Information Literacy Toolkit: Resource for Teaching Faculty

Learning Outcomes are statements defining what a learner will be able to demonstrate, represent, or produce over time (Maki, 2004). They rely on action verbs, frequently using Bloom's taxonomy, to produce measurable statements. A learning outcome should be a single sentence that is simple and easy to understand. Workshops, courses, or programs can have multiple outcomes. Learning outcomes build on one another throughout an education landscape: session-level outcomes contribute to course or program level outcomes, which in turn contribute to the achievement of institutional level outcomes. Developing a comprehensive and holistic set of learning outcomes is an important part of defining an educational mission. 

There are three types of learning outcomes: cognitive, behavioral, or affective. 

• Cognitive outcomes address the knowledge that will be gained. What will the learner know at the end of the session, course, or program? What will they be able to synthesize, evaluate, or define?
• Behavioral outcomes focus on the acquisition of skills. What should a learner be able to do at the end of a learning experience? What tasks should they be able to accomplish? 
• Affective outcomes focus on concepts that are less discrete, such as a learner's ability to appreciate, understand, or imagine. These outcomes are difficult to measure but may be appropriate for certain settings, such as a philosophical or creative experience. 

The UMD Libraries' Learning Outcomes are mapped to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. We encourage UMD teaching faculty to incorporate information literacy into the learning outcomes for their programs, courses, lessons, and assignments. You may use these learning outcomes, or create your own using the resources on this guide. 

• Authority is Constructed and Contextual. Learners will be able to differentiate between types of authority, such as subject expertise, societal position, or special experiences. Learners will identify which type of authority is best suited to their individual information needs. Learners will be able to determine if a source is authoritative in the context of their subject discipline or research topic.
• Information Creation as Process. Learners will be able to differentiate between information formats by examining elements such as writing style, editing and review processes, and presentation of information. Learners will recognize these elements as indicators of quality. Learners will identify which type of format is best suited to their individual information needs.
• Information has Value. Learners will be able to recognize the inherent societal, intellectual, and legal values of an information source. As creators of information, learners will apply the attribution process appropriate for their specific discipline and information needs.
• Research as Inquiry. Learners will articulate a research question through an increasingly sophisticated process including posing and refining simple questions, engaging in debates and dialogues, and seeking diverse perspectives within their discipline. Learners will determine a scope of investigation appropriate for their specific discipline and research question.
• Scholarship as Conversation. Learners will be able to recognize and engage with sources of evidence, methods, and modes of discourse within their discipline. Learners will contribute to the scholarly conversation within their discipline at the appropriate level.
• Searching as Strategic Exploration. Learners will be able to recognize that research is an iterative process that includes defining an information need, initiating and refining a search strategy, and seeking alternative points of view on a topic. Learners will employ increasingly sophisticated and varied search strategies and will recognize how their own perspective influences their search process.