Programme Development

Getting started with Programme Development

You are now in the Programme Development section. Below is a handy guide to help you through this section. Throughout the section you will also find links to further resources on Learning Outcomes, Programmatic and Modular Assessment including Assessment Diversity, Authentic Assessment and more. From Section 3 on this page (Basic Steps of Programme Design) there is a discreet set of actions to follow for orderly and iterative programme development. The page’s length reflects the programme development as a process with plenty to do, plenty of people to work with and that requires time: we therefore recommend you bookmark the toolkit and come back to it regularly rather than trying to take it all in at once. Happy reading!

I’ve already read this page! Let me jump straight to the four-stage page menu. 

We strongly suggest you read the rest of this page before setting of on your journey through the four stages. Then progress either through the four pages, or navigate straight to the page you require to complete a specific programme development task.

Here is quick access to the Four-Stage Programme Development page menu for those of you who have already read and digested this page.

1. Programme Learning Outcomes
2. Programme Assessment
3. Module Learning Outcomes
4. Module Assessments

A guide to this section

1 – Where are we?

Who might find this page useful?

• Members of staff engaged in Programme / Portfolio level Quality Assurance (QA) processes (new programmes and revalidation)
• Programme Directors looking to enhance their programmes
• Members of a Board of Study looking to internally enhance their programmes
• Module leaders who want to gain an understanding of how their module ‘fits’ with the broader programme

Documents for Stage 2 approval

Q) I am preparing for Stage 2 Approval. What documents should I prepare for Quality Assurance?

---

For Stage 2 Programme Development there is clear guidance from the Academic Standards and Quality Team, including the Programme Approval Procedure that details the steps you need to follow and which documents you will need. To see an overview of important documents, and how they are tackled in our toolkit, click below.

Key document: Programme information template

For new Programme Development you will be expected to complete a programme information template (PIT). As part of revalidation, you may either need to update or create a new PIT, depending on the extent of your changes.
Much of the information required in the PIT (for example, your programme vision and aims) you would have already thought about in the previous Programme Scoping phase. So having set out the vision and aims for your programme and considered funding you are now ready to move onto the remaining sections of Programme Development. On this page, we will specifically be addressing sections 2,3,8, 9 and 10 of the PIT, as shown below:

---

2 – Programme development expectations

Here at Cardiff University a set of Institutional Expectations that cover the main principles of Programme Development. We have summarised the Institutional Expectations below for ease of reference, and we have used them as pillars of the toolkit, but we strongly suggest that you read the document in its entirety as a first port of call when developing a programme.

Elements to get right from the start

---

3 – Basic steps of Programme Development

As we have already begun to establish, programme design is a complex undertaking, one demanding multi-stakeholder involvement and developments that can span multiple academic schools, multiple disciplines, differing approaches, choices, and considerations. Here are some fundamental stages of programme design and development to help you to determine what good looks like.

In thinking about developing new programmes, you should have already undertaken initial scoping activities and therefore established your vision for the programme. For existing programmes that may be undergoing revalidation, you may want to refresh or strengthen your programme’s vision.

To help embed your vision into your programme, there are numerous models for curriculum development you may call upon. Most emphasise the need for consistency and coherence across the curriculum. As an example, Fung’s 2015 ‘Connected Curriculum’ model depicts how curriculum planning might work to incorporate elements such as research, learning and assessment methods and institutional aims. This approach shows a form of constructive alignment.

For inspiration: Example of a research-based approach to education

There is opportunity in creating a connected, research-based, active curriculum for students: this gives students the opportunity to develop a range of disciplinary and broader skills. Indeed, In Cardiff, as part of our Education strategy, we aim to be a University where there is a dynamic and creative relationship between our research and our teaching, through which our students engage with real-world challenges, research agendas and professional practice.

Q) How can I make sure my curriculum is connected, coherent and cohesive through my programme design?

A) We can embrace the connected curriculum by means of holistic alignment of our graduate attributes, our programmatic learning outcomes and our programmatic assessment strategy. This alignment process is realised though Module Learning Outcomes and Module assessment activities and supported by the use of ABC process “Arena, Blended, Connected.” This is best done as a workshop with your wider programme team and students.

