The 8 Learning Outcomes

                                                                               8 Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are differentiated from assessment objectives because they are not rated on a scale.The completion decision for the school in relation to each student is, simply, “Have these outcomes been achieved?”

As a result of their CAS experience as a whole, including their reflections, there should be evidence that students have:

• increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth

 -They are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, some more developedthan others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward.

• undertaken new challenges

 -A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one.

•Planning and initiated activities

- will often be in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that arepart of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student‑led activities.

• worked collaboratively with others

-Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a band,or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project, involving collaboration and the integration of atleast two of creativity, action and service, is required.

• shown perseverance and commitment in their activities

-At a minimum, this implies attending regularly and accepting a share of the responsibility for dealingwith problems that arise in the course of activities.

• engaged with issues of global importance

 -Students may be involved in international projects but there are many global issues that can be actedupon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly).

• considered the ethical implications of their actions

 -Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field, in musicalcomposition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking aboutethical issues can be shown in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with CASadvisers.

• developed new skills

-As with new challenges, new skills may be shown in activities that the student has not previously undertaken, or in increased expertise in an established area.

All eight outcomes must be present for a student to complete the CAS requirement. Some may bedemonstrated many times, in a variety of activities, but completion requires only that there is some evidencefor every outcome.

This focus on learning outcomes emphasizes that it is the quality of a CAS activity (its contribution tothe student’s development) that is of most importance. The guideline for the minimum amount of CASactivity is approximately the equivalent of half a day per school week (three to four hours per week), orapproximately 150 hours in total, with a reasonable balance between creativity, action and service. “Hourcounting”, however, is not encouraged.