Aligning Outcomes, Assessments, and Instruction

When we teach, we engage in two closely related, but distinct, activities. 

• • First, we design the course by gathering information and making a number of decisions about the way the course will be taught.

  • Second, we engage in teacher-student interactions as we implement the course we have designed. 

The concept of Teacher-Student Interaction as used here is a broad one that includes lecturing, leading discussions, running labs, advising, communicating by email, etc. In order to teach well, one must be competent in both course design and teacher-student interactions. 

However, of these two activities, our ability to design courses well is usually the most limiting factor. Most of us have had little or no training in how to design courses. In addition during the last two decades, research on college teaching and learning have led to some new ideas about course design that have, in essence, “raised the bar” in terms of what is possible. These include ideas such as active learning, significant learning, and educative assessment. How can college teachers learn about and take advantage of these ideas? 

An important consideration when designing a learning experience, course, or program is to ensure assessments and instructional strategies are aligned with the intended learning outcomes (Biggs & Tang, 2011; Maki, 2010). Creating an aligned design focuses instructional strategies on development of knowledge, skills, and values while providing formative feedback and preparing learners for formal assessment.