Program Learning Objectives (PLOs)

At the heart of program assessment are program learning objectives or “P-L-Os”. This includes the knowledge, skills, values, and habits of mind that you want your students to be able to demonstrate upon completion of your program.

PLOs can address a range of types of knowledge and skills, including cognitive (knowledge or mental skills), psychomotor (physical/motor and kinesthetic skills), affective (feelings and attitudes), and interpersonal/social (interpersonal and social abilities). They are not about other important aspects of programs like access to tutors, participation opportunities like study abroad, student-faculty ratios, or job placement metrics.

Most undergraduate and graduate degree programs have 4 to 6 PLOs, while certificate programs tend to have 3 to 4 PLOs. Some programs focus on overarching categories while others include nested competencies within overarching categories to narrowly define student expectations. In both cases, clearly and specifically wording the statement of each intended objective makes it easier to measure the actual outcome.

The development or revision of PLOs should involve students. Including students in these conversations allows for the development of PLOs that reflect the values of faculty and students and supports the reduction of equity gaps in assessment.

Characteristics of good PLOs

Well-written PLOs have five essential characteristics: strong, specific, measurable, attainable, and discipline specific.

 

    • STRONG PLOs are short, simple, and declarative. Avoid using multiple clauses or confusing phrasing.
    • SPECIFIC PLOs address a single objective or tightly related objectives that can be credibly measured together.
    • MEASURABLE PLOs incorporate a verb that produces an observable product.
    • ATTAINABLE PLOs are developmentally appropriate and attainable within the students’ academic career.
    • DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC PLOs reflect the field or domain of the program.

How to generate PLOs

Good PLOs that are attainable and discipline-specific need to be grounded in the aspirations your program has for your students. There are multiple strategies for developing PLOs. Here are some common approaches based on the degree-level of the program.

Undergraduate Degree and Certificate Programs

There are multiple strategies for developing program-level learning objectives for undergraduate programs. Here are some common approaches:

    • Examine learning objectives in a capstone or major courses (200-level for Associate programs and 400-level for Bachelor’s programs)
    • List the knowledge and skills needed for major course projects
    • Review the PLOs for similar programs at other campuses or universities
    • Survey alumni or employers about what is expected of graduates of your program
    • Check your disciplinary organizations – some publish lists of program-level learning objectives

Within Nuventive, PLOs are sorted into 11 categories. You may also find inspiration by selecting categories and working backwards.

Application Communication Create Critical Thinking
Cultural Competence Ethics Knowledge Professional
Research Teamwork Other  

Graduate Degree Programs

PLOs for graduate degree programs must align with the goals developed by The Graduate Council. The five goals are listed below and more information can be found at the Graduate School’s Scholarly and Professional Goals website.

    1. KNOW: Demonstrate appropriate breadth and depth of disciplinary knowledge, and comprehension of the major issues of their discipline;
    2. APPLY/ CREATE: Use disciplinary methods and techniques to apply knowledge, and—if appropriate to the degree—create new knowledge or achieve advanced creative accomplishment;
    3. COMMUNICATE: Communicate the major issues of their discipline effectively;
    4. THINK: Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking within their discipline, and, where appropriate, across disciplines;
    5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Know and conduct themselves in accordance with the highest ethical standards, values, and, where these are defined, the best practices of their discipline.

How to organize PLOs

Most programs organize their PLOs in one of two approaches: overarching objectives or nested competencies.

Overarching Objectives articulate a PLO statement that describes mastery-level practice.

Example from an American Studies program:

Students will be able to interpret texts from America’s past by isolating symbols and myths that were culturally meaningful to the people at the time.

Nested competencies articulate sub-objectives under each major PLO. Sub-objectives specify essential practices or competencies that can be nested within or underneath the major PLO.

Example for a Human Development and Family Studies program:

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to evaluate and apply theory and research to practice and policy.
          – Students will be able to integrate and apply the findings of empirical research within a theoretical framework to human development
          – Students will be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses of various research methods in assessing human behavior

Whether your program chooses overarching objectives or nested competencies, it is important to remember that the program will be responsible for assessing what it has described. Evaluation of a written assignment is not a sufficient method on its own for assessing a PLO that includes written and oral communication in its description.

