Learning outcomes: a critical reflection on a tool for programme description and recent evolutions i

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Learning outcomes a critical reflection on a
tool for programme description and recent
evolutions in Flanders - Belgium

• Piet Verhesschen
• K.U.Leuven, Office for Educational Policy

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Structure of presentation

• Context learning outcomes on the European
  agenda, the Bologna process
• Definition of learning outcomes
• Advantages vs. pitfalls and dangers
• How to avoid the dangers?
• Conclusion
• Recent developments in Flanders-Belgium

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Context Bologna-process
Bologna in general objectives

• Adoption of a system of easily readable and
  comparable degrees
• Adoption of a system essentially based on two
  main cycles undergraduate and graduate
• Establishment of a system of credits such as in
  the ECTS-system
• Promotion of mobility
• Promotion of European co-operation in quality
  assurance
• Promotion of the necessary European dimension in
  higher education

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Context Bologna-process

• Tools to improve transparancy and comparability
• uniform description of programmes in terms of
  workload, level, learning outcomes, competences
  and profile (Berlin communiqué, 2003)
• descriptions of the three cycles of HE
  European Higher Education Area-framework (EHEA)
  Bergen framework (2005)
• Implementation
• national level law on the structure of higher
  education (2003) law on the qualification
  structure (30.04.2009)
• European level training seminars

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EHEA-framework
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EHEA-framework
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EHEA-framework
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Context Bologna-process

• Berlin communiqué (2003)
• Ministers encourage the member States to
  elaborate a framework of comparable and
  compatible qualifications for their higher
  education systems, which should seek to describe
  qualifications in terms of workload, level,
  learning outcomes, competences and profile.
• Bergen communiqué (2005)
• We adopt the overarching framework for
  qualifications in the EHEA, comprising three
  cycles (), generic descriptors for each cycle
  based on learning outcomes and competences,

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Context Bologna-process

• London communiqué (2007)
• Efforts should concentrate in future on removing
  barriers to access and progression between cycles
  and on proper implementation of ECTS based on
  learning outcomes and student workload.
• They qualification frameworks should also help
  HEIs to develop modules and study programmes
  based on learning outcomes and credits, and
  improve the recognition of qualifications as well
  as all forms of prior learning.
• We urge institutions to further develop
  partnerships and cooperation with employers in
  the ongoing process of curriculum innovation
  based on learning outcomes.
• With a view to the development of more
  student-centred, outcome-based learning, the next
  exercise should also address in an integrated way
  national qualifications frameworks, learning
  outcomes and credits, lifelong learning, and the
  recognition of prior learning.

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Context Bologna-process

• Leuven Louvain-la-Neuve communiqué (2009)
• Successful policies for lifelong learning will
  include basic principles and procedures for
  recognition of prior learning on the basis of
  learning outcomes regardless of whether the
  knowledge, skills and competences were acquired
  through formal, non-formal, or informal learning
  paths (p.3).
• We reassert the importance of the teaching
  mission of higher education institutions and the
  necessity for ongoing curricular reform geared
  toward the development of learning outcomes
  (p.3)
• Academics, in close cooperation with student and
  employer representatives, will continue to
  develop learning outcomes and international
  reference points for a growing number of subject
  areas (p.3-4).

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Context Bologna-process

• learning outcomes as a tool to describe
  qualifications

learning outcomes as a tool with multiple
applications
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Definition of learning outcomes

• Learning outcomes describe what a learner is
  expected to know, understand and be able to do
  after successful completion of a process of
  learning. (ECTS Users Guide, 2009).
• A learning outcome is a statement of what
  competences a student is expected to possess as a
  result of the learning process.
• (Adam, 2004)
• A statement of what a learner is expected to
  know, understand and/or be able to demonstrate at
  the end of a period of learning. (Gosling
  Moon, 2001)
• "learning outcomes" means statements of what a
  learner knows, understands and is able to do on
  completion of a learning process, which are
  defined in terms of knowledge, skills and
  competence (European Parliament and Commission,
  October 2007)

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Advantages vs. pitfalls and dangers

• Advantages
• Gosling and Moon (2001)
• coherence in curriculum design
• transcript of information in the context of
  credit transfer
• quality assurance processes benchmarking,
  appropriateness of the curriculum
• transparancy to the student
• strategy to combat plagiarism
• Kennedy (2007)
• comparability, mobility, recognition of credits
• integration of lifelong learning
• co-operation in quality assurance
• clear expectations for students

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Advantages vs. pitfalls and dangers

