Key Tips for Writing Learning Outcomes

There are three components to a learning outcome:

1. A stem to introduce the learning outcome, such as “on successful completion of this /guest lecture/lab/tutorial/course, participants will be able to…”.
2. An active verb (e.g., explain, analyze, critically evaluate, describe, list, design, advocate, solve, etc…)
3. An object of that verb – a concept, skill, attitude, or value that you wish for participants to acquire.

Some Example Learning Outcomes

• On the successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to explain the six components of the BOPPPS model for lesson planning.
• On the successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to define active learning.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods are learning activities that should help students develop the knowledge and skills described in the learning outcomes. As you plan, think “what teaching approaches or tools should I use to help students achieve the learning outcomes”?

Assessments

Assessments determine whether, and to what degree, students have achieved the learning outcomes. While you may not necessarily have formal assessments during your time with students in guest lectures/labs/tutorials/, it is helpful to find different ways to check in with students to see what they have learned. As you plan, think “how will I know if students have met these learning outcomes”?

LESSON PLANNING

A lesson plan is a description of the sequence of activities engaged in by both the teacher and the learners to achieve the desired outcomes. Like a script for a movie, lesson planning is a template to organize a coherent, interactive, and involving lesson that includes a schedule for the lesson and a list of instructional resources to be used.

Lesson planning is a key component of intentional teaching and offers several benefits:

• Helps monitor alignment between teaching activities, learning outcomes, and assessments.
• Improves teaching by making it more intentional, clearer, and more focused.
• Helps the teacher to stay on task and on time.
• Helps to balance work (i.e., what you do while teaching vs what you have students do).
• Provides a reminder for needed materials.
• Helps structure activities.

The BOPPPS Model of Lesson Planning

BOPPPS is one approach to lesson planning that helps monitor constructive alignment. It is simple, complete, easy to learn, and easy to implement as an entire lesson or part of a lesson, or during a lab/tutorial. It has the advantage of being extremely flexible and can be used for both in-person and online teaching.

(B)ridge in or hook: Provide something at the beginning of class that will catch students’ attention, build motivation, and help students see why the lesson is important. This can be a funny story, a video, a provocative question, or an unusual fact.

Learning (O)bjectives: Make it clear what the objectives of the class are. What will students be expected to know by the end of the lesson/lab/tutorial?

(P)re-Assessment: Gauge what students already know about a topic before beginning the lesson/lab/tutorial. You might do this by posting a survey, quiz, or poll at the beginning of the teaching session.

(P)articipatory learning: This is the body of the lesson, where students are actively involved and engaged in an intentional sequence of activities or learning events to help them achieve the specified outcomes. You want to have a balance between you talking and providing information and students getting the chance to be involved in the learning. While there are a variety of ways for students to be engaged in the learning process, some examples include discussions around a question or problem, role play, case studies, think-pair-share, debate, group work, polls, etc.

(P)ost-Assessment: Check in with students to see whether they have learned. This can be done formally or informally through quizzes, problem-solving tasks, or brief reflective papers.

(S)ummary: Wrap up the teaching session by giving a short summary of what was learned that day.

More information on planning effective lesson can be found in this recorded interactive workshop.

Additional Tips

• Use plain language to explain a topic that may be challenging to understand.
• Offer to explain things in a different way if needed.
• Use visuals to help students learn.
• YouTube videos can be helpful in giving students a different perspective while also holding their attention (TIP: for accessible learning, turn on closed captions when playing videos).
• Be patient and have empathy.

Additional Resources for Lesson Planning

Example of an active lesson plan

Sample lesson plan templates

References

1. Biggs, J. (1996). Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), 347-364.
2. Biggs, J. (2014). Constructive alignment in university teaching. HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 1, 1- 22.
3. Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does. 4th edition. Berkshire, England: Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press
4. Pattison, P., & Day, R. (2006). Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) Handbook for Participants (2006 ed.).
5. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, V A: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
6. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (expanded 2nd edition). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
7. Chittle, L., Coyne, P., Ismail, E., & Muir, I., (2023). The Graduate Teaching and Learning Fellowship Program: Fellowship Handbook., Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Windsor.