S. 12-89
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
MEMORANDUM
attention Senate
from
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
date
May 22, 2012
PAGES
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
RE:
Principles for development of Learning Outcomes and Assessment processes
At its May 16, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the principles that will guide the development
of learning outcomes and assessment processes.
Motion:
That Senate approve the principles that will guide the development of learning outcomes and assessment
processes.
encl.
c: P. Budra
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
MEMORANDUM
SCUP 12-13
OFFICE OF TI IF VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
TEL:778.782.3925
vpacad@sfu.ca
Canada
V5A1S6
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
attention Senate
date
May 07,2012
FROM
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic
pages
2
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Working Group
RE:
Background
In Fall 2011,1 established the Learning Outcomes and Assessment Working (proup (LOAWG), a
committee chaired by Dr. Paul Budra and mandated to provide me withNrecommendations regarding the
appropriate framework and processes for the establishment
of learning outcomes across the SFU
curriculum. As part of that work, the Working Group was asked to draft a set of principles that will
guide the establishment and use of learning outcomes for curricular assessment at SFU. Learning
outcomes and assessment will help us to improve the student academic experience at SFU, and
will
contribute to improvements in curricular review processes. Feedback from students in surveys over the
past few years has indicated that students want greater clarity about their curriculum requirements, and I
have identified the establishment
of learning outcomes and their use in assessment processes as a key
priority in both the current and forthcoming Academic Plans. I also anticipate that the establishment of
learning outcomes will help academic units focus their discussions about curriculum, and will reduce the
amount of time that is spent in curriculum revisions.
The attached principles were drafted by the LOAWG, and I am seeking Senate approval
of these
principles. An earlier draft was sent to the SFU community for comment, and following the feedback
received, the original draft was
revised. Some of the feedback I received was on the broader topic of
learning outcomes in general, and some on the relationship between accreditation and learning
outcomes. With regard to the latter, it should be understood that the establishment of learning outcomes
and assessment processes is separate from the process
of seeking accreditation.
The establishment of the principles will allow this project to proceed to subsequent stages. As further
developments occur there
will be extensive consultation with faculty, staff and students. Senate approval
will be sought for conceptual and substantive changes to current practices.
Motion: that Senate approve the principles that will guide the development of learning
outcomes and assessment processes
Information about learning outcomes and assessment
In the feedback I received, it was requested that a definition of Learning Outcomes be provided to better
inform the discussion. There are many ways to define Learning Outcomes, and it is important to
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
acknowledge the deep expertise of many in the Faculty of Education on this topic, but for the purposes
of the current work being done by LOAWG, the following is the working definition:
A
learning
outcome
is
a
specific
knowledge,
practical
skill,
area
of
professional
development,
attitude,
higher-order
thinking
skill, etc., that a faculty member expects students to develop, learn, or master during a course or program. Learning
outcomes are observable and measurable.
Learning outcomes are distinguished from broadly configured teaching goals. A teaching goal is
anything that an instructor or a program coordinator intends that students willlearn in their course or
program. Such goals not only include specific curriculumitems but also more generic goals such as
critical thinking, communication abilities, collaboration skills, etc. like learning outcomes, these can also
be explicitly stated to students, or can exist more implicitly in the fabric of the planning and teaching of a
course or a program. Learning outcomes form a subset of teachinggoals and flow from them. Learning
outcomes, unlike many teaching goals, are specific and assessable.
A well-writtenlearning outcome defines what a student is able to do and to what qualitylevel,in a
measurable form. A model such as Bloom'staxonomy can be helpful in identifying quality levels in the
cognitive domain, e.g.,
"On successful completion of the program, the student should be able to
critically analyze research papers in the discipline."
Types of learning outcomes include:
• Institutional level—what students should be able to do upon completion of a degree or other
credential
• Program level—what students should be able to do upon completion of a particular program
• Courselevel—what students should be able to do upon completion of a particular course.
