Learning Outcome Frameworks can come in many different shapes and sizes. There isn't one set formula. Take LSU, for instance. They have a framework that fits on page, offering a nice snap shot of the areas of learning to which they contribute within the Division of Student Life & Enrollment.
To create their framework, the chair of the assessment committee at LSU contacted their Campus Labs assessment consultant for advice. They had a short time frame (a few months) so they knew they needed to act quickly. The committee first had to determine whether to use an existing framework or come up with their own. After reviewing a set of member campus framework examples provided by Campus Labs, they decided to use the CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education) Learning Outcome Framework (second version of FALDOs which are aligned with Learning Reconsidered 2) as a starting point, and adjust as necessary for the unique needs of the campus.
The committee met to review the division’s guiding documents, such as the mission, vision, and 6 institutional principles. These were used to inform the development of the suggested framework. In many instances, they used the same concepts present in the CAS framework but adjusted the language to match the campus culture. The campus then presented the framework to leadership and posed to them a set of suggestions and questions offered by Campus Labs. Once feedback was incorporated, the final draft of the framework was presented in a visual format with the learning outcome domains as “pillars” and the 6 campus principles as flags/banners that hung between each pillar.
Some of the promising practices we can take from LSU are:
- their ability to articulate the framework in a short time frame;
- the visual format they used to represent it, and;
- the process they went through to validate the framework with leadership.
