Writing Learning Outcomes

A Guide for Academics at University of Dublin,

Trinity College.

Originally prepared by Ann Lahiff, Institute of Education, University

of London, 2006

Updated by Ciara OFarrell, University of Dublin, Trinity College

2009

Forward

1. INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING OUTCOMES............................................5

1.1. What is a Learning Outcome?................................................................5
1.2 Why Use Learning Outcomes?................................................................5
1.3 Are You Already Working with Learning Outcomes?...............................8
2. AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES..........................................................10
2.1 Aims........................................................................................................10
2.2 Learning Outcomes................................................................................12
2.3 Turning Programme Aims into Module Learning Outcomes..................14
3. WRITING LEARNING OUTCOMES............................................................16
3. 1 Summarising Essential Areas of Learning............................................18
3.2 Writing in the Future Tense....................................................................19
3.3 Expressing Outcomes Clearly and Explicitly.........................................19
3.4 Limiting the Number of Outcomes.........................................................20
3.5 Using Verbs to Indicate Domains of Learning.......................................20
3.6 Specifying Levels of Learning................................................................27
4. STRATEGIES FOR WRITING OUTCOMES: A CASE STUDY OF
CURRICULUM REFORM................................................................................33
Activity 1: learning outcomes checklist............................................................35
Activity 2: developing learning outcomes........................................................36
REFERENCES................................................................................................38

Forward

Learning outcomes exemplify a particular methodological approach to the

expression and description of curriculum. Framing this approach is the
Bologna agreement (1999) and the subsequent work of the Bologna process
whereby all third level institutions across the European Union have been
asked to write their programmes and modules in terms of learning outcomes.

A learning outcome is a student-centred statement of what you want your

students to know, understand or be able to do as a result of a completed
process of learning. Learning outcomes are generally seen to contribute
positively to teaching, learning and assessment at institutional level. At
national level, quality assurance should benefit, and at international level
learning outcomes can increase transparency, mobility and comparability.

This guide has been prepared to provide an introduction to learning outcomes

and to help you write learning outcomes for your programmes, courses and
modules. It is divided into four main sections:

Section one introduces learning outcomes, explains what they are and why
we use them. Section two addresses the differences between aims and
learning outcomes. Section three concentrates on how to write learning
outcomes, while section four comprises a brief case study that offers some
practical strategies for constructing curriculum-wide learning outcomes.

For further support and resources on learning outcomes, please visit the
Trinity College Bologna Desk at http://www.tcd.ie/vp-cao/bd/vpindexbd.php

Ciara OFarrell

Centre for Academic Practice and Student Learning

Trinity College Dublin

April 2009

1. INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.1. What is a Learning Outcome?

A learning outcome is student-centred statement of what you want your
students to know, understand or be able to do as a result of completing a
process of learning. They thus seek to describe the students learning
progress in terms of the knowledge acquired, the comprehension of that
knowledge, the capacity to apply it, and the capacity to analyse, synthesise
and evaluate (John Scattergood, 2006). A process of learning could range
from a one-hour classsuch as a lecture, tutorial or laboratory demonstration
to an undergraduate or postgraduate programme. So when it comes to
learning outcomes, you can think big or small.

1.2 Why Use Learning Outcomes?

There is debate in the literature about whether it is effective and appropriate
to express educational intentions in terms of learning outcomes. This debate
is considered in Curriculum Debates in Higher Education: Section 5 a
document that provides an overview of the pedagogic issues underpinning
approaches to curriculum design and development.

However, wider contextual issues, for example European developments such

as Bologna also frame discussions in relation to the expression of curricula in
Higher Education. Learning Outcomes are acknowledged as one the basic
building blocks of European higher education reform. They exemplify a
particular methodological approach for the expression and description of the
5

curriculum (modules, units and qualifications) and level, cycle and

qualifications descriptors associated with the new style Bologna qualifications
frameworks (Adam, 2008).

The Bologna process specifies that by 2010 all programmes throughout the
European Union will be written in terms of learning outcomes. For an
introduction to the Bologna Process, see The Bologna Framework.

We would also recommend Declan Kennedys introduction to learning

outcomes, a guide written to assist university teachers and administrators in
applying learning outcomes to the courses and programmes they devise.
Writing and Using Learning Outcomes a Practical Guide, is available from
The Bologna Desk.

