1. When crafting SLOs, any knowledge and skills identified must be directly attributable to the curricular content (mapping). For example, you may consider report writing a desirable skill, but unless your coursework explicitly teaches that skill, you may assume it comes from General Education or you may discover this is an area you want to address in your courses. Examples:
| Weak | Better | Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Graduates in Geography will be able to write reports. | Graduates in Geography will be able to analyze a current issue in geography, evaluate evidence and write an argument for a particular solution or action. | GEOG 2330 GEOG 4391 |
2. SLOs must be observable and measurable. What students know and understand are not observable, but we can measure how well they demonstrate evidence of knowledge or understanding.
| Weak | Better | Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Graduates in Geography will understand geographic concepts. | Graduates in Geography will analyze patterns of human societies, accounting for the factors that determine how they move around the globe. | GEOG 1315 GEOG 3300 |
3. Make sure SLOs are about students and not about the department.
| Weak | Better | Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Software for the GIS program will be updated. | Graduates in Geography will be able to use GIS software to solve problems in error propagation analysis | GEOG 4330 |
4. Do not combine multiple outcomes in one statement.
| Weak | Better | Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Graduates in Geography will understand maps and tools and be able to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective. | Graduates in Geography will be able to use maps and tools to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective. | GEOG 3300 GEOG 3301 |