Learning outcomes and assessment

The following questions will help you to consider the purpose of your assessment in relation to the type and level of learning and what in learning terms you are really testing with the assessment:

• Why am I giving this assessment?
• What learning outcomes am I asking my students to demonstrate through this assessment?
• What type or level of learning am I asking them to demonstrate: knowledge, skills, attitudes/values?
• What type of learning opportunity will this assessment offer my students?
• What opportunity for feedback will this assessment have?

The following resources demonstrate how assessment is linked to learning through learning outcomes:

• Guide to writing module learning outcomes at DCU.
• University awards and the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ): Issues around the Design of Programmes and the Use and Assessment of Learning Outcomes