Learning Outcomes - Resources for Academic Staff

Award Levels and Descriptors - key internal and external references

Learning Outcomes for programmes should be aligned with existing formal descriptors for the appropriate level of award. These are:

• College Calendar Pts. I & II: Award-Level Descriptors for Trinity College Dublin University

• National Qualifications Framework award-level descriptors (PDF)

• The Dublin Descriptors (PDF) (these are the original descriptors for the Bologna Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral cycles)
• The Bologna Framework (PDF)

Other statements/publications which may be useful:

• College Calendar Pt. I: Educational Objectives of the Moderatorship (PDF)
• University awards and the National Framework of Qualifications: Issues around the Design of Programmes and the Use and Assesment of Learning Outcomes (NQAI, Dec 2009)
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in UK (QAA) - Guidelines for Programme Specification(PDF)
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in UK (QAA) - Subject Benchmarks
• Tuning Educational Structures in Europe: Learning Outcomes and Competences – General Brochure (PDF)
• Tuning Learning Outcomes – Subject Specific Documents

Key documents and guides on how to draft and assess Learning Outcomes at programme and module levels:

• Scattergood J. (2008) Writing Learning Outcomes at Programme and Module Levels. Dublin: Trinity College Bologna Desk (Council, May 2008) (PDF)
• Foley B. (2009) A Template for Module Learning Outcomes (explanatory notes) (MS Word)