Learning outcomes are most broadly defined at the institutional level (e.g., critical thinking, creative
thinking, global citizenship, literacy, numeracy, knowledge of discipline) and become more specific at the
program and course levels. At the institutional level Senate will define the learning outcomes. At the
program and course levels, faculty members and academic units determine and control what are
appropriate learning outcomes, and, as is the case now,
faculty members remain responsible for the
content, teaching, and assessment in their courses. The intent is that learning outcomes at the three
levels are aligned, and incremental work on learning outcomes and assessment over the next few years
will move SFU toward that framework.
If learning outcomes are defined, the University can be accountable to students, the broader society and
academic colleagues through an assessment of whether students are meeting the learningoutcomes.
There are various
ways to assess outcomes. Some assessments can be captured through the normal
evaluation of students through assignments. For example, if a learning outcome of a course is that
students understand a particular theoretical concept, the percentage of students meeting that outcome
could be assessed in a final exam. Other assessments take a more comprehensive look at what students
have learned. For example, "capstone" requirements can be used to assess students'abilities to
synthesize knowledge they have acquired in an entire program. While the nature of assessment will vary,
it will be important to accumulate data on outcome assessment in a systematic way.
More detailed information on the definition of learning outcomes, useful resources, links to examples,
and information about the work being doing at many other universities in North America in this area,
can be found at the website for the Learning Outcomes and Assessment project:
htm://www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/committees taskforces/LOAWG.html
Attachment (1)
Learning Outcomes & Assessment Working Group
Simon Fraser University
May 22, 2012
Learning Outcomes & Assessment Principles
Preamble
In an effort to improve upon existing pedagogical practices and to facilitate greater student
achievement, Simon Fraser University intends to institute learning outcomes and their
assessment across all courses, programs, Faculties, and the University, informed by a
consultative approach and guided by the Principles articulated herein.
Curriculum development and learning outcomes at SFUwill be informed by the
institutional goals recently articulated in the University's
Strategic Vision1.
They are
summarized as follows:
1) To equip SFUstudents with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that prepare
them for life in an ever-changing and challenging world.
2) To be a world leader in knowledge mobilization, building on a strong foundation of
fundamental research.
3) To be Canada's most community-engaged research university.
There are many models of learning outcomes and assessment to examine, and SFU will
draw knowledge from
the best practices of other communities and institutions. The use of
these practices will ultimately improve curriculum and the learning experience of
SFU
students at the course, program, and degree levels.
Learning outcomes and assessment should fit within our existing curricular development
and review processes. SFU departments and units will analyze learning outcomes
assessment data and act on findings independently, and will retain institutional autonomy
http://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/engage/StrategicVision.pdf
1
Learning Outcomes & Assessment Working Group
Simon Fraser University
May 22, 2012
Principles
1. SFU will establish learning outcomes and assessment processes in order to
communicate transparently the purposes of all degree, program, and course
requirements.
2. As per its
Strategic Vision,
SFU is committed to academic and intellectual freedom.
Learning outcomes for courses and programs will be developed and determined at
the local academic unit level and will reflect local disciplinary cultures. These will be
aligned with enduring institutional goals, values, and principles as articulated in the
SFU
Strategic Vision.
3. SFU values regular assessment of the achievement of specified learning outcomes as
a means
of promoting continuous improvement of its courses and programs, and
acknowledges
that appropriate assessment of learning outcomes can occur before,
during and after completion of a course or program.
4. Processes required by the establishment of learning outcomes and their assessment
will be integrated into the regular processes of curricular and program review and
renewal and disciplinary accreditation wherever possible.
5. Learning outcomes assessment will enable instructors to improve upon existing
curricula and teaching methodologies. Processes of regular assessment will allow
the academic units and the University to collect data concerning unit- and
University-level achievement of identified learning outcomes. Learning outcomes
assessment data will not be utilized for the evaluation of individual instructor and
TA/TM performance, nor will the data be used as evidence to demote, fail to
promote, dismiss or otherwise penalize individuals.
6. It is the responsibility of the University to provide resources (human, capital,
technological) to academic units as required to enable and support learning
outcomes and assessment procedures. Provision of this support is intended to
minimize any addition to the net workload of instructors, TAs/TMs, and department
staff.
7. As much as possible, the documentation generated by the Learning Outcomes and
AssessmentWorking Group will be made broadly available to the SFU community
for transparency and in accordance with SFU'ssustainability goals.
£"
