1. Training Trainers and Educators Unit 6 – Developing Aims and Learning Outcomes and Planning a Learning Session
Aim
To provide participants with the knowledge and skills required for planning and delivering an effective learning session.
Learning outcomes
Apply the principles of adult learning theory and constructive alignment to facilitate learning
Demonstrate ability to appraise examples of aims and learning outcomes
Design a set of robust aims and learning outcomes
Describe the criteria to be considered when planning a learning session
Slide 6.1
You will be familiar with the content of this topic. Outline tutor notes are provided but the expectation is as an experienced facilitator you may wish to add/change to suit your own and audience needs.

2. Adult Education
The purpose of adult education is to help them learn, not to teach them all they know and stop them from carrying on learning
(Rogers 2002)
Slide 6.2
When writing learning outcomes important to remember the principles of adult learning.
Refer to quote: One way in which this can be supported is through the application of ‘constructive alignment’.

3. Learners construct their learning:
Optimise Learning: Principles of Constructive Alignment
Learners construct their learning:
Teaching and learning activities and assessment must be aligned with learning outcomes
When there is alignment between what we want, how we teach and how we assess, teaching is likely to be much more effective than when it is not.
(Biggs, 2003)
Slide 6.3
Constructive alignment is about optimising learning by aligning the planned learning activities with the learning outcomes.
Constructive alignment is a term coined by John Biggs and is the underpinning concept behind current requirements for programme specification, intended learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
Learners construct their learning :meaning is not imposed or transmitted by direct instruction; it is created by the students' learning activities and their approaches to learning.
See website for additional information:

4. Teaching and Learning Activities
Principles of constructive alignment
Learning Outcomes
Teaching and Learning Activities
Assessment
Slide 6.4
Learning programmes should be developed in alignment with the assessment process and the learning activities should follow this. This ensures there is constructive alignment (Biggs, 1991)

5. Intended learning outcomes Content Teaching and Learning activities
Process of Constructive Alignment
Decide on:
Aim
Intended learning outcomes
Content
Teaching and Learning activities
Assessment and evaluation
Slide 6.5
Aims and learning outcomes should be the first aspect of a learning session to be developed.
Learning and teaching activities can then be designed to enable the learner to achieve the learning outcomes and this will inform the content and structure of the learning programme.
Assessment methods should be designed to assess achievement of learning outcomes, and within practice based learning assessment should focus on application of learning to practice.

6. What do we want our learners to achieve?
Planning and designing teaching and learning
Who are our learners?
What do we want our learners to achieve?
What are the aims and learning outcomes
What learning opportunities will be provided?
How will learning be assessed?
How will we evaluate it?
Slide 6.6
We will focus on aims and learning outcomes and discuss evaluation in more detail within another unit

7. Who are our learners? Background Previous knowledge
Stage in learning or career
Slide 6.7
Important to have a learner profile prior to designing the learning programme to ensure it meets the needs of learners.
Refer to Introduction unit appendix 5

8. What do we want our learners to achieve?
Setting appropriate aims and learning outcomes is the most crucial task designing an educational programme
Everything else depends on this

9. What is the Aim?
To give an overall purpose or educational intent
e.g. The aim of this programme is to bring together a range of professionals/service users/carers to explore teaching methodologies and strategies which can be applied to a range of learning and teaching settings.
Slide 6.9
The aim should give a broad purpose or teaching intention of the course or session.
The aim can also serve as a statement of introduction, give an indication of prior experience, it does not have to be measurable.
Can be from one sentence to a paragraph.

10. Developing Learning Outcomes
Don’t forget to:
Identify the end point of the learning session
Identify your assumptions about what can be achieved during that process
Limit the number of outcomes to those which are key
Make sure they are learner focused
Slide 6.10
If we reflect back on ‘teacher-centred’ approaches, a traditional learning outcome would take a teacher focus and perhaps relate to the teacher intended method of delivery as opposed to the student being part of the learning process.
Considering adult learning and a ‘student-centred’ approach the learning outcomes would alternatively focus on ‘what the students are expected to be able to do at the end of the programme or session’.
Refer to slide so it is helpful to taking into account the following considerations when developing your learning outcomes.
Important to recognise learning after session will be ongoing and continuous.

