NCAD March 2006 Outcome-led learning in Art and Design Allan Davies Senior Advisor Higher Education Academy, UK.

NCAD March 2006

Outcome-led learning in Art and Design

Allan DaviesSenior AdvisorHigher Education Academy, UK

Working with learning outcomes

At the end of the session you will be able to:

• articulate the issues that arise for art and design practitioners when implementing learning outcomes in the curriculum

• demonstrate an understanding of constructive alignment

• recognise a clearly stated learning outcome

• understand the benefits of outcome-led learning whilst managing the drawbacks

Morning

Learning outcomes, assessment and constructive alignment

Afternoon

Strategies to support constructive alignment

• Why are learning outcomes so important?

• What are learning outcomes?

• How do we assess learning outcomes?

• What is constructive alignment?

Overview

‘To set the students off in pursuit of an un-named quarry may be merely wasteful, but to grade them on whether they catch it or not is positively mischievous.’

Rowntree, D. (1977), Assessing Students (Kogan Page). Revised edition, 1987.

Why are learning outcomes so important?

Why are learning outcomes so important?

• make our expectations clear to students and outside agencies

• set the objectives for syllabus design and assessment

• provide greater congruence between the teacher’s and the learner’s intentions

• promote criterion-referenced learning

• underpin the values of a learning paradigm

What are learning outcomes?

They are the clear articulation of what learners are expected

to:

–understand

–be able to do

in order to complete a project/unit/module successfully

They should:

• cover the range of cognitive and practical abilities that are deemed to be essential in order to successfully complete the project

• relate directly to the aims of the project

• relate directly to the assessment tasks of the project

A learning outcome is not:

• specified in terms of course content

‘Students will be introduced to...........’

‘Students will have studied the development of......’

• ambiguous for the purpose of testing

‘Students will be aware of..........’

‘Students will have a working knowledge of.......’

The ‘stem’ of the outcomes is important

At the end of the module, you will be able to:

• describe……..

• analyse………

• evaluate……..• present………

‘understanding’

‘understanding’ is the main feature of learning but not subjectto unambiguous testing,

therefore:solve explaindescribe distinguish betweenanalyse translateevaluate etc

Students need the opportunity to interrogate the verbs

The verb ‘analyse’, for instance, is problematic. It means

different things in different disciplines.

It is no good assuming students know what you mean by the

terms you use. That is what they are here to learn.

What are the problematic terms (concepts) in your discipline?

Outcomes related to knowledge and understanding

• knowledge of substantive material

• understanding of theoretical perspectives, concepts and issues

• the application of knowledge in different contexts

• the analysis of problems and possible solutions

Outcomes related to skills and competencies

• discipline skills and abilities

• communication

• teamwork

• problem solving

• information technology

• self-awareness

• etc

How do we assess learning outcomes?

• how do students demonstrate that they have achieved the range of learning outcomes - how do they provide the evidence?

• learning outcomes can be achieved at any time. How, if at all, are they tracked?

• is the selected assessment mode appropriate for the learning outcome?

Disadvantages of outcome-led learning

• based on observable behaviours

• presents learning as a list

• promotes quantitative rather than qualitative measuring

• most successful in low-level training and instructional tasks

• can signal a limit to learning

• what about unplanned outcomes?‘Learners amass treasure not just diamonds’

(Biggs J, 1996)

Issues

• How do we deconstruct ‘understanding’ for the purpose of expressing outcomes and then reconstruct as evidence of understanding?

• A learning outcomes is literally what is learned. How can we pre-specify them with any certainty that they will be achieved? What happens if they are not?

• What about outcomes related to ‘creativity’?

• Are learning outcomes level free?

Learning outcomes in Graphic Design Yr 1

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

knowledge & understanding:

• be aware of fundamental concepts and ‘practice’ protocols within Graphic Design and of the subject’s coverage/footprint;

communication:

• be aware of and use essential ‘practice’ language;

improving own learning & performance:

• use relevant generic & specialist study skills and able to review the outcomes of the induction period’s PDP assisted self profiling against the programme learning outcomes;

• to be aware of and apply essential ‘practice’ standards and protocols;

problem solving:

• investigate, resolve, complete and submit a number of design projects.

Learning Outcomes from a BA (Hons) Graphic Design brief

At the end of this module you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate efficient self-management, independent and collaborative working methodologies.

2. Apply critical judgment in the utilisation of knowledge of the cultural, historical and social context of the subject

3. Demonstrate proficiency in the generation of ideas, concepts and proposals

4. Critically evaluate research material and apply analytical skills and judgment in the realisation of practical and theoretical work

5. Select and utilise appropriate materials, techniques, methodologies and media in the realisation of work

6. Demonstrate proficiency in the application of Graphic Design principles and methodologies

7. Use visual, oral and written communication, presentation and information skills effectively .8. Place your work within a professional context.