Even critics of outcomes-based approaches to curriculum design and

development in higher education agree that:
A set of stated learning outcomes can be less understood as a
blueprint for their faithful reproduction and more as a guide to a set of
educational hopes and efforts (emphasis added, Barnett & Coate 2005
p. 46)

Adams (2008) argues that Learning outcomes make a contribution to three

main levels and dimensions of education.
0
(i) At the institutional level they have curriculum implications for
teaching, learning and assessment. Here learning outcomes can be used to
express learning at the level of the unit or module. In so doing they clarify for
the learner what is expected of him or her as well as the skills/competences,
6

understanding and abilities that they will acquire on successful completion of

their study. For the teacher, learning outcomes clarify what exactly the module
will deliver and unite this with the appropriate mode of delivery and
assessment. The dynamic process of marrying outcome and learning with
assessment is not simple but does lead to improved courses. The qualification
itself can also be described in broader learning outcomes that link to external
reference points leading to better design. This results in qualifications that are
fit for their now clearly stated purposes.
1
(ii) At the national level learning outcomes play a wider role permeating
the ways in which the national qualifications framework is described and the
tools used to describe it. Quality assurance is improved, as explicit guides to
standards can emerge based on level descriptors, qualification descriptors
and subject benchmark statements. These descriptors and statements
themselves take the form of learning outcomes statements that show what a
student will achieve at a particular level of study in a type of qualification, or in
a specific discipline.
2
(iii) At the international level learning outcomes play a subtly different
role than at the local and national levels. They will by definition be much
broader and less precise than any national descriptors. For example, the
European Higher Education Area has adopted the broad generic Dublin
descriptors as the cycle descriptors for its Bologna overarching qualifications
framework. These cycle descriptors provide a context to help national
authorities develop their own more detailed level descriptors. Provided
common approaches are used by different states within their own national
systems, learning outcomes open up the possibility of real transparency,
mobility and fair recognition on a scale impossible in the past. At the
international level they aid transparency, recognition and comparability by
providing common overarching reference points
In the current College context, John Scattergood (2006) has identified three
reasons why it is important to have learning outcomes:
a) They articulate (to the educational institutions, employers, and
society in general) what qualifications mean in non-subject specific
terms.
b) They enable unconventional educational routes (for example, via
distance learning, e-learning, work-based learning, part-time study)
to be related to more normative routes.
c) They enable learning outside the normal frames to be
accommodated (p. 2).
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Scattergood also notes (Scattergood, 2008) that the HEA is now requesting
that third-level institutions, in furtherance of the implementation of the National
Framework of Qualifications, establish a set of written learning outcomes not
just at a generic level, but for all programmes, courses, modules and units
[p.3]. Scattergood observes that as this has been made this a condition of
future funding, It is essential, therefore, that Trinity College should not only
comply with the HEA request for the establishment of written learning
outcomes at programme, course, module and unit level, but that it should
seriously engage with the learning-outcomes based approach to third-level
education because learning outcomes are part of a broader agenda which is
radical in its intentions. [p.4]

1.3 Are You Already Working with Learning Outcomes?

You might already be working with learning outcomes, or principles consistent
with an outcomes-based approach. You might be using this approach at the
level of course or programme design or in your weekly classes. Regardless of
the context in which you might be using them, its always worthwhile
considering whether your learning outcomes are an accurate expression of
what you want your students to learn. Here are three suggestions to prompt
reflection.

Suggestion 1

Refresh your understanding of principles underpinning the use of learning

outcomes by reading Section 2: Preparing to Use Learning Outcomes
Suggestion 2
Do your learning outcomes genuinely reflect what you want your students to
learn? Our checklist will help you answer this question.

Suggestion 3
Reflect on your learning outcomes with the wider College context in mind.
Generally a review of the curriculum should consider content; learning
outcomes; teaching methods; and assessment methods.

Both subject-specific and generic learning outcomes are also necessary, so it

is worth asking the following three key questions:

Does each subject in each year have clearly stated learning outcomes for
students?

Why were these learning outcomes considered by the department to be

the most important?

Are there any additional learning outcomes (for example, generic skills)
that could be added across the curriculum? (emphasis added)

You might also ask yourself:

Do your subject learning outcomes emerge from a consideration of what

you want your students to learn while in your department?

Do your subject learning outcomes capture different amounts of learning,

at different levels in your department?

