Learning
Outcomes

Learning outcomes are statements that describe what a learner should be able to do at the end of a course or program. They are essentially the goals of the learning. In LINC, learning outcomes are connected to the successful completion of real-world tasks. They describe what a learner can do at the end of a learning task. Learning outcomes are demonstrable and measurable, and help guide the design, delivery and assessment of a learning task.

The descriptors at each level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are general language performance outcomes that describe what learners can do in English at various language levels. To determine specific learning outcomes, you need to look at these language outcomes in context and determine real-world tasks. These real-world tasks are central to the CLB. When instructors or assessors describe communicative language ability, they are describing a person’s ability to achieve a communicative language task for a specific context. To select tasks, start with a needs assessment of the learners in your class: this will help you determine a real-world task related to each need. These real-world tasks are the learning outcomes.

In the CLB, real-world tasks fall within one of four competencies for each of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). There are performance indicators for each competency at each CLB, and these can be used to build assessment tools to determine whether a learner has completed the real-world task successfully.

Learners can use a list of learning outcomes referenced to the CLB, such as the Can Do Statements, as a basis for self-assessment. Self-assessment provides valuable opportunities for learners to take greater responsibility for their own learning. It also allows them to reflect on their strengths and identify weaknesses that need to be addressed.