Dear Content Contributor,

I am using this medium to welcome all into the Second Semester 2014/2015 academic session. As we are all preparing to make this semester eventful and impactful, there is the need for us to plan our lectures in such a way that we will have pre-determined objectives of what we want our students to learn in setting a realistic learning outcomes for each topic in the syllabus. The question now is what are learning outcomes?

Learning outcomes are statements that describe the significant and essential learning outputs that learners have achieved, and can reliably demonstrate at the end of a course or programme. That is, what makes a student to be different as a result of a learning experience. More specifically, learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience (Suskie, 2009). In other words, learning outcomes identify what the learner will know and be able to do at the end of a course or programme.

As we are planning our lectures, I will like us to ponder over these questions and ruminate over them:

1.     What do you want the student to be able to do at the end of each topic taught?

2.     What knowledge, skill or ability should the ideal student/participant demonstrate?

3.  How would students be able to demonstrate or apply what they’ve learnt in solving problems?

4.     And other questions that you may think of.

In essence, our focus should be on what a student will be able to do with the information or experience we are to make available during our lectures or programmes.

University of Toronto highlights the tools for developing Learning Outcomes and states its characteristics as follow:  Good learning outcomes focus on the application and integration of the knowledge and skills acquired in a particular unit of instruction (e.g. activity, course programme, etc), by emerging from a process of reflection on the essential contents of a course. Specifically, we can feel the essence of good learning outcomes Read More

Furthermore, the Teaching and Learning Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also gives examples of intended learning outcomes HERE

I have a great belief that if we are able to introduce this system into our teaching and learning methodology, it would go a long way in impacting our students greatly.

I will also like to congratulate the entire University community on the recent operational approval granted to FUNAAB Radio by the Federal Government. I have a strong conviction that the radio station, if adequately utilized, would enhance our teaching, learning and extension activities by putting FUNAAB on the global perspective.

You may read our previous Weekly Tips HERE

Thank you.

Dr. O.  Folorunso
Director, Centre for Innovation and Strategy in Learning and Teaching