Assessment Is Wicked Good #CurriculumThatCounts
Learning outcomes are the "knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience" (Suskie, 2018, p. 41). Publishing outcomes makes expectations clear to students, families, employers, and the community, and it helps us evaluate and improve learning.
At the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), course and program outcomes are described and published at three levels:
Course Competencies — the official district-approved outcomes for each course
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) — the assessment term for the specific course outcome, aligned to one or more competencies, selected for review and improvement
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) — the knowledge and abilities graduates are expected to demonstrate upon program completion
The sections below explain each type in more detail and where to view them.
What are course competencies?
Course competencies are the official, MCCCD‑approved statements of what a course requires students to learn and demonstrate by successful completion. They define the essential knowledge and skills the course promises to deliver.
How are competencies generated?
Competencies are written by discipline faculty, reviewed through the Instructional Council for that field, and maintained in the district’s official curriculum records with support from the MCCCD Center for Curriculum & Transfer Articulation (CCTA).
Where can I find competencies?
Public copies of official competencies are available through the CCTA Course Search.
What are course learning outcomes?
A course learning outcome (CLO) states the specific knowledge or skill a course emphasizes and the evidence students will produce to show they achieved it. In GCC’s assessment language, faculty articulate what students should be able to do, show, or create to demonstrate that learning.
How are course learning outcomes generated?
Course learning outcomes are grounded in the course’s official competencies. Sometimes a competency itself is used as the outcome; more often faculty narrow or reframe competencies into a focused outcome, and a single CLO may draw on multiple competencies.
Faculty assess learning across all course competencies as part of standard instructional practice. For GCC improvement work, we ask them to select at least one CLO to study closely. The selected outcome should be essential to later student success and show room for growth; outcomes that students already meet should be monitored through routine course checks rather than through targeted improvement projects.
Where can I find course learning outcomes?
For assessment purposes at GCC, course learning outcomes are submitted through the college’s Assessment Report system.
What are program learning outcomes?
A program learning outcomes (PLO) states what graduates of a program should know and be able to do. They describe the knowledge and abilities a program promises its students will develop across multiple courses.
MCCCD also offers emphasis options within some associate degrees. An emphasis is a set of specified coursework that aligns with particular university programs to clarify the transfer path. It is not a separate award; students who complete an emphasis receive the associated associate degree.
Program learning outcomes are defined for all MCCCD degree programs and emphases.
How are program outcomes generated?
Program outcomes are written by discipline faculty, reviewed through the Instructional Council for that field, and maintained in the district’s official curriculum records with support from the MCCCD Center for Curriculum & Transfer Articulation (CCTA).
Where can I find program outcomes?
Public copies of official program outcomes are available through the CCTA Program Search.