To talk about student classroom success, you must talk about objectives and outcomes.  There are many similarities between objectives and outcomes.  They are both written to be student-centered, measurable, specific, and discuss both knowledge and skill. 

Objectives are specific, measurable goals outlining what learners should achieve during a specific time period in their learning.  Learning objectives define what learners should know and be able to do after a learning experience.  They serve as roadmaps for both instructors and students.   

Outcomes are also specific and measurable, but they are not goals.  Outcomes serve as the evidence that students have or have not completed goals.  In 2018, the University of Arkansas Faculty Senate approved the General Education Learning Outcomes (GELO) for general education courses across the university. They are called outcomes because they are focused on the results, or what the faculty want all University of Arkansas students to know and be able to do when they graduate. 

The key difference between objectives and outcomes is that objectives define what should be accomplished, while outcomes describe what is actually demonstrated or achieved.  Outcomes are the measurable evidence that objectives have or have not been met.  They represent specific knowledge and skills that students have demonstrated as a result of their learning experience.  Notice that objectives are written in the future tense because they are goals that have not happened, and outcomes are written in the past tense because the action has already happened. 

  

Objective and Outcome Examples 
Objective  Outcome 
By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze primary historical texts using critical thinking skills.  Students successfully analyzed primary historical texts by identifying author bias, historical context, and key arguments with 85% accuracy on the final assessment. 
Students will solve quadratic equations using multiple methods.  Students correctly solved quadratic equations using both the quadratic formula and factoring methods on the midterm exam. 
Upon completion of this module, students will be able to design a basic experiment that tests a hypothesis.  Students designed and conducted experiments that included testable hypotheses, controlled variables, and appropriate data collection procedures as evidenced in their lab reports. 
By the end of the semester, students will be able to compose a persuasive essay with a clear thesis statement, supporting evidence, and coherent structure.  In their final essays, students crafted clear theses statements, integrated relevant supporting evidence, and maintain logical organization. 
Students will evaluate the reliability of online sources using established criteria.  Students correctly applied source evaluation criteria to determine the credibility of online information, as demonstrated through their annotated bibliography assessments. 

When you are planning and developing your course and its lessons, it is important to focus on objectives because you first need a goal to plan effective learning. The outcomes will be measured by evidence from assessments showing how well your students met these objectives. 

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