You could use these questions for individual reflection or to brainstorm with
colleagues when reviewing current learning outcomes.

2. AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is important to distinguish between programme, module or class aims, on
the one hand, and learning outcomes on the other. Although aims and
learning outcomes are often linked in discussions of and activities related to
curriculum design and development, they do serve different functions. Aims
can inform the development of learning outcomes, and the two should be
aligned and consistent.

2.1 Aims
Jackson, Wisdom and Shaw (2003) explain that aims are broad purposes or
goals. Aims can be expressed at the degree or programme level or at the
course, module or classroom level. At the programme or degree level, they
are generally aspirational and likely to address broad graduate attributes; at
the level of courses, blocks of study or modules, they are more specific.
Irrespective of the level at which they are used, aims are broad statements of
what you as a teacher or teaching team intend to achieve with your students.

Aims can link a specific course of study (programme, module or class) to

wider conceptions of the purpose of study at a particular level.
Examples of different kinds of aims are given below.
Examples
The overall aim of a European business studies degree might be:
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to provide a specialist programme for students wishing to undertake a

business career within or involving Europe.

A course in media production studies might aim:

to provide students with a package of practical studies that spans the
main commercial media (TV, film, photography, print and radio) while
additionally allowing them to specialise in one or more specific medium
and specific types of skill (for example, editing in video).

A module in health care studies might include in its aims

to provide a critical overview of the organisation and work of the
healthcare system and to generate an awareness of the research that
has been conducted into selected areas of the practice of health care.

(Examples adapted from the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning
Development First Words series: 3.2 Writing Aims and Learning Outcomes .)

2.2 Learning Outcomes

Compared to aims, learning outcomes are more concrete and specific
statements of what students are expected to do, think or feel (value) as a
result of an identified process of learning and teaching. Learning outcomes
11

can be both subject-specific and generic. Depending on the learning and

teaching process to which they apply, they cover the categories shown in
Table 1 below.

For further information on the differences between aims, learning objectives

and learning outcomes, see Declan Kennedy, Writing and Using Learning
Outcomes: A Practical Guide.

Table 1: Categories of learning outcomes (Taken from Bingham 1999 )

Category
Course or discipline

Subcategory
Factual course

Examples
Terminology, concepts,

outcomes

knowledge and

principles, theories,

comprehension

facts, procedures

Professional knowledge;

Knowledge of people

professional skills and

and situations which has

abilities

been acquired from

experience, for example
projects, case studies,
work experience of
relevance to the
professional/vocational

Generic outcomes

Personal qualities

area (if relevant)

Motivation, initiative,
imagination, creativity,

Cognitive skills

industry, autonomy
Analysis, fault-finding,
12

Key generic abilities or

self-reflection
Critical thinking,

graduate attributes

teamwork,
communication,
numeracy, problemsolving, information
literacy

An example of a set of learning outcomes is provided below from the Trinity

College BAI Engineering programme. These are programme outcomes, and
as such are broad statements of what a learner is expected to know,
understand, and be able to demonstrate after successful completion of the
academic programme. The first three of these programme outcomes refer to
the disciplinary subject matter while the latter three refer to more generic
skills.

Upon successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to

demonstrate:

a) The ability to derive and apply solutions from a knowledge of sciences,

engineering sciences, technology and mathematics;
b) The ability to identify, formulate, analyse and solve engineering
problems;
13

c) The ability to design a system, component or process to meet specified

needs, to design and conduct experiments and to analyse and interpret
data;
d) An understanding of the need for high ethical standards in the practice
of engineering, including the responsibilities of the engineering
profession towards people and the environment;
e) The ability to work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multidisciplinary settings together with the capacity to undertake lifelong
learning;
f) The ability to communicate effectively with the engineering community
and with society at large.

2.3 Turning Programme Aims into Module Learning Outcomes

Jackson, Wisdom and Shaw (2003) provide the following example of turning
programme aims into content and then into learning outcomes. The teachers
in this example are academic developers and the module is Course Design in
Higher Education. Although this example might give you some ideas for your
own situation, it is not necessarily offered as a model. It should be noted that
Jackson, Wisdom and Shaw are working within a curriculum structure that
begins with the identification of overall programme aims, which might not
apply to you.

