Strategies and Tips
- Instructor Tip for QM 2.3: When writing unit or module level learning objectives,
avoid complex language. These should be written to increase accessibility and from
the learner’s perspective (e.g., avoid unexplained terminology and unnecessary discipline
jargon). An easy-to-use tool is provided in the resources section.
- Instructor Tip for QM 2.4: There are many ways to demonstrate the relationship between
the course level objective, unit or module level objectives, and the learning activities
to show students purpose with each component in the course (e.g., course maps, numbering
systems, etc.). A variety of examples are provided in the resources section.
- Not only are these (QM 2.3 & 2.4) direct relationships helpful for instructor course
alignment purposes, but sharing these with students within the course content can
help make learning activities less arbitrary or unconnected as they demonstrate instructor
intent. When writing unit or module level learning objectives, avoid complex language.
These should be written to increase accessibility and from the learner’s perspective
(e.g., avoid unexplained terminology and unnecessary discipline jargon). An easy-to-use
tool is provided in the resources section.
- There are many ways to demonstrate the relationship between the course level objective,
unit or module level objectives, and the learning activities to show students purpose
with each component in the course (e.g., course maps, numbering systems, etc.). A
variety of examples are provided in the resources section.
- Review your syllabus and list out your assessments and/or activities before making
the matrix. Note that assessments/activities may align with more than one outcome
- The alignment matrix can be used for both assessments and exposure through an activity
to the outcome
- Consider what will be done with the matrix after it is completed – Display it prominently
in your Canvas course and refer to throughout the semester as assessments/activities
arise
- Use Canvas Outcomes page as a tool to link outcomes to activities – complete this
before the course is published
- Examine each learning outcome critically from a learner-centered perspective. If required,
re-write learning objectives as measurable goals using Bloom’s taxonomy (Stanny CL, 2016).
- Create an alignment map (infographic or table) to demonstrate how the course activities,
assignments and assessment fit in the learning scheme.
- Create a short video (2 – 3 minutes) to explain how each activity fits in the learning
scheme.
- Information may be presented using infographics, tables, and text to support all learners (Courey et al., 2013).
- A numbering system may be used to align learning outcomes and course activities.
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Research
- Understanding the learning process includes investigating ourselves, as the instructor/developer,
in the overall process to check for unidentified instructor/developer biases, as these
can influence various elements in course development processes (Brooks & Grady, 2022).
- Biases from instructors/developers may reflect educational values that do not align
or are unfamiliar to their learners and can introduce barriers to access and learner
engagement (Bowers, 2011).
- Unorganized content cluttered on a page creates barriers to some students with learning
disabilities, and making courses more accessible and usable for individuals with disabilities
may promote social inclusion of other students as well (Burgstahler, 2015).
- Research shows that using learning objectives in courses results in more efficient
use of instructional time and, therefore, improves learning outcomes (Swan et al., 2012; Jaggars & Xu, 2016;).
- Creating alignment and consistency among objectives, learning activities, and assessments
gives students direction and clarity for increased learning through meta-cognitive
knowledge (Blumberg, 2009).
- Development of an alignment matrix increases the likelihood of the instruction corresponding
to the information necessary for successful student completion of assessments/activities
-- Potential Assessments - Eberly Center - Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu)
- When outcomes and assessments/activities are aligned, successful completion of assessments/activities
more directly implies learning -- Potential Assessments - Eberly Center - Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu)
- Aligning assessment tasks with intended learning outcomes: Principles. Biggs, J.B. and C. Tang, 2007.
- Incorporating universal design for learning improves learning for all learners. Courey, S. J., Tappe, P., Siker, J., & LePage, P. (2013)
- Writing measurable learning outcomes using measurable verbs can be used to describe
levels of expertise attained by students. Stanny CJ, 2016
- Alignment of learning objectives and assessments in therapeutics courses to foster
higher-order thinking. FitzPatrick et al., 2015.
- Students found learning objectives to be useful because the objectives helped them
to narrow their focus and organize their studying. Osueke et al., 2018.
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Outcome Alignment 
LC3: Emphasize Learning Outcomes 
Quality Matters Alignment: