RECOGNITION OF LEARNING OUTCOMES WORKING GROUP 3

INTEREST IN LEARNING OUTCOMES I Formulate HE policies Formulate HE policies –Overall policies –Shift emphasis –Learning outcomes in QA

INTEREST IN LEARNING OUTCOMES II Implement HE policies Implement HE policies –Tools to assist in admission and placement of foreign students –Tool to facilitate recognition of foreign qualifications –Defining the competence of a specific professional study program –Adapt transcripts to better reflect learning outcomes –Challenge: how do you assess learning outcomes? –Facilitate cooperation and joint study programs with foreign institutions

INTEREST IN LEARNING OUTCOMES III Improve communication/information Improve communication/information –make learning outcomes understandable for users Students Students Employers Employers Immediate utility Immediate utility –national Bologna Promoter –developing a national qualifications framework –designing and applying learning outcomes as a HE teacher

ISSUES I Level of details in describing learning outcomes Level of details in describing learning outcomes Relation learning outcomes/workload Relation learning outcomes/workload How to meet expectations of employers with regard to LO? How to meet expectations of employers with regard to LO? –NB Employers have very different expectations in terms of LO! Relationship between intended and actual learning outcomes Relationship between intended and actual learning outcomes

ISSUES II Relationship between minimum and average LO Relationship between minimum and average LO How closely do learning outcomes have to match for them to be recognized? How closely do learning outcomes have to match for them to be recognized? –Are the missing outcomes really necessary? LO should be measurable LO should be measurable –But: can everything be measured? Cf. ”understanding”

ISSUES III LO: process of learning, teaching and assessment LO: process of learning, teaching and assessment –What about attitudes? If learners have developed the expected knowledge and skills, even understanding, but not the expected attitudes, should they be credited with having achieved the learning outcomes If learners have developed the expected knowledge and skills, even understanding, but not the expected attitudes, should they be credited with having achieved the learning outcomes

RECOMMENDATIONS I Improve communication/information about learning outcomes in easily understandable terms Improve communication/information about learning outcomes in easily understandable terms Include a description of “softer” learning outcomes Include a description of “softer” learning outcomes LO should embrace both subject related and generic outcomes LO should embrace both subject related and generic outcomes Adapting LO to all kinds of education, including distance education Adapting LO to all kinds of education, including distance education Write LO in a way that can relate to learning from a wide variety of sources Write LO in a way that can relate to learning from a wide variety of sources

RECOMMENDATIONS II Training should be provided for HE staff in designing, implementing and assessing LO Training should be provided for HE staff in designing, implementing and assessing LO The four main purposes of HE have to be taken into account in formulating LO The four main purposes of HE have to be taken into account in formulating LO