{"id":353,"date":"2023-07-20T10:33:07","date_gmt":"2023-07-20T09:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/?page_id=353"},"modified":"2026-03-11T15:39:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:39:26","slug":"module-learning-outcomes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/programme-development\/module-learning-outcomes\/","title":{"rendered":"Module Learning Outcomes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting started with Module Learning Outcomes<\/h2>\n

Having developed your programme learning outcomes and identified your programmatic approach to assessment, you will now be able to think more practically about how to mobilise this strategy through development of modular level learning outcomes and assessment tasks.<\/p>\n

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A module represents a \u2018self-contained, formally structured unit of study, with a coherent and explicit set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria\u2019 (QAA, 2018). However, each module is just one piece of the programme puzzle. All modules should combine to ensure that across a programme, students are able to achieve the programme learning outcomes. Through a series of modular assessment tasks, students should have demonstrated achievement of the programme outcomes through the intended programme assessments.<\/p>\n

Modular Learning Outcomes (MLOs) should be structured to support the Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs). In other words, MLOs should identify how they support one (or more) of the PLOs.<\/p>\n

As a reminder, at Cardiff these PLOs are structured in the following categories:<\/p>\n

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  1. Knowledge and Understanding<\/li>\n
  2. Intellectual Skills<\/li>\n
  3. Practical and Professional Skills, and finally,<\/li>\n
  4. Transferable Skills.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What is essential is the ways the modules collectively enable the accumulation of knowledge and skills to meet the programme learning outcomes can be explained and rationalised. This is best done in form of a Programme to Module Learning Outcomes map.<\/p>\n

    The MLOs should consider the FHEQ Level of study appropriate to the relevant stage of the award: see the reflective prompts section for more guidance. You might notice some of the guidance is similar in the Programme Learning Outcomes and Module Learning Outcomes page – this is because there are many similarities in writing PLOs and MLOs, and in order to cater for a variety of toolkit users, we have provided it on both pages. Typically in a semester-long module, there would be no more than four or five MLOs. The verbs used for these MLOs will inform the Module Learning Activities (see Learning Design<\/a> section for more on this).<\/p>\n

    Just as Programme Learning Outcomes are mapped to the graduate attributes, staff should engage in Graduate Attributes Mapping at the module level.<\/p>\n \n\n

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    Inclusivity Tip<\/h3>

    As for Programme Learning Outcomes, when designing Module Learning outcomes, you are creating the conditions by which all <\/i>students will be assessed, whatever their dimensions of diversity or characteristics.<\/p>\n

    The learning outcomes designate the standards required for a pass. It is important to remember that for some students, while we may be ambitious for the students to achieve higher, a minimal pass may be the best grade they can achieve, and this should be valued and respected.<\/p>\n

    Thus the bar for a pass should be designated by the Module Learning Outcomes, which are the key indicators of success for all<\/i> students on the module. There may be extension activities for the higher grades, such as innovation, creativity or higher levels of analysis or evaluation, but these would be reflected in your marking criteria, rather than in your MLOs. Read more on the principles behind this on the \u2018Empowering students to fulfil their potential\u2019<\/a> page section on Inclusive Programme Design .<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div> \n\n \n

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    How to write MLOs<\/h2>\n

    It’s not rocket science… or is it?<\/h3>\n

    Some examples of module learning outcomes from our fictional Rocket Science programme can be seen below as initial examples for exploration. Note the increasing level of challenge across the levels.<\/p>\n

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