Learning Objectives & SOLO taxonomy
This resource helps you getting started with your new course description, ensuring that all levels of taxonomy in your learning outcomes are covered.
Learning Objectives
Learning objectives have three functions:
- Describing what the students need to learn
- To provide a basis for assessment and grading
- To outline the teaching activities of the course
A learning objective describes a qualification the student must have gained after the course. Therefore, learning outcomes are most often described as "At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to ...".
A learning objective is described with a verb + noun: What the student is expected to be able to doverb with a particular topicnoun. For example, "At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to use anatomical nomenclature". You can observe if the student uses anatomical nomenclature (assessment) and do teaching activities through the course so that it is practiced (teaching activities).
Learning objectives at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Technical Sciences:
Learning objectives for the individual courses are described in the course description. In the guidelines for course descriptions at Nat-Tech about learning objectives, it is written that:
- The learning objectives for individual courses are in overall accordance with the qualification profile of the study program
- The learning objectives for individual courses are in accordance with the progression requirements made by the course's placement in the course of the study programme
- The types of methods used for teaching and examination are relevant to content, purpose, and the learning objectives, and there is a necessary alignment of the course
A learning objective usually consists of a verb and a noun:
- The verb describes the level at which the student must be able to demonstrate his/her knowledge, qualifications, and skills. At Nat-Tech, the SOLO taxonomy is used to describe the different levels
- The noun specifies the subject in which the student must demonstrate knowledge, qualifications, and skills.
SOLO Taxonomy
A taxonomy is a classification system – in this case a hierarchical structure of learning objectives.
Read more about the SOLO taxonomy here:
Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome
Within science programs, the SOLO taxonomy is most often used. Over the last 20 years, the Australian learning theorist J. Biggs has developed a taxonomy. Not like Bloom about teaching targets, but about students' understanding of a given subject or assignment. Its full name is Structure of Observed Learning Outcome. It is a system where the outcome of a learning process can be monitored.
Here is an overview of the SOLO taxonomy:
As shown in the table, the taxonomy is built over 5 steps in which all previous steps are a prerequisite for each new step. The reasoning behind this is that knowledge develops to higher and higher levels, where the lower levels form the basis of the higher levels. The first three steps reflect superficial learning where students' knowledge rests on simple and concrete issues and explanations and basic knowledge. In the last two steps, the student acquires independent knowledge, creates meaningful contexts, works at a high level of abstraction, and is able to apply his/her knowledge to general instances and not only to specific topics at hand.
SOLO level | Description | Representative verbs | Comparison with Bloom's taxonomy | |
1 | Pre-structural (no contribution) | (Use of irrelevant information or answers that do not make sense) | (not applied) | |
2 | Uni-structural
| The student can identify, rewrite, and apply simple procedures... ... but only masters only single parts, not context | reproduce identify define calculate collect data register | 1 Knowledge and... 2 Understanding: Basic insight into and understanding of core substance and calculation formulas 3. Application: Insight into the design of specific systems/design dimensioning, 4. Analysis, 5. Synthesis and 6. Rating Manage problem areas and data from the real life, analyse and evaluate possible solutions, function etc. |
3 | Multi-structural
| The student can list, describe, combine, and master more aspects ... ... but do not integrate them in their entirety | describe formulate combine verify process apply | |
4 | Relational
| The student can compare, explain reason, analyse, relate, apply, as well as master and integrate multiple aspects of the whole | compare synthesize modeling analyze deduce optimize plan | |
5 | Extended abstract
| The student can theorize, generalise, form hypotheses and perspectives, as well as move from the specific to the abstract | discuss generalise estimate formulate hypotheses theorise interpret assess predict | |
Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome, Verbs
In a learning objective, the verb describes at what level the student is expected to be able to reflect on a given topic. Below is a list of verbs that you can use when creating learning objectives.
It has to be possible to observe when the student meets the learning objective. Therefore, action verbs are used – you should avoid using verbs such as master, understand, and so forth.
The list based on an analysis by Claus Brabrand made in 2008 of the verbs used to describe learning objectives at the Faculty of Science, AU.
Verb, Danish | Verb, English | Verb, Danish | Verb, English |
(non-action verbs) | 1 Prestructural verbs (not applicable) | ||
beherske | master | dokumentere | document |
forstå | understand | deltage i | participate in |
indsigt i | have knowledge… | formidle | communicate |
tilegne | acquire | producere | produce |
observere | observe | skrive | write |
være i stand til | be able to… | præsentere | present |
2 Uni-structural | 3 Multi-structural | ||
angive | mention | beskrive | describe, list |
beregne | compute, calculate | bygge | build |
bestemme | determine | formulere | formulate |
definere | define | karakterisere | characterize |
gengive | quote, recite | kombinere | combine |
identificere | identify | løse | solve |
indsamle | collect | redegøre | explain |
kalibrere | calibrate | sammensætte | compose |
opstille | establish | udtrykke | express |
referere | refer | verificere | verify |
registrere | register | vise | show |
skitsere | outline | resumere | sum up |
udpege | point out | rapportere | report |
udvælge | select | bearbejde | work up |
måle | measure | bevise | prove |
optegne | sketch | simulere | simulate |
danne | form | anvende | apply |
redegøre for | state | foretage | carry out |
4 Relational | 5 Extended abstract | ||
analysere | analyze | afgrænse | delimit |
begrunde | argue | bedømme | judge |
forklare | explain | diskutere | discuss |
sammenligne | compare, relate | estimere | estimate |
eksemplificere | exemplify | evaluere | evaluate |
sammenfatte | summarize | fortolke | interpret |
tilpasse | adjust | forudsige | predict |
udforme | work out, elaborate | kritisere | criticize |
udlede | deduce | perspektivere | put into perspective |
optimere | optimize | skønne | estimate |
skelne | distinguish | vurdere | assess |
planlægge | plan | ekstrapolere | extrapolate |
konstruere | design | anbefale | recommend |
modellere | model | ||
strukturere | structure | ||
syntetisere | synthesize | ||
Course description
The course description contains a number of defining elements of the course. Here the focus is on the purpose of the course, the learning objectives of the course, and the form of the examination.
The aim is to provide a brief explanation aimed at the student about why he/she needs to study the subject and what it can be used for.
The learning outcomes describe what the student should be able to do when the course is completed.
The form of examination will need to fit the learning objectives and teaching activities.
Read more in Danish here.
Course descriptions with comments
Here you can find a number of course descriptions with comments in Danish. The focus is on purpose and learning objectives.