This resource and advice it provides is based on the content of and discussions that took place as part of two workshops delivered during the “Flexible Learning in a Changing World: the EQAL initiative” conference held on the 8th of September 2010.

Implications of EQAL for unit level learning outcomes and assessment strategies

Under the EQAL proposals units at all undergraduate levels will have a standard 30 credit rating.  There will therefore be 4 x 30 credit units at each level of study.  Each 30 credit unit will set a maximum of five learning outcomes and these will be assessed through two elements of summative assessment. The main implications, for programmes, will be fewer, larger units with fewer learning outcomes and less overall summative assessment.  The new online unit specification form will require unit leaders to:

• Map learning outcomes to the specific elements of summative assessment that test them
• Map unit level learning outcomes to MMU graduate learning outcomes that are part of the Employability Curriculum Framework (ECF)

Discussion with colleagues and the experience of EQAL pilot programmes (link to Paul Cammack) suggests that simply repurposing current unit level content into the new framework and repackaging current unit level learning outcomes and assessment strategies would be very problematic, if not impossible.  Programme teams are advised to adopt a big picture approach, reviewing overall programme aims and learning outcomes, taking into account their subject benchmarks, the ECF and MMU graduate learning outcomes, the requirements of professional bodies (where required) and developing appropriate sets of 30 credit units based on this review.  This will inevitably require writing new unit learning outcomes and devising new unit level assessment strategies.

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