Learning outcomes at study 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 are particularly emphasized (Bologna documents 2003, 2012, 2024). Since Croatia joined the Bologna Process in 2001, learning outcomes have been incorporated into the educational regulations, especially those governing 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 within an appropriate learning design model and for evaluating student achievement.

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

At the course level, all learning outcomes must be linked to appropriate learning and teaching methods as well as assessment methods (constructive alignment).