Interestingly, as part of this process, Jackson, Wisdom and Shaw also

anticipate learning outcomes for themselvesthe development of the
knowledge, understanding and resources to teaching these subjects in these

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contexts (p. 6). This is an often overlooked aspect of curriculum design and
development.

Turning Programme Aims into Module Outcomes

Aims (inherited from [..] document)

Introduce and review practice of course module design.

Help participants identify and write appropriate learning outcomes and

consider planning strategies, teaching, learning and assessment.

Help participants develop strategies to promote quality learning, practice

marking and consider methods of course and self-evaluation.

What I want [.. ] participants to learn (content)

1. What learning outcomes are and how they can be used to design modules,
plan teaching and students approaches to learning and assess student
learning.
2. The theory of constructive alignment that underlies the outcomes model of
learning.
3. How to apply this knowledge and learning through doing.
4. How to construct an assessment strategy, a range of methods, how to
construct criteria, grading models, marking cultures, ways in which
feedback might be given and assessment issues.
5. Methods for evaluating curriculum designs and the impact of teaching on
students learning (including student feedback mechanisms).
This translates into.
Provisional intended learning outcomes (for participants)
15

1. To develop knowledge about the subjects of curriculum design and

assessment in the contexts of an outcomes approach to learning.
2. To be able to apply this knowledge to the evaluation of course and
assessment designs.
3. To construct new understandings about the curriculum and assessment
that will improve their ability to design courses and modules from basic
principles.
4. To recognise their own learning outcomes and develop their conceptions of
teaching and learning.
3. WRITING LEARNING OUTCOMES
Although there are many good practice guides, there is no one or correct way
to write learning outcomes in higher education. You can write learning
outcomes for whole programmes (for example, an undergraduate history,
mathematics or chemistry degree) or for single courses or classes (for
example, a year of statistics within an undergraduate programme or a module
or unit covering several weeks and to which you are allocating appropriate
ECTS credits). Broadly speaking, the approaches to writing outcomes outlined
below can be used irrespective of the context. It is probably true to say,
however, that the more micro the contextthat is, the module rather than the
programme levelthe more likely it is that your outcomes will be disciplinespecific in their expression. However, generic outcomes, skills and
competencies should not be overlooked at module level.

For more information on writing learning outcomes, see Declan Kennedy

Writing and Using Learning Outcomes: A Practical Guide.
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John Scattergood (2008) has written some general remarks on writing

learning outcomes for the Trinity College Dublin Bologna Desk. Most theorists
and practitioners agree that, generally, learning outcomes should be:
1. summaries of essential areas of learning that result from a course of study
2. written in the future tense, often expressed as you will be able to
3. explicit and clearly expressed
4. limited in number
5. expressed with a verb indicating the relation to of the outcome to domains
(or types) of learning
6. written with a level of learning/ learner in mind.

3. 1 Summarising Essential Areas of Learning

To write your learning outcomes so that they summarise essential areas of
learning, try thinking about what students must know, feel or be able to do
before they leave your course of study.

You can do this in several ways; here are three suggestions:

If youre conducting an individual or team teaching brainstorming exercise,

you might aim to develop a list of key topics to start with. Remember,
however, that this is only a starta list of topics is not the same as a list of
learning outcomes.
17

You could focus on ways of thinking and practising. This is often defined
as the essence of the discipline as enacted by specialists. This is
explained in Curriculum Debates in Higher Education: Section 5

You might like to try a more conceptual approach. Curriculum Debates in

Higher Education: Section 6 introduces an approach to curriculum
development called threshold concepts. This approach emerges from
debates about critical blocks to student learning in a discipline. It identifies
concepts that are difficult to grasp, but once learnt, are transformative.
These concepts can frame curriculum design and planning.

It is sometimes easy to fall into the trap of writing relatively trivial learning
outcomesfor example, you will be able to list the three laws of
thermodynamics. Its unlikely that the ability to list or memorise something
represents an essential area of learning; rather, this ability is more likely to be
the basis of a more significant skill, such as explaining the role of the first law
in nuclear fission. Remember therefore to focus on the real goals of learning
in your course of study.

3.2 Writing in the Future Tense

It is common to write learning outcomes in the future tense because they are
generally seen as the products of the learning process, which result from a
specified period of study. There is some debate about whether it is
appropriate to view learning as a product, as Curriculum Debates in Higher
Education: Section 5 explains. Working within a learning outcomes frame of
reference largely confines expression in this way. If youre uncomfortable with
this idea, you might like to think of learning outcomes as indicating
18

transformations in student understanding. Ask yourself: How do I want my

students to be different after they have completed my course?