How to word PLOs

Good PLO statements that are strong, specific, and measurable are founded on carefully chosen words. There are many different strategies for writing PLOs, but they should always use student-centered language. They should also incorporate a verb that produces an observable product or action that can be measured. For example:

X mark

Low-quality PLO

Understand psychological theories.

Check mark

High-quality PLO

Students will be able to evaluate psychological theories.

Strategies for wording PLO statements

    • Fill-in-the-Blank Method
      Start with the phrase “Upon completion, students will be able to [verb] [context for action]” and fill in the blanks. For example, “Upon completion, students will be able to evaluate psychological theories for application in a clinical setting.”
    • Start with the Verb Method
      Review a learning taxonomy to generate specific, measurable verbs then craft your PLO statement around them. To get started, a few example taxonomies include Bloom’s, SOLO, and Fink’s.

    • SMART Method

S – Specific: use of clear verbs and who, what, and where.
M – Measurable: how will you know that students have achieved the expected outcome?
A – Achievable: realistic to accomplish given the expectations for your students and program.
R – Relevant: relates directly to your program goals.
T – Time-bound: timeline for goal achievement. For example, “Upon completion,  . . . “.

Examples of well-crafted PLOs

Graduates in Biology will be able to…

    1. Apply information from core subjects in the biological sciences, including cell biology, genetics, and evolution.
    2. Effectively communicate scientific ideas in both written and oral formats.
    3. Demonstrate the scientific method through hypothesis testing, experimental design and implementation, evidence analysis, and findings presentation.
    4. Demonstrate effective and legitimate utilization of diverse information sources required in a functional global, information society.
    5. Critically analyze primary scientific literature.
    6. Safely perform a set of basic laboratory skills.

Graduates in English will be able to…

    1. Write a literary or expository text in the standard conventions of English with a nuanced use of language for a professional audience.
    2. Create texts for a lay audiences with appropriate context and support.
    3. Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of major texts and traditions of language and literature written in English as well as their social, cultural, theoretical, and historical contexts.
    4. Interpret texts written in English with appropriate evidence, support, and evaluation.
    5. Assess the effectiveness and limitations of texts with suggestions for improvement.

Examples of poorly worded PLOs

An unmeasurable PLO statement

Words such as “understand,” “know,” “learn,” and “appreciate” are too vague to be measurable and do not make good PLOs. How do you know students understand? Because they can solve equations? Because they can compare and contrast theories? Because they can describe a process? Verb specificity clarifies the knowledge and skills expected of students who graduate from your program and makes assessment easier.

X mark

Unmeasurable

Understand psychological theories.

Check mark

Measurable

Students will be able to evaluate psychological theories.

A PLO statement without context

Good PLOs include a disciplinary context. Types of communication differ by discipline. A biologist may need to be able to describe a laboratory experiment clearly. An English major may need to be able to use language creatively to communicate an idea or emotion.

X mark

Poor context

Students will be able to communicate orally and in writing.

Check mark

Good context

Students will be able to present scientific data orally, textually, and visually.

An off-topic PLO statement

Good PLOs focus on what the graduates of the program will know or be able to do, rather than what services or opportunities the program provides. 

X mark

Off topic

Students will be provided research opportunities.

Check mark

On topic

Students will be able to analyze and interpret quantitative psychological data.

How to enter PLOs in Nuventive

Undergraduate and Certificate Programs

Step 1: Log into Nuventive using your Penn State Access ID and password.

Step 2: Select the program you want to edit from the drop-down menu that appears when you click on the white bar at the top of the page (e.g., Program – Accounting (BS) – Harrisburg).

Step 3: Click the left-hand menu (three-line icon to the left of the program drop-down) and navigate to ASSESSMENT >> Plan and Findings.

Step 4: Add new PLOs by clicking the green plus sign icon at the upper right.

Step 5: Edit existing PLOs by double-clicking anywhere on the PLO card to open it.

*OPAIR does not recommend editing or deleting PLOs from Nuventive without first consulting your Assessment Liaison. Deleting PLOs will also delete any information tied to those PLOs (e.g., previous assessment findings).

For additional details, including screenshots, refer to the Nuventive User Manual for Assessment Leaders.

Graduate Programs

Graduate degree programs must submit PLOs and revisions to the Graduate Council’s Joint Curricular Committee for review and approval. Do not add, edit, or delete any graduate degree PLOs in Nuventive.