Branches From the Same Tree: A Scoping Review of Learning Outcomes Frameworks
The article presents a wonderful collection of learning outcome frameworks and taxonomies. The authors include many holistic approaches from Miller's "Whole Person" Model to the indigenous Medicine Wheel, incorporating learning realms from cognitive to spiritual. Specifically, they make note of which ones consider diverse ways of knowing.
Learning outcomes and assessment frameworks guide educators in curricular decision-making, impact assessment, gap identification, and equity evaluation, aligning with anticipated learning objectives. Common frameworks include Bloom’s taxonomy, Kirkpatrick's model, Fink’s taxonomy, and Moore’s Outcomes model. The authors identified a lack of focus on learners’ impact and social justice in these frameworks and developed the Evidence of Learning and Impact Framework to address these gaps. They conducted a scoping review, creating a crosswalk between existing frameworks and identifying additional gaps. Findings from the review and crosswalk are presented, discussing the challenges of incorporating frameworks from the Global South into a more rigid structure. The review synthesizes previous knowledge and highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and diverse ways of knowing.