These notes are intended to assist academic departments in the preparation of programme specifications for all taught courses. They should be used in conjunction with the appropriate QAA Subject Benchmark Statement and The QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education.
Learning and Development can also provide guidance on writing learning outcomes at programme and module level
The categories of information in Section A provide standard details of the course; awarding body/institution; teaching institution; accreditation details (where appropriate); final award; course title; UCAS code; relevant QAA benchmark group(s); admissions criteria; publication/revision date.
Section B of the template provides a concise overview of the curriculum provision in the course, identifying the course aims, the course’s learning outcomes and the corresponding methods of learning, teaching and assessment. When drafting the course outcomes departments should be aware that the course aims and outcomes must be suitable for the course and must relate to the benchmark statements, the National Qualifications Framework and, where appropriate, to the requirements of any professional bodies.
In order to ensure that students and all teaching staff are made aware of the aims and learning outcomes, they should be reproduced in documentation intended for these groups, such as student handbooks and briefing materials for part-time teachers. Students should also be made aware of how to access the full programme specification, such as through reference in student handbooks and links from departmental web resources.
Course aims are intended to provide, at a glance, a clear understanding of the course’s teaching intentions. For the purpose of programme specifications, this should be a brief statement of what the course intends to deliver, identifying the core concepts and any rationale.
The course learning outcomes are statements of what the student will reasonably be expected to know, understand or be able to do on completion of the particular course of study. When drafting the course outcomes, departments should be aware that learning outcomes must operate at threshold level (ie the minimum standard needed to obtain third class honours) but that consideration should also be given to how students can demonstrate achievement beyond threshold.
For the purpose of programme specification, the course learning outcomes are divided into four categories of knowledge and understanding, practical skills, cognitive skills and key skills. Within the programme specification database, each learning outcome will be numbered in accordance with the section to which it relates, e.g. outcomes in the section headed knowledge and understanding will be numbered A1, A2 and so on. The system will automatically allocate a number to each learning outcome, but this may be overridden where appropriate, e.g. where a learning outcome is shared by a related group of degree courses.
When completing the section on key skills, departments will be required to input text against the six categories of key skills used at Essex: communication; numeracy; IT; working with others; problem solving; improving own learning and performance. The key skills will be numbered D1 to D6 though departments may list a number of points against each heading. There is no requirement to input outcomes against each key skill since it would be inappropriate or impossible to do so in many cases. However, where no text is inputted against one of the key skill headings, the key skill will not appear in the programme specification.
The programme specification must identify a clear link between the learning outcome and the method of learning and teaching which enables the students to achieve that outcome.
Learning and teaching methods/strategies can refer to the type of learning environment, such as lectures, small group classes, laboratory classes and workshops. They can also refer to the type of activities within these classes such as group discussions, case study analysis, presentations, practicals and so on.
When specifying the assessment methods for the learning outcomes, departments can identify generally the form of assessment, such as examinations or continuous coursework but can also provide more detail by identifying the type of assessment such as essays, presentations, group reports, and assessed practicals. When mapping the assessment method to the learning outcomes, departments should consider whether appropriate grading criteria exist to enable staff to identify achievement of each learning outcome beyond threshold level.
Section C provides summary data for the course structure.
Section D specifies the rules of assessment and normally this will be a simple weblink to the University’s rules of assessment. This will normally be completed centrally by the Academic Section. Requests for variations to the Rules of Assessment require approval (please contact your Faculty Education Manager for advice).
Departments should be able to demonstrate how the course learning outcomes are reflected in the course content. It is important that the course learning outcomes can be mapped to individual modules. A summary of this information will be available as an annex to the programme specification in the form of a module map of course learning outcomes, a basic template (excel) for which is available.
Departments can use this template as it stands or adapt it to provide a more extensive summary.
Page last updated: 11 September 2013