Active Verbs for Student Learning Outcome Articulation Verbs describing student acquisition and preparation of tools, materials, and texts of various types (including digital and archival) access, acquire, collect, accumulate, extract, gather, locate, obtain, retrieve Verbs indicating what students do to certify information, materials, texts, etc. Verbs indicating the modes of student characterization of the objects of knowledge or materials of production, performance, exhibit cite, document, record, categorize, classify, reference, source define, describe, determine, frame, identify, prioritize, specify Verbs further Verbs describing what Verbs falling under the describing the ways in students do in cognitive activities we which students format explaining a position, group under “analyze” data, information, creation, set of materials observations, or a text arrange, assemble, articulate, clarify, compare, contrast, collate, organize, sort explicate, illustrate, differentiate, interpret, outline, distinguish, formulate, translate, map, match, elaborate, elucidate equate Verbs describing what Verbs that describe Verbs that describe the students do when they what students do in various ways in which combine ideas, various forms of students utilize the materials, “making” materials of learning observations assimilate, consolidate, build, compose, apply, carry out, merge, connect, construct, craft, create, conduct, demonstrate, integrate, link, design, develop, employ, implement, synthesize, generate, perform, summarize model, shape, simulate produce, use Verbs that describe Verbs that indicate Verbs that reference forms of deliberative how students valuate the types of activity in which objects, experiences, communication in students engage texts, productions, etc. which we ask students to engage argue, challenge, audit, appraise, assess, report, edit, debate, defend, justify, evaluate, judge, rank encode/decode, resolve, dispute, pantomime (v), map, advocate, display, draw/ persuade diagram, collaborate, contribute, negotiate, feed back Verbs describing what students do in processing data and allied information calculate, determine, estimate, manipulate, measure, solve, test Verbs describing what students do when they “inquire” examine, experiment, explore, hypothesize, investigate, research, test Verbs that describe various executive functions students perform operate, administer, control, coordinate, engage, lead, maintain, manage, navigate, optimize, plan Verbs that describe what students do in rethinking or reconstructing accommodate, adapt, adjust, improve, modify, refine, reflect, review Adapted from Adelman, C. (2015). To imagine a verb: The language and syntax of learning outcomes statements. (Occasional Paper No. 24). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.