Learning Outcomes from a BA (Hons) Graphic Design brief - modified

At the end of the project you will be able to:

1. Apply Graphic Design principles, research methodologies and analytical judgment in the generation of your research material, ideas, concepts and proposals

2. Select and utilise appropriate materials, techniques, methods and media in the realisation of your work

3. Identify and critically evaluate your practice within the contemporary cultural, historical, social and professional contexts through the use of a range of presentation skills

4. Work both independently and collaboratively

Activity

Individually:

• Take a module which you teach and identify the four main things you want students to learn

• Write them out in learning outcome form

In pairs

• Share your findings and suggest improvements

Strategies to support Constructive Alignment

• What is Constructive Alignment?

• What strategies might we adopt to ensure alignment?

What is Constructive Alignment?

• Defining the intended outcomes

• Choosing teaching/learning activities likely to lead to attaining the outcomes

• Assessing students’ learning outcomes to see how well they match what was intended

The ‘constructive’ aspect refers to what the learner does, which is to construct meaning through relevant learning activities. The ‘alignment’ aspect refers to what the teacher does, which is to set up a learning environment that supports the learning activities appropriate to achieving the desired learning outcomes.

The key is that the components in the teaching system, especially the teaching methods used and the assessment tasks, are aligned to the learning activities assumed in the intended outcomes. The learner is ‘trapped’, and cannot escape without learning what is intended.

Biggs, J (2002), Aligning the Curriculum to Promote Good Learning, Imaginative Curriculum Symposium

Some issues to bear in mind…..

The outcomes and activities should ultimately

enable students to achieve the course aims

BA Fine Art Stage-level Learning Outcomes

At the end of stage 1 you will be able to:

identify a personal direction for your practice

articulate the focus of your practice in relation to other specialisms

locate your practice within a critical/theoretical and historical context

At the end of stage 2 you will be able to:

articulate your individual identity as an artist

work independently

locate yourself and your work within broader issues and aspects of contemporary practice

At the end of stage 3 you will be able to:

work autonomously as an artist

Getting students to talk to each other about what they think they are supposed to be doing and why they are doing it leads to higher quality learning outcomes……..

Most people learn.......

• 10% of what they read

• 20% of what they hear

• 30% of what they see

• 50% of what they see and hear

• 70% of what they talk over with others

• 80% of what they use and do in real life

• 95% of what they teach someone else

William Glasser: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Guide 1988

Helping students to understand the nature of

the learning outcomes is important too….

Convergent and divergent thinking

Learning outcomes are often written with an emphasis on convergent

rather than divergent thinking processes.

Convergent thinking involves solving problems that have a particular,

Unique answer. This kind of thinking is focused, or 'closed'.

For example:

• Communicate key theoretical terms through the use of annotated diagrams

Convergent and divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is to do with generating alternatives.

The notion of 'correct’ gives way to broader assessments of value such

as;

creativity, imagination, risk taking and originality

How can you encourage students to take risks and challenge orthodoxy if the

form of the learning outcomes encourages only one way of thinking?

How do you write learning outcomes which encourage students to develop a

divergent approach as well as a convergent one.

How do we recognise the quality of the outcome? What would be the evidence?

What approach to learning are you encouraging your students to take?

Uni-structural

This is learning that students perceive is done to them by teachers rather than something they do.

Learning is about memorising but what is memorised is not transformed in any way.

Multi-structural

This is learning that is acquiring facts, skills and procedures which are to be used.

What is learned is seen as needed to do things at a later date but there is no transformation of what is learnt

Relational

This is learning that is making sense.

The student makes active attempts to abstract meaning in the process of learning.

Extended abstract

This is learning that is understanding or making sense of reality.

Learning enables the student to perceive the world differently.

The student sees her work in a world context and recognises its value

Biggs’ SOLO Taxonomy

Variation in students’ conceptions of Design

Design Entity

Learning approach

Making/doing Interpreting/

experimenting

Living

Unistructural Product/skills

Finding the right answer

Satisfying the teacher

Multistructural Collecting information

Increasing skills

‘Researching’

Trying things out

Relational Making sense

Choosing appropriate tools

Orchestrating parts

Extended abstract Self-authorship

Seeing the world differently

Changing principles

Do you know who your students are?

Academic Susan

Planning

Applying

Reflecting

Generating

Theorising

Relating

Problem-solving

Interpreting

Making

Doing

High-level engagement

Low-level engagement

Non-academic Robert

Taking what we have considered, design a module which identifies 4 key learning outcomes and create the learning activities and assessment tasks which enable the students to meet the outcomes

Student-centred activities:

• Negotiate learning contracts• Enables students to negotiate the development of their learning and identify

unintended learning outcomes• Supports independent learning

• Learning teams• Discuss the brief and share insights and concerns• Meet regularly to discuss each others’ progress• Supports collaborative learning

• Learning journals• Record thoughts, plans and reflections which are not captured by the

material outcomes• Can be shared by the learning teams

• Collaborative assessment• Encourages students to make judgments about their work• Provides a more rigorous assessment process