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Use learning outcomes to assess student learning


The achievement scale

You can use an achievement scale to assess the learning outcomes aligned with course materials and activities. This achievement scale is decided on an institutional level. McGill courses have two achievement options: Achieved and In Progress.

The achievement scale appears when you assess student work (e.g., quiz questions, discussion topics) associated with one or more learning outcomes. Here is an example of the achievement scale as it appears in the Portfolio tool:

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Map achievement levels to rubric levels

You can use the Rubric tool to manually map achievement levels to rubric levels. For example, if a rubric criterion has five levels (e.g., 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%), levels above 60% may be considered Achieved while others below would remain In Progress. To manually map achievement levels:

  1. Scroll down and select the Options menu under a new or existing rubric. There are two possible selections under the Learning Outcomes heading:

These options will affect how assessed rubric criteria map on the achievement scale. Specifically, whether learning outcomes are Achieved or In Progress.

  • Automatically map achievement levels to percentage scores to assess any rubric level above 80% as Achieved and anything lower as In Progress.

  • Choose Manually map achievement levels to rubric levels to create a higher or lower standard. For example, students must receive 100% on that rubric criterion before a learning outcome is Achieved.

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Assess assignments with learning outcomes

To add learning outcomes to assignments go to Create assignments in myCourses.

Students can see a read-only list of aligned learning outcomes on the Assignments submission page.

You can assess an assignment using learning outcomes once the student has submitted. Navigate to the evaluation page for an individual submission and then select Outcomes to expand the collapsible menu of learning outcomes (between the rubric and written feedback sections). Manually select whether a student has completed a learning outcome or not.

If you attach a rubric with aligned learning outcomes to an assignment, those outcomes will also be visible under the Outcomes collapsible menu. As you assess an assignment with the attached rubric, these outcomes will display suggested achievement levels (Achieved or In Progress), depending on how achievement levels were mapped to percentage scores or rubric levels (see above).

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Assess discussion topics with learning outcomes

You must designate a points-based assessment or associate a grade item or rubric with a discussion topic in order to have the following assessment options available. These settings are in the Assessment tab when you create or edit a discussion topic.

On the Discussions topic page, students can see a read-only list of outcomes that you align with the topic. To assess a topic:

  1. Select a student thread/replies and then click Assess Student to navigate to the assessment screen.

  2. Under the Outcomes section of the resulting pop-up, select the appropriate level of achievement for the student for each learning outcome.

If you attach a rubric with aligned learning outcomes to a discussion topic, those outcomes will also be visible under the Outcomes section. As you assess a topic with the attached rubric, these outcomes will display suggested achievement levels (Achieved or In Progress), depending on how achievement levels were mapped to percentage scores or rubric levels (see above).

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Assess quiz questions with learning outcomes

You can manually assess achievement levels when you grade a quiz submission:

  1. Go to the Grade Quiz page to view the quiz details of individual submissions. Scroll down to the Outcomes heading to manually adjust achievement levels.

You must configure the quiz to allow for automatic grading of attempts upon completion in order for automated achievement levels to appear in quiz submission. Set this option in the Assessments tab when you create or edit a quiz.

If you use the automated option, the threshold for the Achieved level is 80%. For example, students must obtain 80% on questions associated with a specific learning outcome to reach this level.

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Assess portfolio evidence with learning outcomes

You can align learning outcomes to student evidence in their portfolio:

  1. In the Portfolio tool, select a student name and then a piece of approved evidence.

  2. Click Add Outcomes and select specific learning outcomes that best suit each piece of student evidence. These outcomes appear in the sidebar and are ready to be assessed.

After you have aligned the learning outcomes with a piece of portfolio evidence, select the appropriate level of achievement.

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Visualize and publish class achievement with mastery view

You can visualize the overall level of achievement for each outcome and each student in the course based upon the selected calculation method.

  1. In your course, click on Grades.

  2. In the View Achievements By: section, select Mastery view.

  3. Click on Publish All to release results to students or individually double-click on each student’s name and publish achievements one by one.

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While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.

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