develop team skills. |
Communication |
Write group report Present group analysis Prepare group report and presentation |
Tutorial exercises Group report on newspaper article Group presentation |
Example 2.2
Learning outcomes aligned with graduate attributes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment in CISS2001 prepared by Dr. Leanne Piggott and Dr. Catherine Welch.
Example 2.3
Learning outcomes aligned with graduate attributes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment in CLAW2205 prepared by Patty Kamvounias.