Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcomes (SLOs) are the foundation for a rich and impactful educational experience at Emerson College. They serve as a compass, guiding students on their academic journey and ensuring faculty provide the tools and experiences needed to achieve success.

The Office of Academic Assessment promotes the use of Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning to help faculty design well-rounded student learning outcomes (SLOs) This framework goes beyond traditional memorization, encompassing six key areas of intellectual and personal development:

1. Foundational Knowledge
2. Application
3. Integration
4. Human Dimension
5. Caring
6. Learning How to Learn

By incorporating Fink's holistic framework, SLOs can encompass not only the "what" students will learn but also the "how" and "why" of their learning journey. This fosters a deeper understanding and a lasting impact on their academic and personal lives.

This page provides resources and guidance to help you design and refine SLOs that:

• Align with Emerson's mission and program-specific goals
• Embrace the multifaceted nature of student learning
• Clearly articulate what students will be able to do by the end of a course or program
• Serve as a foundation for effective assessment strategies

1. Foundational Knowledge (Remembering): This category focuses on students' ability to recall and understand core concepts, facts, and information within a particular discipline or field. Effective SLOs in this area will describe what students should be able to memorize, define, or recognize.

Example: "Students will explain the key characteristics of the Romantic literary movement."

2. Application (Applying): This category emphasizes students' ability to use their knowledge and skills to solve problems, analyze situations, and think critically. Well-crafted SLOs here will describe how students can apply their learning to new or unfamiliar contexts.

Example: "Students will apply economic principles to evaluate the potential impact of a proposed government policy."

3. Integration (Connecting): This category focuses on students' ability to connect ideas and information across disciplines, experiences, or perspectives. Strong SLOs in this area will describe how students can synthesize knowledge from different sources and identify relationships between concepts.

Example: "Students will compare and contrast the ethical frameworks presented in different religious traditions."

4. Human Dimension (Learning About Self and Others): This category emphasizes students' development of self-awareness, empathy, intercultural competence, and social responsibility. Effective SLOs here will describe how students will grow in their understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Example: "Students will describe their thoughts and feelings about a topic or concept in relationship to themselves, their life goals, their strengths, weaknesses, etc.."

5. Caring (Developing Values & Interests): This category focuses on students' development of intrinsic motivation, values, and a passion for lifelong learning. Strong SLOs in this area will describe how students will cultivate their intellectual curiosity and a desire for continued exploration beyond the classroom.

Example: "Students will develop deeper values in relation to "green" environmental policies."

6. Learning How to Learn (Metacognition): This category emphasizes students' development of effective learning strategies, self-directed learning skills, and the ability to reflect on their own learning process. Well-crafted SLOs here will describe how students will become more strategic and independent learners.

Example: "Students will identify how knowledge is created and tested in different intellectual domains."