3.3 Expressing Outcomes Clearly and Explicitly

You will sometimes see learning outcomes that indicate an expectation that
students will know or understand something after completing a course of
study. Generally speaking, we recommend that you avoid using terms know
or understand because they are not explicit or measurable. That is, how can
you be sure that students know or understand something? How can you
assess this? Presumably, only when you see them doing something else,
such as explaining certain concepts or applying various principles and so on.

For example, to understand the principles of palliative care presumably

implies an understanding of key concepts and their application to real
situations, so we might specify these outcomes as follows:

to be able to explain the principles of palliative care in the treatment of

oncology patients

to be able to apply appropriate strategies in a palliative care case study.

3.4 Limiting the Number of Outcomes

The number of learning outcomes you specify will depend to some extent on
the context of learning, and on whether they are programme or module level,

19

but they should generally be few enough to be memorable and meaningful.

We suggest between four and eight.

3.5 Using Verbs to Indicate Domains of Learning

Learning outcomes are expressed with a verb indicating a relationship to
domains or types of learning. You can do this using specific verbs which you
can select from one of the ready-made taxonomies available.

Perhaps the most influential taxonomy is Benjamin Bloom Taxonomy of

Educational Objectives (1956). Basically, Bloom categorised learning into
three domains: cognitive, affective and psychomotor:

The cognitive domain includes recall, recognition of knowledge and the

development of intellectual skills/abilities.

The affective domain incorporates emotion, feeling and character.

The psychomotor domain concerns physical movement and

coordination.

Traditionally, the cognitive domain has most interested educationalists, and

they have drawn on Blooms Cognitive Hierarchy as a way of describing
levels of academic or intellectual achievement. This hierarchy is produced in
Table 2 below, which indicates the relationship between the different levels.
Its important to note that each the skills in each level provide a foundation for
the development of skills in the next level.

20

Table 2 also offers a selection of verbs commonly used when writing learning
outcomes for each skill level. These verbs provide a useful vocabulary to
draw upon in the writing of learning outcomes.

Table 2: Blooms Cognitive Hierarchy

Level
1. Knowledge

Skills
Ability to recall or recognise

Verbs
State, define, describe, list,

(Least

previously learned material

label, identify

complex)
2.

Ability to grasp meaning of

Calculate, explain, relate,

Comprehension material
3. Application
Ability to use knowledge in

discuss
Apply, use, select, solve,

new and concrete situations

Ability to break down

compare
Analyse , order, predict,

material to demonstrate

interpret, justify

understanding
Ability to put together to

Synthesize, design, propose,

form new wholes, to think

reconstruct

6. Evaluation

imaginatively and creatively

Ability to make judgements

Judge, evaluate, justify,

(Most complex)

based on definite criteria

discuss critically

4. Analysis

5. Synthesis

For a more comprehensive list of verbs see the McBeath Action Verbs for
expressing Learning Outcomes.

David Gosling and Jenny Moon (2001) offer a fuller, but non-hierarchical list of
levels and verbs, which they also recommend for writing assessment criteria.
21

The examples below are adapted from the UCE Birmingham Guide to
Learning Outcomes. The example shows how learning outcomes are used to
specify academic performance at the levels of knowledge and understanding,
intellectual thinking, and skills.

Knowledge & understanding

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Explain the meaning, character and identity of place, and how

landscape is constructed.
Identify the theories of learning that are implicit in their current
approach to education.
Discuss Romantic poetry in relation to the major themes of
Romanticism.
Describe the underlying principles governing gene transmission and
expression.

Intellectual (thinking) skills: application

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Apply Kolbs model of learning to the design of a teaching programme.

Illustrate, using phonetics, the problem of sigmatism in children.

Intellectual (thinking) skills: analysis

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Appraise the key issues of market segmentation in a brewing industry

case study.
Compare Hofstedes theories of culture with those of Trompenaars and
Hampden-Turner.

Intellectual (thinking) skills: synthesis

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

22

Create a set of criteria to assess Home Office implementation of

immigration rules.
Design an engine component that conforms to the following criteria

Intellectual (thinking) skills: evaluation

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Explain the reasoning behind their allocation of scarce resources in the

treatment of patients in an Accident and Emergency setting.
Prioritize conclusions they reached from an analysis of paint
techniques, giving reasons.

