Faculty Tips – Integrating Transferable Skills into Syllabus Learning Outcomes

Faculty are in a great position to link classroom learning to posts-graduation goals to help students see the value of their major coursework and common curriculum requirements. Writing, research, verbal communication, critical thinking, and data analysis are just a few examples of skills developed in the classroom that are highly sought by employers for a wide variety of positions.
Bloom’s Taxonomy[1] consists of various levels of observable actions that help describe and classify knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and abilities. Consider describing your course outcomes or objectives using an action verb that is most appropriate to the level of your course. For more information on the skills employers seek in your field of expertise, contact DU Career Services for assistance.
§  Categorize§  Structure§  Assess
§  Classify§  Order§  Restructure
§  Contribute§  Strategize§  Lead
§  Describe§  Link§  Plan
§  Demonstrate§  Clarify§  Restate
§  Discover§  Collect§  Synthesize
§  Discuss§  Prepare§  Debate
§  Estimate§  Calculate§  Transform
§  Express§  Persuade§  Negotiate
§  Infer§  Deduce§  Predict
§  Interpret§  Compare§  Adapt
§  Listen§  Comment§  Moderate
§  Locate§  Appraise§  Integrate
§  Observe§  Predict§  Hypothesize
§  Record§  Edit§  Mix/Remix
§  Relate§  Share§  Facilitate
§  Retell§  Explain§  Convince
§  Search§  Organize§  Integrate
§  Summarize§  Compare§  Analyze
§  Tabulate§  Calculate§  Extrapolate
§  Utilize§  Reformulate§  Create
§  Visualize

§  Illustrate

§  Design

Sample Syllabus Statements
“The learning objectives for this introductory course will develop critical thinking skills that employers seek. They include: (1) discovering the qualitative differences between primary and secondary historical sources; (2) observing different time periods of politics, economy, and culture, and (3) expressing the complexity of American history in regards to significant social topics and events.”
“This upper division course will progressively improve those collaboration and leadership skills valuable in the work place. Course outcomes: (1) contribute to an assigned team task; (2) strategize a task solution in a way that fosters positive team relationships; and (3) lead a group task that makes a contribution to team goals.”
[1] Churches, Andrew. (2009). Bloom’s digital taxonomy. Educational Origami4.