Student Learning Outcomes describe what students should know, think, and be able to do by the end of a course or program. Most courses include four to five key outcomes.
Why are SLOs important?
SLOs are a central part of your course design because they:
- Define the type and level of learning students should achieve
- Provide clear benchmarks for assessment
- Communicate expectations to learners
- Help structure learning into coherent, teachable units
- Guide instructors in selecting activities, strategies, and assessments
Strong SLOs enable instructors to make intentional decisions about teaching and provide students with a clear roadmap of what they are expected to learn and demonstrate.
Learning Goals vs. Learning Outcomes
Learning goals are broad, overarching intentions for what students should understand or value.
Learning outcomes are specific, measurable statements describing what students will be able to demonstrate by the end of the course.
| Goals | Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Broad | Specific |
| Difficult to measure | Measurable |
| Intangible | Attainable |
| General intentions | Realistic |
| Abstract | Time-limited |
The Process of Developing Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
When designing a course, start by asking: “What do I want students to be able to do by the end?”
This approach—backward design—helps you focus on student learning first (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998).
SLOs should use clear, measurable action verbs from Bloom’s taxonomy. Examples include:
- Remembering: define, list, recall
- Understanding: describe, explain
- Applying: demonstrate, use
- Analyzing: compare, categorize
- Evaluating: assess, justify
- Creating: design, develop
Tips for Writing Strong SLOs
- Focus on what you want students to achieve by the end of the course.
- Ask: How will I know they learned it? (Assessment should match the outcome.)
- Write course-level outcomes—not for individual lessons.
- Center each outcome on one domain of learning.
- Avoid vague verbs like know, understand, or learn.
- Use clear, measurable verbs paired with a specific desired result.
Template: By the end of this course, students will be able to [action verb] [specific skill or knowledge].