Instructors and educators must also recognize that adult learners bring with them life experience and knowledge from their personal and work-related environments. They have already learned much and this learning experience base needs to be recognized through such avenues as independent study and credit for prior learning. Recently, the Council of Regents, the governing body for the 25 colleges in Ontario, mandated that college curricula be outcomes-based. It will be incumbent upon all college programs to establish learning outcomes at both the program and course level. Learning outcomes will be expressed as statements of knowledge, skills, and attitudes students should possess upon graduation from a specific program.
Learning outcomes represent culminating demonstrations of learning and achievement.
They are not simply a listing of discrete skills, nor broad statements of knowledge and comprehension. They describe performances that demonstrate that significant learning has been measured and achieved by graduates. These initiatives taken by the provincial governing groups and the community colleges coincidentally match the growing concerns of adult learners and employers for a clearly-focused and organized learning experience for graduates. It is no longer sufficient to grant a diploma based on achievement unless graduates can demonstrate significant learning which is measureable. To assist faculty in meeting these challenges, teacher education programs are focusing on development and training programs designed to address these concerns.