Learning Outcomes Information Sheets
Level and Hierarchy Designing effective learning outcomes requires more than just writing statements for each module or session - it’s about designing a coherent, progressive and connected learning journey for students. One of the biggest challenges staff face is understanding how different levels of learning outcomes relate to each other and contribute to the bigger picture across a student’s collective degree experience. The aim of this section is to explain that hierarchy between course, module and session-level learning outcomes.
Course-Level Learning Outcomes
Module-Level Learning Outcomes
Session-Level Learning Outcomes
At the highest level, course (or course/degree) learning outcomes articulate what students should know, understand, and be able to do by the end of their full course of study. These outcomes are often linked to national qualification frameworks, the requirements of Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) or institutional expectations. They set the tone and direction for the entire curriculum, outlining the graduate attributes and capabilities students are expected to demonstrate upon completion. Each module contributes to one or more course-level outcomes. That means module learning outcomes must be carefully written to ensure they map directly to the course-level learning outcomes. Importantly, module learning outcomes must also be appropriate to the level of the module. Well-structured module learning outcomes serve as a bridge between the broad expectations of the course and the practical learning that happens week to week. This is where we often see most confusion. Session-level learning outcomes describe what students should achieve in a specific class or learning activity - often within a single week of the module. These should not be created in isolation. Instead, each session-level outcome should: • Directly support at least one of the module learning outcomes. • Help students make tangible progress toward the module’s goals and assessment. • Provide clarity and focus for the learning activities and discussions in that session. For example, if a module-level outcome asks students to ‘evaluate sustainable tourism practices in different regions’, a session-level outcome might be ‘identify and compare examples of sustainable tourism initiatives in the UK and Europe’. This shows a clear link to the higher-level aim in the module learning outcomes.