Firstly, yes you are still reading an education article, and have not ventured onto a building or renovation website. Constructive Alignment in the context of learning and teaching, is mapping and aligning assessments and tasks to the learning outcomes. It also includes developing a rationale for how the assessment/tasks test the achievement of each learning outcome, with details of the assessment and how the student is assessed.

This article follows on from previous article 'What’s in a Learning Outcome’ where we established an understanding and methods for writing Learning Outcomes for various learning experiences including non-accredited training and workshops. We explored how to balance generic and discipline outcomes within key learning areas Knowledge, Skills and Application of Knowledge and Skills (aligned to the AQF) - so if the concept of a Learning Outcome sounds new, I suggest jumping back to ‘What's in a Learning Outcome’ before proceeding with Constructive Alignment.

Again, I will be borrowing from proven higher education models and regulatory guidance & standards pertaining to education course design - but provided in plain english, and again applied to non-accredited learning experiences including workshops.

Loving the Process

What’s great about the constructive alignment process, is it exposes and challenges the integrity of the learning experience or workshop - that is, it will either confirm your thinking and overall approach to learning outcomes, or it can completely destabilise your work and have you going back to the drawing board. And if I again use the analogy of writing music (sorry, I do this a lot), constructive alignment within the overall learning design, is like a music score where every note has a purpose and function, and with a wrong note out of place, the integrity of the music piece suffers. Same here, constructive alignment will expose a dysfunctional learning outcome, or destabilise your assessment or tasks does if they don't align with your learning outcomes - ultimately, it is the constructive alignment process where you can make the adjustments to the learning outcomes or assessments/tasks prior to students attending your workshop and realising the issues then.

If the constructive alignment process is overlooked, it can be the reason why a workshop or even a full blown course doesn't feel right. From my experience, the first inkling of a unit having overlooked constructive alignment is a student or teacher questioning the function of a certain assessment/task. I have found it helpful to avoid leaving Constructive Alignment till the end of the workshop development. I suggest integrating it from the start - even if only kept in the back of the mind. As ideas for assessments or tasks start to take shape, we can continually cross check them with the learning outcomes, or vice versa, allowing the learning outcomes to be written based on the assessment or task ideas.

Constructive Alignment Model

Below is a Constructive Alignment Model, containing 4 key components: Course Learning Outcomes/attributes, Unit/Workshop Learning Outcomes, Assessment, and Rationale. The model is designed to demonstrate that there is a certain level of hierarchical flow from the Course Learning Outcomes, to the Unit Learning Outcomes onto the Assessment, with the Rationale providing support on how all items align and function - but most importantly, it attempts to demonstrates that you can come into the process at any point.

Let’s explore the development of a Songwriting Workshop, but let's go right from the start. Firstly, there is the decision to put on a Songwriting Workshop in the first place - this could come from anywhere, a friend's advice, inspiration from seeing or attending someone else's, or you simply woke up one day with the idea - but what could come next? You may then think about the content you could cover, whether you will focus more on song analysis, or jump straight into developing and creating songs, which will then lead to the level of learning that will be achieved (i.e. learning Outcomes). To shape this, you may start at the student attributes or course outcomes, and consider the qualities within the student you wish to create. Or you may start your development with a great idea for an assessment or task - either way, what has motivated you right at the start is the first step to mapping and developing the constructive alignment.

Constructive Alignment

Developing your constructive alignment can start by setting the assessment or task, then working towards developing the learning outcomes, or vice versa in developing Learning outcomes and creating assessments or task that align accordingly.

Fig. 2 below is a Songwriting workshop example, using the learning outcomes we created in the previous article What’s in a Learning Outcome. As it is only a single workshop, we can choose to avoid thinking of Course Learning Outcomes, but rather focus on Student Attributes. Fig.2 provides the key elements we are working with and the constructive alignment table aligning all items.

Completed Constructive Alignment

Key elements we are working with:

Learning Outcomes:

a. Demonstrate an understanding of song structures and styles

b. Identify harmonic development and voice leading in songs for the purpose of developing new material

c. Engage in self reflection and personal development for lifelong learning

d. Collaborate with others towards completing a creative project

e. Create an original song with skills developed in class

Assessment:

1. Critical Listening and Song analysis Task

2. Co-write a single song using skills and tasks in class with reflective report

Student Attributes

- Creativity

- Collaborative

- Critical Thinking & Analysis

- Self reflection

Constructive Alignment Table

OK, so how did we get there!?

The above is all good in seeing how constructive alignment works, but how can we develop it. The following steps is one of many approaches to be taken.

Step 1. Learning Outcomes

In this case, I started with a DRAFT set of learning outcomes, placing them into the constructive alignment table, see below Fig.3. Note at this stage the learning outcomes are slightly different to the completed set of outcomes in Fig.2 above.

The GOAL is to have each row to align with each aspect of the Constructive Alignment Table i.e. Student Attributes, Unit Learning Outcomes, Assessment.

Step 2. Assessment/Task Development and Alignment

Stepping through each learning outcome, I created assessments or tasks designed to test and evaluate the quality of each learning outcome.

As mentioned before, it is here that we can amend or change learning outcomes, going back and forth with assessment/task ideas until both are coherent and plausible approaches to learning.

