Focusing on output also imposes fewer inherent limits on education. A concerted effort to achieve more student learning recognizes that learning goes on after the class is over and the classroom is dark. There are no real limits to when, where, and how student learning can take place. Once a student learns how to learn, there is no end to the process. If we focus our attention more on student learning, we can apply higher standards in our courses and achieve better retention and graduation rates.
Teaching is atomistic while learning is holistic.
Such an emphasis compartmentalizes education. Each class is separate and distinct from every other class, often even those in the same discipline. Teaching then is limited to a set of specific skill in a specific class, missing opportunities to integrate knowledge across other courses and disciplines. We should offer a course in writing. By focusing on teaching, we give students the impression that knowledge and learning occur only at specific times and places.