Ultimately individual students determine their own personal learning outcomes. What they learn is a result of choices about what is important to them, what they think they need to pass the assessment, what they need in later life, what interests them in the learning environment at the time, and how diligent they wish to be as a learner. They may be led though a rigid set of common learning outcomes accepting these without question. They may be placed in a learning environment where there is a choice of learning outcomes giving students opportunities to determine the focus and level of understanding associated with their learning. It is useful to draw the distinction between ‘learning outcomes’ and ‘desired learning outcomes’. The former are what actually occur, while the latter can be pre-determined and included in course outlines. The latter are, however, only desires - what the teacher and ideally the learner hope for, e.g. it may be that an understanding of concepts was hoped for while only a disaggregated set of facts was learnt; however, it could be that a new and more sophisticated conceptual understanding than intended was obtained by the student. When course or unit outlines are being developed by teachers, a dual responsibility to the discipline or profession and to the student should prevail in determining desired outcomes. Outcomes need to take account of the prior learning of students, the students’ likely potential for further learning, and the time and resources available to allow the learning to take place. Outcomes also need to address the credentialing significance of course completion, what generic skills and attributes might be expected of a graduate and the specific knowledge and skills they may be expected to be able to demonstrate on leaving the university. |