Learning outcomes at study programme and course level

4. Relationship between learning outcomes at the programme and course level

In contemporary higher education, learning outcomes (LOs) represent the foundation for planning, implementing, and evaluating the teaching and learning process. In the documents of the Bologna Process, the importance and central role of learning outcomes is particularly emphasized (Bologna documents 2003, 2012, 2024). Since Croatia joined the Bologna Process in 2001, learning outcomes have been integrated into education regulations, especially those concerning higher education in Croatia.

Clearly defined learning outcomes enable students to understand what is expected of them, while providing teachers with a framework for learning design using an appropriate learning design model and for evaluating student achievement.

The first major challenge is ensuring alignment between the learning outcomes at the study programme level and those at the level of individual courses, and the second challenge relates to determining the relative importance of course-level learning outcomes, that is, the weighting of learning outcomes.