How To Create Effective Learning Outcomes For Your Course With Examples

Without a clear learning outcome, you will not be able to draw your ideal customers to sign up for your course. And those who do would be left confused without knowing where this course is leading them to.

In this article, we will show you how to create learning outcomes that clearly communicate your course's objectives, and provide you with practical examples to guide you through the process.

You will have the tools and knowledge needed to create learning outcomes that will engage and motivate your students to achieve their learning goals.

Let’s get started.

What is Learning Outcome and why is it important?

A learning outcome is a specific and measurable statement that describes what your students will be able to achieve as a result of your course or program.

Learning Outcomes are crucial for your online courses because:

• They provide a clear outline of what students will achieve and be able to do after completing the course.
  
• Learning outcomes serve as a roadmap for both the instructor and the students, ensuring that the course stays on track and that everyone is working towards the same goals.
  
• They help you design effective assessments and activities that align with the desired outcomes of your course.
  
• If you are very specific about who is the course for, creating learning objectives can help filter out the wrong crowd by clearly showcasing what your course aims to provide. This dissuades people who are not serious or have a different goal.
  

Difference between course objectives and learning outcomes

Course Objectives:

Course objectives are broad statements that describe what you intend to cover in a course or lesson. They outline the topics, skills, and concepts that will be taught and may be written in general terms.

Learning Outcomes:

Learning outcomes, on the other hand, are specific and measurable statements that describe what the student will achieve after completing your course or program.

In essence, course objectives guide the instructor to shape their courses with certain goals after every lesson. Learning outcomes, however, are more focused on students demonstrating the specific value and impact of a course.

How To Create Effective Learning Outcomes

Before creating effective learning outcomes, it is helpful to understand Bloom's Taxonomy, which is a widely used learning methodology.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a way to categorize different levels of learning. It's like a pyramid with different levels, where each step represents a different level of learning.

At the bottom of the pyramid are basic levels of learning, like remembering and understanding. As you move up the pyramid, the levels of learning become more complex. You start to apply what you know to solve problems, analyze information, and evaluate arguments.

The six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy:

• Remembering: At the lowest level of Bloom's Taxonomy is remembering. This level involves being able to retrieve information from memory, like facts, dates, or names.
  
• Understanding: Moving up the pyramid of Bloom's Taxonomy, ‘understanding’ involves being able to make sense of what you've learned, such as explaining a concept or interpreting a text.
  
• Applying: Next comes applying what you’ve understood and learned to solve a problem or complete a task.
  
• Analyzing: Making the learning a little more advance and complex is ‘Analysis’. Here you break down information into parts to understand it more deeply.
  
• Evaluating: Evaluation involves making judgments while critiquing a task or function. Evaluating is a key part of problem-solving helping you make informed decisions.
  
• Creating: Finally, at the top of the pyramid of Bloom's Taxonomy, we come to creating - the highest-order skill. This level involves using what you've learned in a creative way to come up with something new.
  

Having a clear understanding of what you want your students to achieve allows you to effectively communicate what they can expect to learn and gain from your course.

Developing Your Learning Outcomes

Let's begin crafting your learning outcomes in two stages - skills your students will develop, and problems they would be able to solve. These outcomes will help you guide your students toward success in your course.

Practical skills

What skills are you empowering your learners with? What specific skills will your students acquire by the end of your program? Consider what they will be physically able to demonstrate.

Write these skills down in bullet point form, starting each point with

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

Solving Problems

What problems will your students be able to solve after taking your course? This is about the information and understanding they will gain which they can apply in the real world.

Jot down these concepts in bullet points again.

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

By focusing on practical skills and the problems they solve, you can create comprehensive learning outcomes that will help your students succeed in your course.

Create your Course Learning Outcome

Using the previous exercise responses, you should be well-positioned to write the learning outcome for your course. Remember that all learning outcomes must be explicitly measurable. Don't leave any room for ambiguity or confusion. Use specific details to define what success looks like.

To make your outcomes even more powerful, incorporate strong action verbs into each one. This will not only make your outcomes more specific, but it will also provide your students with a clear understanding of what they need to do to succeed.

Here are some powerful verbs you can use for the various levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy methodology.

Learning Outcomes Examples

• Write a 75 word elevator pitch for your start up.
  
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a using the P-A-S framework in copywriting.
  
• Collaborate with your peer and present a business plan for a new startup venture.
  
• Identify at least three online tools or resources that can help you stay organized and manage your time more effectively.
  
• Compare and contrast two different website hosting platforms
  
• Construct a functional prototype of a product that solves a specific problem in the market.
  
• Analyze financial statements and key financial ratios to determine the financial health and profitability of a business.
  
• Create a detailed budget and financial plan for your online course.
  
• Develop a basic social media marketing plan for a small business, including identifying target audiences, selecting appropriate platforms, and creating engaging content.
  
• Evaluate the impact of using an LMS to create and sell online courses.
  
• Design and implement the perfect landing page for your course offering a 25% discount on signing up before a particular date.
  
• Analyze an SEO case study using the Golden Keyword Ratio theory.
  
• Create a basic website or online portfolio to showcase your skills and accomplishments, including selecting a template, customizing content, and publishing your site.
  
• Develop a weekly study schedule that includes specific times and goals for completing coursework and assignments.
  
• Write a short blog post or article that demonstrates your understanding of a Learning Management System.​
  

Next Steps

We hope this guide has given you the confidence to create the learning outcomes for your online course. Once you are done, and whenever you are ready to make a course online, Miho is here to help you every step of the way. Miho can provide all the features and capabilities you need to make your course a success, from customizable branding options to integrations with marketing tools.

We take care of the complex tech allowing you to focus on what really matters: creating high-quality content. So don’t wait up. You can get a 14-day free trial when you signup today.