What do we refer to when discussing clearly defined expectations in student learning?

When discussing clearly defined expectations in student learning, the term that refers to these expectations is outcomes. Outcomes are specific statements that describe what students should know or be able to do by the end of a learning experience. They provide a clear target for both educators and students, guiding the teaching and assessment process.

Outcomes are crucial in educational settings because they help ensure that instruction is aligned with the desired learning results, allowing for effective measurement of student progress and understanding. They foster accountability and help establish a shared understanding among educators, students, and stakeholders about what constitutes successful learning.

While standards, criteria, and goals are related concepts, they do not specifically encompass the idea of defined expectations in the same way that outcomes do. Standards typically refer to broader educational benchmarks that guide curricula, criteria usually pertain to the specific measures used to evaluate performance, and goals can be more general aspirations without the specificity that outcomes provide.