Guide · free
Learning outcome examples
A good learning outcome states, with a single measurable verb, what students will be able to do by the end of the course. Below are course-by-course examples from five departments; the Bloom level of each outcome and a suitable assessment method are read from the approved verb dictionary. You can see the verbs move to higher levels as the years progress.
- 5 departments
- 15 courses
- 61 sample outcomes
- Turkish and English
Choose a department
Computer Engineering
Data Structures, Software Engineering, Capstone Project
- B1 2
- B2 1
- B3 3
- B4 2
- B5 3
- B6 2
- D 2
Business Administration
Introduction to Accounting, Marketing Management, Strategic Management
- B1 1
- B2 3
- B3 1
- B4 3
- B5 2
- B6 2
- D 1
Nursing
Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical Nursing, Public Health Nursing
- B1 1
- B2 2
- B3 1
- B4 2
- B5 2
- B6 2
- D 1
- P 1
Psychology
Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods and Statistics, Introduction to Clinical Psychology
- B1 1
- B2 3
- B3 1
- B4 2
- B5 1
- B6 2
- D 1
Turkish Language and Literature
Introduction to Classical Turkish Literature, Modern Turkish Literature, Literary Criticism and Graduation Thesis
- B1 1
- B2 2
- B3 2
- B4 2
- B5 2
- B6 1
The coloured strip shows how the outcomes are distributed across levels: B1 is remember, B6 is create; D is the affective domain, P the psychomotor domain.
Four rules for adapting the examples
- Single verbEach outcome uses a single verb. “Explain and apply” is two separate outcomes.
- Verb from the dictionaryChoose the verb from the approved dictionary; the level comes from the verb and sets the level of the assessment.
- Level by yearIntroductory courses lean towards remember, understand and apply; later years lean towards analyse, evaluate and create.
- Match the assessment to the verbAn outcome at the create level cannot be assessed with a multiple-choice question; it needs a project or a design task.
To write your own outcome, use the Learning Outcome Builder; to check what you have written, use the Learning Outcome Checker; for all verbs, see the Bloom Verb Dictionary. For how outcomes connect to the rest of the package, see How to prepare a course information package
Frequently asked questions
What does a good learning outcome example look like?
A good learning outcome uses one measurable verb, says what students will do and on what topic, and states a condition or criterion where needed. Unobservable verbs such as “know” and “understand” are not used.
Which departments have examples?
There are currently examples for computer engineering, business administration, nursing, psychology and Turkish language and literature. Each department has three courses, with outcomes at levels suited to the year of the course.
Can I use these examples in my own course?
Yes, the examples can be adapted freely. Change the topic and the criterion to suit your course, and keep choosing the verb from the approved dictionary. If your institution has its own verb dictionary, that one applies.
How many learning outcomes should a course have?
Four to six outcomes are enough for most courses. The more outcomes there are, the harder it becomes to assess each with its own questions; an outcome that is not assessed produces no evidence for accreditation.
Who sets the level of an outcome?
The level comes from the verb the course coordinator chooses from the approved dictionary; it is recorded as a declaration. The levels on this page were not typed by hand either; they were read from the verb dictionary.
The examples are for guidance; they are not the official outcomes of any programme. Levels are read from the SixBloom verb dictionary.
Link your outcomes to assessment
In SixBloom Course Design Studio, every learning outcome is linked to the exam questions that assess it; at the end of term you see how many students achieved it.