Assessment of Learning 1

1. Educational Objective and Learning Outcomes

Both of these terminologies are commonly used in teaching and learning environments. But the main difference
between these two is answering “who” is doing what. In the simplest term, an educational objective is a goal that
the teacher or the subject/course wants to achieve at the end of the session. The objectives are stated from the
perspective of the teacher such as: “to develop, to provide, to enhance, to inculcate, etc.” On the other hand,
learning outcomes describe what is expected from the students as they finish the course. These learning outcomes
must be measurable such as demonstrating, explaining, differentiating, illustrating, etc.

2. Immediate Outcomes and Deferred Outcomes

Outcomes-based education focuses classroom instruction on the skills and competencies that students must
demonstrate when they finish their studies. There are two (2) types of outcomes: immediate and deferred
outcomes.
Immediate outcomes are competencies/skills acquired upon completion of a subject, a grade level, a segment of
the program, or of the program itself. Some examples are writing and speaking skills, the ability to do research
work, and graduation from a program. Meanwhile, deferred outcomes refer to the ability to apply cognitive,
psychomotor, and affective or degree skills/competencies in various situations many years after completion of a
subject; grade level program. Examples of these are awards and recognition for their professional work,
promotion in their job, or success in the field they chose.

3. Content and Learning Outcomes

The learning outcome is already discussed in the first item of this activity wherein it describes what is expected
from the students as they finish the course. Content objectives on the other hand identify what students should
know and be able to do at the end of the lesson. These objectives will frequently be used to form assessments.
They are derived from the core standards. They focus on the “What.” For example, students will determine the
lesson or moral through the text.

4. Institutional and Program Outcomes

Outcome-based Education comes in different levels including institutional and program outcomes.
Institutional outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that students are expected to develop as a
result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student
services. For example, under the students’ specialized program, they are expected to demonstrate the knowledge,
skills and dispositions required of their discipline.
Program outcomes are the knowledge, skills, and abilities students should possess when they graduate from a
program. They are answers to the question, "What should program graduates know and be able to do at the time
of program completion?" An example of this is: Graduates of the Criminal Justice program will analyze a current
issue in criminal justice, evaluate evidence, and construct an argument.

5. Program Outcomes and Course Outcomes

Program outcomes are what graduates of particular educational programs or degrees are able to do at the
completion of the degree. An example is given from the previous item. Whereas, course outcomes are what
students should be able to demonstrate at the end of the course or subject. An example is when completing Money
and Banking, students will be able to determine the cost benefits and shortcomings of various cash management
strategies.

6. Student-Centered Instruction and Content-Centered Instruction

Student or Learner-centered instruction empowers learners to participate actively in the learning process. In this
instruction, the instructor serves as a facilitator, involving learners in the learning process. On the other hand,
content-based instruction focuses on content rather than language. However, the goal is language instruction.
Simply stated, language becomes a tool for learning new things instead of the topic. For example, students might
 have a lesson on French cuisine. This would focus on the French diet and would naturally introduce words such as
'pain' (bread), 'Fromage,' (cheese) and 'croissant,' in a meaningful way because the words are presented within the
context of the content. This helps students make logical connections between ideas, words and objects.
Proponents of content-based learning believe that this approach is the most effective method for language
acquisition.

7. “to develop communication skills” and “can communicate orally and in writing”
Based on my understanding of these two statements, both are essential for outcomes-based education. “To
develop communication skills” is an example of a learning objective while “can communicate orally and in
writing” is an example of learning outcome.