Aligning learning outcomes, teaching and learning strategies and
assessment
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
• Constructive alignment is an outcomes-based methodology for designing,
promoting and assessing deep student learning
• It is predicated on the belief that the student constructs his or her own
learning through engaging in relevant learning activities
• Alignment refers to what the teacher does, which is to create appropriate
learning environments
• This specifically involves selecting the most appropriate teaching and
learning activities and assessment tasks for each of the learning outcomes
• In its most rudimentary form, this selection is governed by the main verb
in the outcome statement
• In a more sophisticated form, verbs in learning or curriculum objective
statements are typically used as a basis for alignment and refer to the
specific steps (or component activities) that collectively lead the students
towards the outcomes
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
REVIEW OF YOUR OWN TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
• Constructive alignment is inherently student-centred in that it
is what the student does that is responsible for their learning
• The teacher’s role is to create appropriate learning
environments that engage the student in learning activities
that enable them to meet the learning outcomes
• The expectation during design therefore is to consider ‘what
do they [the student] have to do to……………..’
• rather than ‘what do I [the teacher] have to do…’. Clearly, it is
important for you to reflect on what student-centred learning
means to you and your practice.
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
REVIEW KEY COMPONENTS OF A MODULE
• When designing modules, the main
components are considered to be the learning
aims, learning outcomes, learning objectives,
teaching and learning activities (TLAs), and
assessment tasks (ATs).
• These are described in detail below and their
interrelationship is indicated in the attached
figure [on slide 7]:
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
SUMMARY TO REVIEWING KEY COMPONENTS OF A MODULE
• Learning aims
- are statements of learning which tend to be generalised. They essentially
identifies the learning intentions i.e. what the teacher intends the student to
learn;
• Intended learning outcomes
- are statements that describe what the students ‘should’ have learnt having
completed the teaching and learning activities;
• Learning objectives
- are teacher-orientated and/or student-orientated statements that specify what
activities the students need to perform to achieve the associated learning
outcomes.
- They determine the teaching and learning activities (TLAs) used.
- When defining learning objectives it is essential to consider the existing
knowledge and experience of the typical student entering the module.
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
• Teaching and learning activities (TLAs)
- refer to teaching methods and techniques that are chosen to get
the students to do what the learning objectives (or outcomes)
nominate.
• Assessment tasks (AT)
- Formative assessment tasks refer to those student activities that
provide an indication (to student and teacher) as to how well the
student is developing and attract no formal marks or grades.
- Summative assessment tasks refer to those activities that reveal
how well students have met the intended learning outcomes.
- They are used to make official judgments about student
performance and attract formal marks.
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
The relationship between the learning aims, learning outcomes, learning
objectives, teaching and learning activities (TLAs), and assessment tasks (Ats)
Assessment Tasks
Formative Summative
Assessment
Criteria
Teaching and I ntended
Learning Activities Learning
Learning or
(TLAs) outcomes
Curriculum
Objectives
I nput Process Output
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
• The learning outcomes are informed by subject benchmark
statements, the institution and the School subject team.
• The learning outcomes, together with the pre-requisite expectations
of the incoming student, determine the list of learning objectives that
students are required to achieve in order to attain the outcomes.
• The objectives subsequently determine the teaching and learning
activities we apply to engage the student.
• During this process, there is a learning loop where various formative
assessments, together with associated feedback, are provided to give
some indication as to how the student is progressing.
• Finally, summative assessments are applied to ‘measure’ how well the
student has met the learning outcomes (according to some
assessment criteria or taxonomy).
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi
CONSTRUCTIVE ALLIGNMENT
APPLY FIVE BASIC STEPS OF OUTCOMES BASED MODULE DESIGN
• Apply the following five key steps to design your module:
• Define the intended learning outcomes
• Select appropriate TLAs and appropriate formative ATs
• Engage students in these learning activities during the teaching process
• Select appropriate summative ATs
• Compute final grade and provide feedback
2016/02/02 Instructor: Mr NT Matlasedi