In PT education, a learning outcome is best described as what?

• A. A learning outcome describes what the learner should know or do after instruction.
• B. A performance indicator is the observable action used to measure attainment.
• C. Learning outcomes are unrelated to assessment.
• D. Performance indicators describe course content.

Answer: (A)

Learning outcomes are statements of what the learner should know or be able to do after instruction. They define the expected end results from the learner’s perspective and guide both what is taught and how learning is assessed. For example, an outcome might specify that a student should demonstrate safe transfer techniques with a patient who cannot bear weight. The way we verify that outcome is through assessment methods that observe specific actions—these are performance indicators, the concrete steps used to measure attainment. They help determine whether the learner has achieved the outcome, but they are not the target itself. Course content describes the topics to cover, not the end goal. So the best description is that a learning outcome states what the learner should know or do after instruction.