The ABC tool helps module leaders to design module learning activities to connected back to programme outcomes and programmatic assessment. This is a great activity to undertake when designing a new programme, but it can be undertaken on an existing programme, too, in order to explore your current offering. The ABC Intranet page offers extensive explanation of ABC, including resources for a workshop. Contact Cardiff Learning and Teaching Academy if you would like to discuss running an ABC workshop for your programme or module.

Introduction to four main stages of Programme Development

The rest of this page addresses how to translate your programme vision and aims into a coherent curriculum. The outputs of this process can be used to help support your QA documentation and thinking.

We see this being done in the below 4 main stages of effective Programme Development. You’ll notice that the process is in distinct stages, but also that it is iterative: you may find yourself continually tweaking elements you had formerly agreed as your ideas develop. We’ll tackle the first section, Programme Learning Outcomes, together in the next major section. Here is the overview for your information:

We suggest you read the rest of this page before setting off on your journey through the four stages, unless you have a specific task in mind already.

Four-stage programme development page menu

We suggest you read the rest of this page before setting off on your journey through the four stages, unless you have a specific task in mind already.

Here is the Four-Stage Programme Development page menu for your consideration:

1. Programme Learning Outcomes
2. Programme Assessment
3. Module Learning Outcomes
4. Module Assessments

---

4 – Programme Learning Outcomes and external reference points

A good place to start when planning for curriculum development is by developing strong Programme Learning Outcomes (henceforth PLOs), which will lay the foundations for your programme and modules. PLOs form the first stage in this the 4-stage process to Programme Development.

PLOs are defined in the Cardiff University Institutional Expectations as “statements of what successful students will have achieved by the end of their programme (outcome).” At Cardiff University learning outcomes are expressed in terms of 4 main components.

Cardiff University approach to PLOs

At Cardiff University learning outcomes are expressed in terms of 4 main components:

Well-designed PLOs:

• Relate to the programme aims
• Embed the Cardiff University Graduate Attributes
• Are prepared with reference to relevant external reference points (Subject Benchmark Statements; FHEQ; PSRB information,)
• Are clear to students, staff, and external examiners
• Are designed inclusively to ensure all learners have the potential to achieve them.

As a Welsh HEI we are regulated by the QAA, thus there is a mandatory requirement to comply with the Expectations, Core and Common practices set out in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (Quality Code). We are required to consider the QAA Frameworks for Higher Education (FHEQ) and the QAA Subject Benchmark Statements when designing programmes. The QAA FHEQ are a constituent part of a meta-framework for credit and qualifications in Wales embracing all post-14 education and training, i.e. the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW).

Applying external references points to PLOs: A worked example

By way of an example, to consider external reference points when designing, say, a BSc in Rocket Science, you would need to ensure the PLOs were a representation of the final level of the award. However, when designing your programme structure and Module Learning Outcomes you should consider how each stage of the programme meets lower FHEQ levels. This will enable ‘exit awards’ to be granted. If, for example, you were looking at Year 1 of such an undergraduate programme you would need to consider all the following external reference points:

 

---

Want to know more about external regulatory bodies?

See further explanation about the QAA Quality Code, QAA Frameworks for Higher Education (FHEQ),QAA Subject Benchmark statements, and Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) in our Deeper dive.

Want to know more about writing PLOs?

For guidance on writing Programme Learning Outcomes see this Programme Learning Outcomes page. This page also includes a practical helpful example of how to build an MSc in Rocket Science programme.

---

5- Assessment

Once you have determined your Programme Learning Outcomes the next step is to think about your programmatic assessment strategy. In our 4-stage process we take a backwards design approach built on the premise that:

“Once the learning goals have been established, the second stage involves consideration of assessment. The backward design framework suggests that instructors should consider these overarching learning goals and how students will be assessed prior to consideration of how to teach the content.” (Bowen, 2017)

This backward design approach is an approach to learning and teaching that focuses first on learning goals and the desired results, then the design of effective assessment as a means of working towards achievement of those goals. It was the focus of the book ‘Understanding by Design’ by Wiggins and McTighe (1998). The backward design approach embraces assessment for learning (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, and Wiliam, 2003) and as learning (Yan & Boud, 2022) approaches. See the main assessment page and the article by Schellekens (2021) for more on Assessment of, for and as learning.

