Learning outcomes at study programme and course level

3. Determining the weights of learning outcomes

Not all learning outcomes are equally important, nor do they require the same amount of time and cognitive effort from students. Therefore, it is important to determine priorities among them, that is, to assign their relative weight to ensure a fair distribution of learning activities and assessment tasks. According to the research by Divjak, Kadoić, and Žugec (2021), the application of multi-criteria decision-making methods, such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), enables a systematic determination of learning outcome weights by considering various criteria, such as:

• the importance of the learning outcome and topic for the future profession
• the level of complexity according to the chosen taxonomy (e.g., Bloom's levels)
• the contribution to the development of 21st-century generic skills
• the student workload required to achieve the learning outcome

However, sophisticated methods are not always necessary for determining the weights of learning outcomes. Students and other stakeholders (e.g., employers) may participate in the process of determining the weights alongside teachers.