• Advantages
• Adam (2008)
• explicit and transparant level descriptors and
  qualification descriptors
• linking different sectors of education within
  lifelong learning frameworks, improvement of
  links to the labour market and employment
• recognition
• shift towards student-centred learning, currilum
  reform
• quality assurance

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Advantages vs. pitfalls and dangers

• Pitfalls and dangers
• Learning outcomes as an all encompassing
  description?
• limited to that what can and will be assessed
• formulated on threshold level focus on pass/fail
• tendency to limit learning outcomes to what is
  instrumental
• ? danger of narrow and poor programmes
• not suited to describe valuable but unpredicted,
  unexpected outcomes
• endless checklists as straitjacket

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Advantages vs. pitfalls and dangers

• Pitfalls and dangers
• Some acclaimed benefits are questionable
• knowledge required to interpret the learning
  outcomes
• a deep understanding of the learning outcomes can
  only be reached after completion of the programme
• the language of description is inadequate to the
  complexities of practice and feeling (Clegg
  Ashworth, 2004)
• limits of Blooms taxonomy
• danger knowledge-base limited to what is
  applicable
• uni-directional sequence from level to level?
• cultures and requirements of different disciplines

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How to avoid the dangers?

• Recognition of other ways to describe programmes
• aims and objectives
• content of a module or programme
• course materials, assessment
• settings
• research of the teaching staff
• study facilities
• narrative reconstruction of education

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Conclusion

• learning outcomes have advantages and value
• learning outcomes have their limitations
• Conclusion
• no one single way of programme description should
  be made absolute
• different ways of description present the
  programme from a particular perspective, but none
  of them has the capacity to capture entirely the
  experience of studying in a particular programme
  at a particular university

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Recent developments in Flanders - Belgium

• law on the structure of higher education (2003)
  (as changed by subsequent laws)
• academic programmes should focus on general
  education, aim to acquire academic knowledge and
  competences
• bachelor programmes level of knowledge and
  competences in function of entree in a master
  programme
• master programmes advanced level of knowledge
  and competences
• level descriptors in terms of learning outcomes
• - academic bachelor
• general competences
• general scientific competences
• basic discipline specific scientific knowledge
• - academic master
• b) c)
• d) competences in order to do research in an
  independent way or to apply scientific knowledge
  in a profession
• - Ph.D. mastery of a specific discipline,
  ability to plan and do research, original
  contribution to research, ability for critical
  analysis and synthesis of complex and new ideas,
  communication with scientific community,
  innovative contribution to the knowledge society
• visitation commissions will look for compliance
  between objectives/learning outcomes and level
  descriptors

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Recent developments in Flanders - Belgium

• law on the Qualification Structure (30.04.2009)
• every HEI has to formulate learning outcomes for
  each programme and for each module
• all HEIs should formulate in a collective effort
  domain specific learning outcomes for all the
  programmes
• state of affairs
• agreement on the general approach of this
  challenge
• start of pilot projects in the fall of 2009
• deadline 2013

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• Contact details
• Piet Verhesschen
• K.U.Leuven - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Krakenstraat 3, box 5200
• 3000 Leuven
• Belgium
• E-mail piet.verhesschen_at_dowb.kuleuven.be

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References

• Adam, S. (2004, Juin). Using Learning Outcomes. A
  consideration of the nature, role, application
  and implications for European education of
  employing learning outcomes at the local,
  national and international levels. Report
  presented at the United Kingdom Bologna Seminar,
  Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Adam, S. (2008, February). Learning outcomes
  current developments in Europe update on the
  issues and applications of learning outcomes
  associated with the Bologna process. Paper
  presented at the Bologna Seminar Learning
  outcomes based higher education the Scottisch
  experience, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Clegg, S. Ashworth, P. (2004 ) Contested
  practices learning outcomes and disciplinary
  understandings. In J. Satterthwaite, E. Atkinson,
  W. Martin (eds.), The disciplining of
  education. New languages of power and resistance.
  Stoke-on-Trent Trentham Books, 53-68.
• The European qualifications framework promoting
  mobility and lifelong learning. (2007, October
  25). Retrieved November 5, 2007, from
  http//www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?
  referenceIP/07/1601typeHTMLaged0languageEN
  guiLanguageen
• Education and Culture DG. (2009) ECTS Users
  Guide. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from
  http//ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-po
  licy/doc/ects/guide_en.pdf
• Gosling, D. Moon, J. (2001). How to use
  learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
  London SEEC.
• Kennedy, D. (2007). Writing and using Learning
  outcomes. A practical guide. Cork University
  College Cork.