Case study: Documenting student learning in outcomes-based education

Core activity 6.2 requires us to browse through some of the case studies from the Carnegie Foundation's Gallery of Teaching and Learning uses of the KEEP Toolkit. We need to find one or two examples where the claims made for benefits to learning are particularly convincing (or otherwise), prepare a brief comment on these cases and post to our group.

Case study: Documenting student learning in outcomes-based education 
The School of Information Technology and Communications Design, CSU Monterey Bay uses a series of Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs) as core requirements for graduation. MLOs are physical proof and example of knowledge gained on a course, and starting in Spring 2004, students used the KEEP Toolkit to produce an eportfolio page demonstrating the MLO evidence.

Goals:

• To encourage students to document and reflect upon their learning experience
• To make this knowledge explicit to themselves, their instructors, their family, and their prospective employers.
  

Key principles of practice:

• Promoting reflection on learning
• Allowed tutors to provide prompt feedback and guidance to deeper student reflection
• Developing a record of ones learning experience
• MLOs clearly communicate expectations and outcomes 
• Acknowledges the value of collaborative learning and sharing information freely
• Encourages students to demonstrate developing competencies over a period of time, allowing students to map progress
  

Would you recommend this case study for the presentation?
Includes links to 3 excellent eportfolios, and covers a range of practices, so I would recommend this one for the presentation.