Draft 1

Fig.4 below is Draft 1 of aligning the assessment/task - noting that Task 1 Critical Listening Exercises initially falls short of completely evaluating the learning outcomes (a) & (b) as they refer to song structures and harmonic development. It is here that we can change either the task or learning outcome, or even add an additional task to cover the required learning - but in this case, I am motivated to keep the spirit of both the learning outcomes and number of tasks, so slightly amend both to strengthen the alignment (see fig. 5 Draft 2).

Draft 2

Fig.5 Draft 2 below, firstly identifies the amended assessment tasks to better align to learning outcome (a) and (b), but have also amended Task 2, adding a reflective report component to primarily support learning outcome (c), but also strengthen the collaborative and creative learning of learning outcome (d) and (e)

Step 3 - Student Attributes

As noted before, we can start the whole constructive alignment processes with student attributes, by where we nominated the type of overarching attributes or student qualities we ant to instill, then moving to the learning outcomes and assessments But in this example, confirming the attributes last also supports a final check, bringing formal resolution to the Constructive Alignment.

Also remember, in this step we can still go back and forth making fine adjustments to the learning outcomes and assessment/tasks, ensuring coherence across all rows in the table.

Student Attributes should not be an afterthought. While we are confirming them in this step, we should always have a strong sense of the qualities we want to develop in our students throughout the development of the workshop - however if at this stage we want to have amend or have additional attribute/qualities, we only need to make necessary adjustments to the learning outcomes and assessment/Tasks. If such an action result in the constructive alignment needing an overhaul, always look on the positive side as either the workshop needing such a shake up in the constructive alignment (avoiding issues arising while in front of students) - or the possibility that you actually have a separate, new or different workshop worth developing as a separate learning experience.

Below are a bunch of regularly used attributes seen across various Australian higher education providers:

Collaboration
Creativity
Professionalism
Critical thinking
Analytical thinking
Globalisation (globalised thinking)
Emotional intelligence
Problem solving
Innovative thinking

Final Constructive Alignment Table

Fig. 6 below includes the student attributes/qualities that align to each learning outcome and assessment/task.

Step 4 Writing the Rationale

The rationale is a supportive statement or contextual overview, providing a breakdown of how the assessment appropriately assesses each learning outcome.

There is no word count to aim for here, but we do want a simple and coherent explanation for each assessment. Below is an example, and one proven approach to be taken if unsure where to start. I prefer to unpack each assessment/tasks, rather than write a single statement. It allows me to dissect and explain the thinking a little better.

Rationale

Assessment/Tasks:

Task 1. Critical Listening and Song Analysis Task

Task 2. Co-write a single song using skills and tasks in class with reflective report

Task 1. Critical Listening and Song Analysis Task

Description: choose a 3-5minute song (not of your own) and conduct a critical listening and song analysis exercise using knowledge and skills explored in the workshop. This includes focusing on

Critical Listening:

- five parameters of sound

- instruments

- Production including orchestration arrangement and mix

Song Analysis:

- song structure including harmonic analysis

- lyrical analysis

- Communication and performance

Delivery: Pdf documenting analysis and findings

How this assessment/task evaluates nominated learning outcomes:

a. Demonstrate an understanding of song structures and styles

Task 1 evaluates this learning outcome by requiring the student to critically analyse song structure vial a specific request to analysis song structure, lyrics and performance, with an additional focus on critical listening which utilises critical listening methods to support understanding style and production aesthetics

b. Identify harmonic development and voice leading in songs for the purpose of developing new material

Task 1 evaluates this learning outcome by requiring the student to critically analyse the song structure including harmonic analysis, with critical listening focusing on the orchestration and arrangement, supporting harmonic development in students own songwriting

Task 2. Co-write a single song using skills and tasks in class with reflective report

Description: working with another member of the group, write and produce one 3-4minute song, demonstrating the skills explored in this workshop. The song may be recorded as live performance, or produced in a DAW. Each student is required to submit their own reflective report utilising suggested reflective areas discussed in the workshop.

Delivery: Audio file (wave/mp3) with Pdf chart and reflective report.

How this assessment/task evaluates nominated learning outcomes:

c. Engage in self reflection and personal development for lifelong learning

Task 2 evaluates this learning outcome by requiring the student to deliver a reflective report with their co-written song. The reflective report utilises reflective skills discussed in class, initialising lifelong learning and practice of self reflection of projects and personal performance.

d. Collaborate with others towards completing a creative project

Task 2 evaluates this learning outcome by requiring the student to work with a fellow workshop member in co-writing and producing an original song. This task will enable student to practice their collaborative and professional skill sets discussed in class, ensuring the project is completed on time with appropriate use of each others creative ideas and skills

e. Create an original song with skills developed in class

Task 2 evaluates this learning outcome by requiring the student to work with a fellow workshop member in co-writing and producing an original song utilizing the knowledge and skills discussed in class, ensuring all learning is utilised towards this assessment/task

Thanks for reading!

I hope this article has been helpful in understanding Constructive Alignment and how it supports the development of a coherent and high quality learning experience or workshop.

River Road currently has FREE workshops running for constructive alignment, or free one on one consultations to support you develop your own learning experience or workshop with all these great idea in mind

Click Here to our Teacher Support page for more information on upcoming workshops and to book a free individual consultation see out River Road Teacher Support Page

Constructive Alignment. Constructive what now!?