PN2: Useful Learning Outcomes

This Practice Note addresses why learning outcomes in higher education are often ignored and how educators can transform them into practical tools for course design. To move beyond treating outcomes as mere administrative requirements, the note champions constructive alignment, ensuring that intended learning outcomes (ILOs), teaching activities, and assessments are coherently linked.

The guide identifies the VSC framework to help educators write robust, assessable outcomes by requiring a single active ‘Verb’, a defined ‘Subject’, and an appropriate ‘Context’. It urges educators to look beyond standard cognitive skills by utilising the ‘CAMPI sequence’ (Cognitive, Affective, Metacognitive, Psychomotor, and Interpersonal domains) to design a richer, more employable skillset. Finally, it highlights the importance of separating formally assessed ILOs from non-assessed session objectives to prevent confusion, noting that this precise clarity is especially vital in online and distance learning environments.