What Are the Important Ideas to Take Away from this Toolkit?

Learning outcomes are helpful for both authors and students.

• They help authors write with focus, creating the content that supports each outcome.
• They help readers know what is expected of them so they can read with focus and purpose.

The best outcomes are measurable.

• Measurable, demonstrable outcomes will begin with verbs that can help authors come up with ideas for questions, tasks, activities, or assessments.

The intention is more important than the terminology.

• Outcomes can go by many names. The important thing is for each outcome to clearly explain something the readers should know, or know how to do, by the time they complete the chapter.

It’s alright to be creative in the way outcomes are presented.

• Outcomes don’t have to be presented in a list.
• Authors can use tables or questions. They can place all the outcomes at the beginning of the chapter or place them under the heading for the content that supports them.

Whatever authors choose to call them, wherever authors place them, and however they look, clear, measurable outcomes support focused, clear writing, and help students succeed.