We therefore build on this backwards design via the concept of ‘Intended Programme Assessments’. This means that the programmatic assessment strategy is driven by the PLOs and should consider, among many things, the balance of assessment of, for and as learning, assessment diversity, how the assessments enable achievement of the graduate attributes and embrace sustainability and inclusivity.

 

An assessment strategy is therefore a means of communicating how your programme learning outcomes will be assessed. See the programmatic assessment page for more information and considerations for a programmatic assessment strategy for our MSc in Rocket Science example. Taken together your programme learning outcomes and your assessment strategy will help inform your programme structure and your learning design.

---

6 – Programme structure

Cardiff University programmes are typically formed by a series of modules that are pieced together for the programme to form a coherent whole. A module is a discrete block of study that contributes to the attainment of programme learning outcomes. A module will be credit bearing and it is distinct in terms of its title, aims, learning outcomes and content. The weightings, lengths, sequencing and balance of core and optional modules should all contribute towards the fulfilment of Programme Learning Outcomes, while in alignment with the assessment strategy.

Programme structure will evolve iteratively as the development team determine the required Module Learning Outcomes. Therefore, considerations of structure will help inform Module Learning Outcomes and Module Learning Outcomes considerations will also inform programme structure – consider this a continuing cycle of creation and reflection until the two elements work together effectively. It is normal and necessary for your vision to evolve and change during this process

What exactly is a Module Learning Outcome?

Module Learning Outcomes set out how the required levels of knowledge and skills for each module will work together to achieve the PLOs. MLOs are set at the various FHEQ levels of the programme, as shown in the 3rd stage of our 4-stage process. See this link here for more information.

To understand more about setting Module Learning Outcomes and continue our MSc Rocket Science discussion see our Module Learning Outcomes page.

Required, core and optional modules

In considering all of the above you may wish to make choices between core/required modules and optional modules. Core and required modules are those modules that are key to achieving Programme Learning Outcomes and are essential to supporting students to develop the key skills and knowledge (include pre-requisites) needed to achieve the Programme Outcomes and/or PSRB or benchmark requirements etc. These may align with ‘Threshold competencies’ in the Subject benchmark Statements, whereas typical graduates can distinguish themselves from threshold graduates by virtue of enhancing knowledge and skills through ‘optional’ modules.

If offering optional modules you must consider all pathways through the programme to ensure that Programme Learning Outcomes are met and assessment diversity is maintained, regardless of what option combinations students make. It may be that several optional modules are offered to meet one programme learning outcome, e.g., offering teamwork across all optional modules to meet ‘collaborative’ learning outcomes.

Common Programme Structures

Modules can be arranged in a number of ways.Two of the most common are:

1) Traditional or long and thin approaches where modules stretch across semesters and students undertake multiple modules at once, or;

2) Block intensive, or short and fat modules where modules are taught in condensed time periods and usually in phases. There are more innovative means of structuring based on ‘Integrated Programme Assessment’.

To continue with our BSc/MSc Rocket Science example, here is a structure from Kingston University for their BSc (Hons) Aerospace Engineering course, where each level comprises four modules worth 30 credits and a placement year opportunity.

Traditional and block structures

---

7 – Bringing it all together

Once your programme learning outcomes, assessment strategy and structure are determined, you can effectively complete an outcomes mapping exercise. In taking a programmatic approach and working through the 4 main stages of backward design you will be able to identify:

1. Programme Learning Outcomes
2. A programmatic approach to assessment
3. Your Module Learning Outcomes
4. Your Modular Assessment Strategy and subsequent learning activities.

In doing this, it will enable you to have a holistic aligned perspective of outcomes and assessment across your programme. To visualise this mapping please see the below ‘blank template’ that demonstrates how these may come together. A full example of this, from our BSc / MSc in Rocket Science is built up as you progress through the toolkit but is also provided in the deep dive section:

You will have multiple opportunities during the QA process to display how each of the programme development elements work together. Please click on the below accordion menus for screenshots of Quality documentation where alignment between these areas will be presented.

Finishing quality assurance procedures

When you have presented to PPSP. you will be ready to begin making your programme a reality. Look at our Learning Design and Preparing to Teach section for more on this.

---

Deeper dive