An outcomes-based approach to education clearly specifies what students are expected to learn and arranges the curriculum such that these intended outcomes are achieved (Harden, 2007). Learning outcomes provide the base for an effectively aligned and integrated curriculum, where instructional activities and assessment strategies are explicitly linked to course-specific and degree-level learning outcomes, which are tied to institutional and provincially-defined graduate degree level expectations (DLEs).
Learning outcomes provide a powerful framework upon which to structure curricula. According to Harden et al., (1999; 2007a) learning outcomes: * help to provide clarity, integration and alignment within and between a sequence of courses; * promote a learner-centred approach to curriculum planning; * encourage a self-directed and autonomous approach to learning, as students can take responsibility for their studies, and are able to actively gauge their progress; * promote a collegial approach to curriculum planning, as instructors collaborate to identify gaps and redundancies, * ensure that decisions related to the curriculum and learning environment are streamlined; * foster a philosophy of continual monitoring, evaluation and improvement; and, * help to ensure accountability and assure quality of our education programs.
An aligned curriculum organizes structures and sequences courses around the intended learning outcomes. In order for this approach to succeed, learning outcomes must must be: 1) clearly articulated in a way that is contextualized within the discipline; 2) communicated broadly; 3) used to inform and influence decisions about the curriculum; and, 3) monitored regularly to ensure that they remain current and accurately reflect the intent of the degree program (Manogue and Brown, 2007; Harden, 2007).
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