Implementing Student Learning Outcomes@ UWA

A Student Learning Outcomes approach focuses on student learning by:

1. Using learning outcome statements to make explicit what the student is expected to be able to know, understand or do;
2. Providing learning activities which will help the student to reach these outcomes;
3. Assessing the extent to which the student meets these outcomes through the use of explicit assessment criteria.

Student Learning Outcomes and Outcomes Based Education (OBE)

While graduates of the secondary school system in Western Australia, or elsewhere, may already be familiar with the terminology of ‘outcomes’ as part of their educational experience, ‘outcomes’ does not specify a single, defined approach. At UWA we have formulated our own approach to learning outcomes, which is intended to be straight forward and comprehensible in an effort to assist students to understand what they are expected to know and do by lecturers in the course of their study.

The secondary school sector’s approach is much more extensive and system-wide than the outcomes focus at UWA, where the approach has been left largely to staff in faculties, schools and discipline groups to define and implement, to reflect the methodological and disciplinary diversity of the University.

On these web pages and resources you may find reference to OBE but they equally apply to student learning outcomes and continue to be appropriate for use at UWA.