Degree-­‐Level

 Expectations  and  Course  Learning  Outcomes  

Introduction  to  DLEs  
Degree-Level Expectations (DLEs) are a threshold framework for the expression of the
intellectual and creative development of students. All Ontario universities are expected to ensure
graduates meet base-level expectations and acquire a set of skills defined by the DLEs
framework.

Degree-level expectations set clear expectations for students pursuing a program of study. This
ensures that programs have a clarified purpose, as well as a set of defined goals and expectations
that provide guidance at the department, program, faculty, and student level.

Benefits  for  faculty  members  

1. Clarity regarding program and course expectations
2. Increased awareness of courses in context
3. Outcomes-oriented language to facilitate communication of program goals and course
expectations
4. Outcomes-oriented language to facilitate assignment and assessment design

Benefits  for  students  

1. Clarity regarding program and course expectations
2. Outcomes-oriented language to facilitate understanding of program goals and course
expectations
3. Outcomes-oriented language to facilitate understanding of assignments and assessments
4. Experience of a more unified and coherent program

The Degree-level expectations (DLEs) specify six areas of ability required at the undergraduate
and graduate levels. These areas include:

1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

2. Knowledge of Methodologies
3. Application of Knowledge
4. Communication Skills
5. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge
6. Autonomy and Professional Capacity

One example of a degree-level expectation for the “depth and breadth of knowledge” area would
be “by the completion of the program students will have acquired the following set of skills: a
developed knowledge and critical understanding of the key concepts, methodologies, current
advances, theoretical approaches and assumptions in a discipline overall, as well as in a
specialized area of a discipline.”

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The full set of undergraduate and graduate degree-level expectations are available on the LTO
website: http://ryerson.ca/lt/programs/curriculum/degreelevelexpectations/index.html

Outcomes-­‐Based  Curriculum  
Degree-level expectations are the starting point in a sequence that lead all the way from the
academic plan down to individual course design:

Degree-Level Expectations -> Program Goals -> Program Learning Outcomes -> Course
Goals -> Student/Course Learning Outcomes

Assessment determines if the students have achieved the goals of the program. For this we need
some form of evidence, reference points, benchmarks, or results:

Learning Objectives -> Course Activities and Assessments -> Learning Outcomes

Learning  Objectives  and  Outcomes  

Learning objectives are statements that describe specific instructional goals that are both
observable and measurable (Cusson, 2012). Learning outcomes describe what students are
expected to have learned or achieved; as a result, they usually describe what students will be
capable of doing, or what evidence will be provided to substantiate learning. Learning outcomes
identify the various specific pieces that go into the cultivation of the knowledge, skills and
attitudes the program is intended to develop.

As summarized by Deakin University, “each intended learning outcome should describe the
observable knowledge or skills that you expect students to be able to demonstrate as a result of
their work in the unit. It should contain:
• A verb that is appropriate to the type of knowledge or skill required
• A noun that describes the content that the verb is meant to address

Example of a learning objective and learning outcomes developed by Cusson:

• Learning objective: In this course, students will be expected to explain the political and
economic factors that contributed to the start of WWII by contributing to in-class
discussions and writing a research paper
• Learning outcomes:
o By the end of this course, students will be able to explain the political and
economic factors that contributed to the start of WWII
o By the end of this course, students will be able to synthesize information from a
variety of sources and express arguments, both orally and in written form
(Cusson, 2012).

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Writing  Effective  Learning  Outcomes  
One common way of structuring learning outcomes is through the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy as
a framework. Bloom’s Taxonomy breaks learning down into six categories representing
cognitive skills, and moves from the lowest to the highest order skills:

Knowledge -> Comprehension -> Application -> Analysis -> Synthesis -> Evaluation

A key part of an effective learning outcome is the assessment of learning. This part of the
outcome describes what a student will be able to do if they have successfully met the learning
outcome. For each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, there are sets of skills that can be used to
demonstrate student learning. The University of North Carolina gives the following examples as
to how the cognitive levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy can be assessed:

1. Knowledge: rote memorization, recognition, or recall of facts

2. Comprehension: understanding what the facts mean
3. Application: correct use of the facts, rules, or ideas
4. Analysis: breaking down information into component parts
5. Synthesis: combination of facts, ideas, or information to make a new whole
6. Evaluation: judging or forming an opinion about the information or situation

When writing an effective learning outcome, there are verbs associated with the levels of
Bloom’s Taxonomy to help clarify the level of learning you are hoping to achieve. Some of these
verbs, as compiled by Kelly & McDonald, are included below:

Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

List Summarize Solve Analyze Design Evaluate
Name Explain Illustrate Organize Hypothesize Choose
Identify Interpret Calculate Deduce Support Estimate
Show Describe Use Contrast Schematize Judge
Define Compare Interpret Compare Write Defend
Recognize Paraphrase Relate Distinguish Report Criticize
Recall Differentiate Manipulate Discuss Justify
State Demonstrate Apply Plan
Visualize Classify Modify Devise

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Common  learning  outcomes  and  ways  to  assess  them  
Regardless of discipline or program, there are some common learning goals that all professors
have for their students. Here are some examples of learning goals, with appropriate learning
outcomes and matching assessments.

