The most appropriate way to present learning outcomes is in the form of lists. When writing lists, bear in mind the following points.

• Write a clear heading and/or a short introductory phrase.
• Ensure that every item on the list is grammatically connected to the heading or the introductory phrase.
• Give every item on the list the same grammatical structure (see Parallelism). Different lists may have different grammatical structures.
• Be consistent with punctuation. If the phrase introducing the list is a complete sentence, close it with a colon and then give each item on the list sentence-style punctuation (initial capital letter and final full stop). If the phrase introducing the list is a sentence fragment, do not close it with a colon, lowercase the first letter of each item and finish each item with a comma or semicolon (except the last, which you should finish with a full stop).

Learning outcomes describe what students must be able to do after they have completed a course of study. As with learning objectives, lists of learning outcomes can be organized in more than one way. The lists below are both parallel. The first uses full sentences while the second begins each item in the list with a bare infinitive that connects back to a short introductory phrase.





Note also that outcomes are expressed in the present tense because they focus on an observable result.

For a list of useful verbs for expressing learning outcomes, see Appendix IV: Verbs expressing objectives and outcomes in course guides.