11. What is expected of the learner?
Start by using an unambiguous action VERB - needs to be measurable e.g. design, describe etc
Then state the OBJECT of the verb e.g. A set of aims and learning outcomes
If appropriate add CONTEXT or CONDITION e.g. Robust
Design a robust set of aims and learning outcomes
Slide 6.11
Initial discussion with participants relating to experiences of developing learning outcomes previously and as part of current roles.
The learning outcome should start with an unambiguous action verb, enabling the result of learning to be measured.
Ask participants to give some examples e.g. Provide, design
The ‘verb’ you chose to use may also reflect the learning aim for example does the aim relate to the acquisition of knowledge, application, analysis etc.
2. Then state the object of the verb e.g. a set of aims and outcomes.
Facilitate the group to suggest an ‘object’.
3. If appropriate add the context or provide the condition e.g. robust.
Ask participants for an example.

12. Learning outcome examples
Write a sonnet in the style of William Shakespeare
Apply theories of adult learning effectively in practice
Fry an egg for your breakfast, that has the white completely set and the yolk completely runny
Slide 6.12
Examples of learning outcomes – discuss breaking down into verb object and context/condition

13. SMART Outcomes Effective learning outcomes should be SMART:
S - Specific, significant, stretching
M - Measurable, meaningful, motivational
A – Achievable, agreed upon, attainable,
acceptable, action-oriented
R - Realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
T - Timely, time-based, tangible, trackable
Slide 6.13
Another consideration when writing learning outcome particularly is to develop SMART learning outcomes to ensure that they are effective, measurable, and support evaluation.
Unit 6: Handout 6.3

14. Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (1956)
Bloom suggested that learning tended to fall into 3 domains:
Cognitive domain – relating to intellectual capability knowledge and thinking
e.g. Recall, understand, analyse
Affective domain – relating to feelings, attitudes, values and behaviours
e.g. receive (awareness), respond, value
Psychomotor domain – relating to physical coordination and performance of physical skills e.g. Copy, follow instructions, articulate, become expert
Slide 6.14
When designing any learning programmes, Blooms taxonomy is useful as a checklist when writing learning outcomes to ensure they are appropriate for the level of learning required. The learner should benefit from development of knowledge, attitudes and to act
UNIT 6: HANDOUT 6.2

15. Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) Updated by Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)
Slide 6.15
Important to identify what level in the domain you are expecting the learner to achieve
UNIT 6: HANDOUT 6.1 verb list for each level

16. Group Activity 1 In pairs
Think of an educational programme you are currently involved in delivering or are intending to deliver
Write one learning outcome for this programme
Slide 6.16
An additional activity which is really useful to further facilitate ability to appraise aims and learning outcomes is to :
Develop a handout with a list of aims and learning outcomes from existing programmes and facilitate small group discussion to
-identify whether each learning outcome contains a verb, object, context/condition and whether the learning outcome has ‘SMART/ elements
Provide feedback and suggestions as to how the learning outcomes could be developed if required.
Here is a resource which you might find helpful when delivering this session

17. select and design those that enable achievement of expected outcomes.
What learning opportunities will be provided?
Learning activities:
select and design those that enable achievement of expected outcomes.
Remember:
learning styles
adult learning theories

18. How will learning be assessed?
Align the learning outcomes to the assessment.
Match the form of assessment (formative or summative) to what is being learned e.g. essay, quiz, project, practical skill etc
Assessment must be valid and reliable, measure what it’s supposed to measuring and be consistent
Evaluation - have the students learned what the learning outcomes state they should be learning?
(Biggs 2003)

19. Group Activity 2
Think about what criteria you need to consider when designing and planning a learning session e.g. learner profile and venue
Develop your aim and learning outcomes for the learning session you would like to deliver
Think about appropriate activities to enable learners to achieve the learning outcomes
Slide 6.19
Introduction: Appendix 6 Equality and Diversity – provide as a handout
Unit 6: Handout 4 and 5

20. Group Activity 2 continued
VERB
OBJECT
CONTEXT/
CONDITION
ACTIVITY
WRITE
SONNET
STYLE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
FRY
EGG
SET WHITE AND RUNNY YOLK
Write the aim
and develop
the learning outcomes
Slide 6.20
Dependant on time available for the group activity there may not be time to complete but important to emphasise that deciding on activites and session plan can only be done after the aim and learning outcomes are written.

21. Summary
Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand. Confucius (approx 450 BC)
Learning takes place through the active behaviour of the student: it is through what he does that he learns, not what the teacher does. Tyler (1949)
Slide 6.21
Also signpost the Effective Practitioner, Learning Activity ‘How to Plan a Teaching Session’ under Teaching, Facilitation of Learning.