Practical skills (=subject-specific)

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Express themselves in writing for different professional and academic

audiences.
Employ appropriate ICT skills in order to forecast demographic trends.
Use web-creation tools to produce an interactive website suitable for
use by young schoolchildren.

Key/transferable skills (=generic)

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Work effectively as part of a team.

Reflectively evaluate their own learning and personal planning
processes.

(From UCE Birmingham Guide to Learning Outcomes )

The range and choice of verbs might be influenced by the academic level of
the module or the place of the module in the undergraduate programme of
study (for example, whether its taken at first as opposed to third year).
23

Consideration of the level of learning is central to the business of writing

learning outcomes.

The affective domain

Bloom proposes three domains of learning, and we commonly see learning
outcomes that address the cognitive domain. More rarely, we see the
psychomotor and affective domains. The following example illustrates the use
of learning outcomes that, in some cases, combine the cognitive and affective
domainsa potentially controversial strategy.

The following example comes from the authors experience teaching a twelveweek, first-year module on Academic Skills for Undergraduates. In this
module, we wanted students to learn how to identify sources of information;
locate diverse sources of information; discriminate between sources; and use
sources appropriately. These essential areas of learning translated into the
aims and outcomes below.

Academic Skills for Undergraduates: Aims and outcomes

This module aims to:

develop students appreciation of the intellectual demands of studying at

degree level

develop the generic skills needed to perform effectively at university

examine the importance of being critical while gaining and using

information from various sources.

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After completing this course, you will able to:

confidently identify appropriate sources of information

select, use and critically interpret text in various contexts

explain and use different forms of writing

use an appropriate system of referencing, as required.

You can see that most of what we wanted students to be able to do fell into
the cognitive domain and therefore our verbs are all taken from the lists in
Table 2 above.

The first learning outcome, however, suggests that students will confidently
identify appropriate sources of information. Feeling confident is clearly
outside the cognitive domain, and instead belongs to the affective domain.
This outcome was not an oversightwe wanted to ensure that once students
had completed the module, they would feel confident when it came to finding
and sifting through sources of information for different purposes. In this case,
confidence was a particularly important outcome because our learners were
mature-age students returning to study.

Confidence might be seen as a controversial inclusion because it, along with

other outcomes in the affective domain, are often thought to be difficult to
assess. As lecturers, we become adept at assessing knowledge from
acquisition to evaluation in the cognitive, and even psychomotor, domains.
Assessing the affective domain is considered much more subjective, much
more intangible. Consequently, we seldom see affective learning outcomes.
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If learning outcomes are well written, they form the basis of the assessment
tasks. Indeed, this is one of the principles of a constructively aligned
curriculum, as explained in Curriculum Debates in Higher Education.
It can also be argued that the principles of constructive alignment can work
the other way too, helping us to solve the problem of assessing achievement
in the affective domainthat is, identify an appropriate assessment method to
assess the outcome. In this case, we used student self-assessment to gauge
the level of confidence.

3.6 Specifying Levels of Learning

What is a level of learning? Jenny Moon (2002a) suggests that:
A level is an indicator of relative demand; complexity; depth of study
and learner autonomy (p. REF).

Level descriptors evolve from this and describe the characteristics and
context of learning expected at each level (Moon 2002a ).

To some extent, level descriptors offer a universal language that enables

comparisons of level of study, not only across domestic institutions but also
across countries. Partly as a result of Irelands commitment to the Bologna
agreement and guided by the National Framework of Qualifications, the
College has now defined and agreed on the following College-level
descriptors

Ordinary Bachelor Degree (Level 7, National Qualifications Framework)

26

Honours Bachelor Degree (Level 8, National Qualifications Framework)

Higher Diploma (Level 8, National Qualifications Framework)

Masters Degree (Level 9, National Qualifications Framework)

Postgraduate Diploma (Level 9, National Qualifications Framework)

Doctoral Degree (and Higher Doctorate) (Level 10, National Qualifications

Framework).

These descriptors provide a clear and useful guide for those involved in
writing learning outcomes because they:

provide a context from which it will be possible to articulate a clear sense

of progression through the years of undergraduate study and onto
postgraduate study and research

may also help to cross reference various professional body requirements

remind us of the complexity and/or the degree of competence we might

expect learners to exhibit at different stages of study.

