Learning outcomes are statements that describe the knowledge or skills students should acquire by the end of a particular assignment, class, course, or program, and help students understand why that knowledge and those skills will be useful to them. They focus on the context and potential applications of knowledge and skills, help students connect learning in various contexts, and help guide assessment and evaluation.

Good learning outcomes emphasize the application and integration of knowledge. Instead of focusing on coverage of material, learning outcomes articulate how students will be able to employ the material, both in the context of the class and more broadly.

Example of Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the political, religious, economic, and social uses of art.
2. Identify a range of works of art and artists.
3. Analyze the role of art and of the artist.
4. Analyze the art of the period according to objective methods.
5. Link different materials and types of art to the attitudes and values of the period.
6. Evaluate and defend their response to a range of art historical issues.

FOR STUDENTS

1. By focusing on the application of knowledge and skills learned in a course and on the integration of knowledge and skills with other areas of their lives, students are more connected to their learning and to the material of the course.
2. The emphasis on integration and generalization skills helps students draw connections between courses and between coursework and other kinds of knowledge, enhancing student engagement.
3. Students understand the conditions and goals of their assessment.

FOR INSTRUCTORS

1. The process of developing learning outcomes itself offers an opportunity for reflection on the content of the course in the context of its potential applications. Developing learning outcomes means that the context of the learning will always be emphasized, and courses focus on the knowledge and skills that will be most valuable to the student now and in the future.
2. Learning outcomes point to useful methods of assessment.
3. Learning outcomes allow instructors to set the standards by which the success of the course will be evaluated.