1. Think critically
a. Identify a problem
i. Assessment method: In-class group work and short presentation.
ii. Working together in small groups, the students will identify a problem and
“acknowledge reasons for enduring uncertainty and absence of a single
‘correct’ solution.” They will work together to create a short presentation
for the class that explains why people disagree about solutions to the given
problem and why the solution to the problem can’t be known with
certainty (Wolcott & Lynch, 2001).
b. Propose a solution to a problem
i. Assessment method: Discussion on Blackboard
ii. Learning outcome: Working together in groups, the students will prepare a
solution to the problem. The students will collaborate on a post on
Blackboard that explains their solution to the class. The post must identify
the issues they weighed while developing their solution, explain how they
prioritized those issues, and describe how the solution might change given
different priorities. Each group must also ask the other groups questions
about their solutions, and be able to respond effectively to arguments that
support other reasonable solutions (Wolcott & Lynch, 2001).
c. Integrate, monitor, and refine strategies for addressing a problem
i. Assessment method: Report
ii. Learning outcome: Working together in groups, the students will
acknowledge and explain the limitations of their endorsed solution, and
demonstrate skill in “generating and using information to monitor
strategies and make reasonable modifications.” The students will develop
a professional report that includes their proposed solution to the problem,
describes the limitations of their proposed solution, explains the
implications of those limitations, and establishes a plan for monitoring the
performance of their proposed solution (Wolcott & Lynch, 2001).

2. Write competently
a. Evaluate academic sources
i. Assessment method: Annotated bibliography
ii. Learning outcome: The student will select five peer-reviewed journal
articles to support their research paper’s argument, and evaluate the
multiple viewpoints that each article presents. The student must
demonstrate why they selected each article, explain the arguments being
made by each, and explain how each article supports or disproves the
other four, and how each article supports their paper’s argument.

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 b. Develop a thesis statement
i. Assessment method: Research paper proposal.
ii. Learning outcome: Using the five peer-reviewed journal articles that they
analyzed in their annotated bibliography, the student will analyze the
scholarly debate surrounding their research question and formulate an
answer to their research question. The student will write a short research
paper proposal that includes their thesis statement, the questions to be
answered by their research, and a summary of their analysis of the relevant
perspectives in the scholarly discourse.
c. Organize a research paper
i. Assessment method: Research paper outline
ii. Learning outcome: With their research paper proposal as a base, the
student will create an outline for their research paper, detailing each topic
and subtopic, and organizing their points to build their argument toward a
conclusion. The student will create an outline that sets out their
introduction and thesis statement, provides the background for their
research, lays out the major and minor points of their argument, and gives
a conclusion along with the next steps for their research (Walden
University).
d. Critique writing
i. Assessment method: Peer review of drafts
ii. Learning outcome: The students will divide into pairs and each will
conduct a peer review of the other’s paper. Using rubrics and models
provided by the instructor, the student will provide constructive feedback
on their fellow student’s draft. The student will praise what works well in
the draft, comment on large issue with the draft (For example: Is the paper
effectively organized? Is evidence used properly? Is there a clear focus?),
identify what is missing, needs further explanation, or could be cut, make
specific suggestions for revision, and explain in clear and specific terms
the reasoning behind all their comments (University of Wisconsin).

3. Display their knowledge

a. Explain their research
i. Assessment method: Oral presentation
ii. Learning outcome: The student will summarize the findings of their
research paper in a clear and succinct manner. In a five-minute
presentation to the class, the student will provide a brief background for
their research, articulate the implications of their findings, and
successfully defend their argument during a short question and answer
period.
b. Teach others about a topic in the course
i. Assessment method: Slides for a presentation
ii. Learning outcome: The student will build a slide deck that could
accompany a presentation on a topic in the course. The student will choose
a topic from the list provided by the instructor, an audience for their
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 presentation (i.e. high school, academic conference, etc.), and then use
PowerPoint or Google Presentation to construct a presentation appropriate
to that audience. The presentation should effectively organize the content,
convey the important points of the lesson, and support the content via
well-chosen visuals (Eggers & McNierney, 2007).
c. Answer a variety of questions on the course content
i. Assessment method: Final exam with both fixed-choice and open-ended
questions
ii. Learning outcome: The student will be able to successfully answer a series
of multiple-choice questions, selecting the correct response from one or
more choices provided. The student will also be able to answer a series of
short answer questions by supplying “the appropriate words, numbers, or
symbols to answer a question or complete a statement.” Finally, the
student will write a short essay that will “demonstrate through writing
his/her ability to a) recall knowledge, b) organize this knowledge, and c)
present the knowledge in a logical, integrated answer” (University of
Texas).

Work  Cited  

Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of North Carolina. Writing Objectives Using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
https://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/best-practice/goals-objectives/writing-objectives

Cusson, M. (2012). Moving towards and outcomes-based curriculum. Educational Development Centre, Carleton
University. http://carleton.ca/oqa/wp-content/uploads/Degree-Level-Expectations-March-2012.pdf

Deakin University. Writing Intended Learning Outcomes. http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/dso/strategies-

teaching/tips/d2l-writing-ilo.php

Eggers, R.M. & McNierney, D.J. (2007). PowerPoint Presentation Assignment. Youngstown State University.
http://www.ysu.edu/coll_edu/edtc3771/pptlesnagnTS_final.html

Kelley, K. & McDonald, R. Information Literacy and Writing Assessment Project:

Tutorial for Developing and Evaluating Assignments. University of Maryland University College.
Retrieved from http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/informationliteracy_tutorial.cfm

University of Texas at Austin. (2011). Assess Students: Exam. Instructional Assessment Resources.
http://www.utexas.edu/academic/ctl/assessment/iar/students/plan/method/exams.php

University of Wisconsin Writing Center. Conducting Peer Reviews. The Writer’s Handbook.
https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/PeerReviews.html

Walden University Online Writing Center. Outlining a Paper. http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/318.htm

Wolcott, S.K. & Lynch, C.L. (2001). Helping Your Students Develop Critical Thinking Skills. Idea Paper #37, The
Idea Center. http://ideaedu.org/sites/default/files/IDEA_Paper_37.pdf

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