Because level descriptors are generic, it is important to see them as indicators

or guides. Indeed, some might not be relevant for the programme of study or
module you are designing or revising. So how do we write learning outcomes
that reflect an appropriate level of learning?

Translate level descriptors into discipline-specific terms

Jenny Moon (2002b) suggests that you can write specify appropriate levels of
learning by translating generic level descriptors into terms that are
27

meaningful in your discipline or subject area. That is, different disciplines have
different understandings of common academic termsfor example, critical
thinking, analysis, communication skills. It is important to be clear about
what each of these means in your discipline. An example is given below.

College-level descriptor, Ordinary Bachelors Degrees (Level 7, NQF)

Qualifications which signify completion of the first cycle at Ordinary Bachelors
level are awarded to students who have completed a programme of study
which enable them to show:

(7) that they can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions
to both specialist and non-specialist audiences

Suggested learning outcome for a first-year English course

After completing this course, you will be able to:

use the conventions of essay writing (structure, referencing, style) to

compare and contrast the theories of key thinkers in the field of
postcolonialism, particularly as these pertain to Irish literary history.

Compare knowledge to depth of understanding

In translating the Colleges generic level descriptors into discipline-specific
terms, you might find it helpful to focus on depth of understanding. For
example, think about the extent to which first-year undergraduates might
know about a certain phenomenon, concept, and/or application in contrast to
how final-year student or postgraduate might know about the same topic.

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One of the most commonly quoted ways of considering knowledge in relation

to depth of learning and understanding in higher education is Biggs SOLO
Taxonomy (2003). Based on a study of outcomes in a range of academic
areas, SOLO stands for Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome and
provides a systematic way of describing how a learners performance grows
in complexity when mastering (sic) many academic tasks (Biggs 2003 p. 38).

The Taxonomy has five levels and moves from a more quantitative account of
what a student knows to a more qualitative account of knowing. John
Atherton (2005) provides a visual representation of the Taxonomy which is
adapted in Figure 1 below.

29

Figure 1: The SOLO Taxonomy

1. Pre-structural
Learner acquires bits of unconnected
information, which have no organisation
and make no sense.
2. Unistructural
Learner makes simple and obvious
connections, but does not grasp overall
significance.
3. Multistructural
Learner makes several connections, but
misses the meta-connections between
them, as well as the overall significance.
4 Relational level
Learner appreciates the significance of the
parts in relation to the whole.

5 Extended abstract level

Learner makes connections within the
given subject area and beyond, and is able
to generalise and transfer principles.

Like Blooms Taxonomy, the SOLO Taxonomy encourages the use of verbs
that reflect the different levels of understanding it identifies. Jackson, Wisdom
and Shaw (2003) have pointed out that each discipline may have its own
30

verbs and each verb has a topic object or context. See Table 3 below for
Jackson, Wisdom and Shaws suggestions for verbs that describe different
levels of understanding.

Table 3: Verbs for describing levels of understanding (Jackson, Wisdom

and Shaw 2003 p. 4)
Level of

Description

Verbs

g
Minimal

Sufficient to deal with terminology,

Memorise, identify,

Descriptive
Integrative

basic facts
Knowing about several topics
Relating facts together and

recognise
Classify, describe, list
Apply to known

understanding basic theory

contexts, integrate,

understandin

analyse, explain
Extended

Able to go beyond what has been

aetiology
Apply to novel

taught, deal creatively with new

contexts, hypothesise,

situations

reflect, generate

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4. STRATEGIES FOR WRITING OUTCOMES: A CASE STUDY OF

CURRICULUM REFORM
Hubball and Burt (2004) provide an interesting account of their experiences of
curriculum reform using a learning-centred approach in the Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Their account
offers some interesting and practical recommendations for others, including a
list (p. 56) of strategies for developing clearly defined programme-level
learning outcomes (that is, curriculum-wide learning outcomes).

A slightly amended version of Hubball and Burts list is reproduced below.

Youll notice they consider outcomes in relation to the cognitive, affective and
psychomotor domains and also specify nine global outcomes (generic
programme or graduate outcomes) required in their faculty.

Practical Strategies for constructing curriculum-wide learning outcomes

Develop/brainstorm desirable learning outcomescompare with other

departments. Adapt learning outcome templates to suit needs and
circumstances, rather than re-inventing the wheel or rigidly complying with
templates.

Develop responsive, higher-order and accountable learning outcomes

rather than narrow/simplistic measurement-driven outcomes or lofty
outcomes without due consideration for assessment and evaluation.

Consider global (related to core programme) and specific (related to

programme streams) learning outcomes from the cognitive, affective and
psychomotor domains. For example, nine ability-based global outcomes in
32

the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences included critical thinking; scientific

inquiry; mathematical skills; independent learning skills; information access
and evaluation skills; ethical behaviour; communication skills; social
awareness; interpersonal and teamwork skills; and application and
integration of knowledge.

Overly rigid, narrow or prescriptive curriculum learning outcomes are often

undesirable, and unlikely to be faithfully implemented in practice.
Curricular learning outcomes, therefore, should be developed in response
to the needs of faculty, students and society, and be sufficiently flexible so
that they can be realistically accountable and adapted to local situations
and changing circumstances.

Integrate learning outcomes with evaluation, programming and contextual

factors.

33

ACTIVITY 1: LEARNING OUTCOMES CHECKLIST

Answer

Action?

1. Are you happy that outcomes, as currently expressed, reflect what

you would want your students to be able to do, think or feel by the
end of their course of study?
2. To which domains do your learning outcomes belongdoing
(psychomotor), thinking (cognitive) and/or feeling (affective)?
3. Is the balance of learning outcomes across domains appropriate for
the type of programme/course you are teaching?
4. Are the outcomes expressed appropriately:

Are they written in the future tense?

Are they clear and concise?

Are they limited in number?

Do they use relevant verbs?

Do they specify an appropriate level of learning?

5. Are you confident that the outcomes fit with the level descriptors of
the award or programme/course?

34

ACTIVITY 2: DEVELOPING LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify a course, unit of study or a topic for which you have

responsibility.

Think about what you want you students to be able to do, think and/or feel
after completing your course.

Why do they need to learn these things? What would these things look like
in practice?

What would you need to see to be convinced that students were able to do
these things? What would be the characteristics of a successful
performance?

Are there particular contexts, conditions or circumstances under which

students need to be able to do these things?

At this point, you might have a topics, behaviours, ideas for assessment,
ideas about the differences in performance between students at different
levels and so on.

2. Use this list as the basis for drafting your learning outcomes.

Review the characteristics of effective learning outcomes on p. 16 of this

document.

Consider the examples given on pp. 2223.

Select appropriate verbs from the lists in Tables 1 and 2.

Write your learning outcomes.

35

3. Review your draft.

Use the checklist in Activity 1.

Ask a colleague to review the outcomes. Ask the colleague to tell you what
he/she thinks he/she is going to get out of the course.

Is your colleagues answer consistent with your vision?

36

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Adam, S. 2008, Learning Outcomes current developments in Europe: update on
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Process.
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Atherton, J.S. 2005, Learning and Teaching: SOLO Taxonomy [Online], UK.
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Barnett, R. & Coate, K. 2005. Engaging the Curriculum in Higher Education,

SRHE & Open University Press, Berkshire UK.
Biggs, J. 2003, Teaching for Quality Learning at University, 2nd edn, SRHE &
Open University Press, Berkshire UK.
Bingham, R. 1999, Guide to Developing Learning Outcomes, The Learning
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Bloom, B. 1956, Taxonomy of Educational objectives: The Classification of
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Hubball, Initial. & Burt, Initial. 2004, An Integrated Approach to Developing
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Kennedy D. (2007) Writing and Using Learning Outcomes: A practical guide.

Cork: Quality Promotion Unit, UCC (hardcopy on request from Bologna
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Lahiff A. (2009) Curriculum Debates in Higher Education. Available from
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Moon, J. 2002a, How to Use Level Descriptors, SEEC, London.

Moon, J. 2002b, The Module and Programme Development Handbook,
Kogan Page, London.
Scattergood, J. 2006, Implementation of the Bologna Process: Learning
Outcomes and Level Descriptors. Available at the Bologna Desk at
TCD
Available from: <http://www.tcd.ie/vpcao/bd/pdf/tcd_level_descriptors_full_text_council
%20_8_march_06.pdf> [accessed 6 April 2009].

Scattergood, J. 2008, The Bologna Process: Implementing the National

Framework of Qualifications. Writing Learning at Programme and Module
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