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Conceptualising a new qualification Version 2 - November 2016

A series of templates to course designers to sequentially develop the bones for a new qualification.

Progression through this sequence of templates will enable course designers to produce:

A statement of curriculum philosophy

A series of course learning outcomes which are:

informed by various sources of stakeholder feedback informed by professional competencies/standards written in response to Australian Qualification Standards descriptors complemented by year level learning outcomes

A sequence of threshold knowledge and skills for each course learning outcome that can be:

clustered to inform unit designs expressed as unit level intended learning outcomes

This Template is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseTemplate Creators - Stephen Linquist and Rachael Phegan [email protected] / [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]


http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Course Design Contributors

Background: This document has been compiled as an enabler to assist teaching teams to conduct and document their conception of a new or significantly revised qualification. It is presented in an editable word document to reflect the inherent purpose of it as a design process that can be adapted to fit a variety of qualification types.

Course planning is often performed using a variety of ad-hoc processes which are documented on butchers paper. This working out is often disregarded once the course designers have the capacity to submit the required documentation for the course approval process. This document can hopefully serve a longer term function by being available to the course team at the point of course evaluation, external audit and eventual re-design. For this reason, it is important to document who has directly and indirectly contributed to the course conceptualisation.

Course Design Team Course Advisory Committee Membership Any additional Stakeholders who have informed the design


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Who is the Current Graduate

Purpose: This template enables prospective course developers to succinctly define what they believe their current graduate is required to do, know and how these knowledge and skills need to be applied.

The intention is for the course developers to briefly disregard the current course learning outcomes and provide a series of responses which draw out their current understanding. You may elect to use the course description as a reference point to kick start the process.

Course DescriptionInsert Course Description

Dissecting the Course Description

After looking at the course description above and reflecting on your current practice; use the table below to define what the current graduate is expected to know or do + how + and in what context

Do Know How Context


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Drafting a Curriculum Philosophy Statement

One way of thinking about the statement of curriculum, is to consider it as a design brief for the development of the course curriculum and teaching. It is a document which can be iteratively developed in parallel with the course curriculum.

These sample questions (listed below) are provided as a starting point for a teaching team to articulate their vision for the proposed curriculum design and the provision of student learning experiences. You may start by entering tentative responses which solidify as you progress through the design process.

Note: Please feel free to modify the questions as these are simply a starting point.

To access a deconstructed example please access guide to writing a statement of curriculum philosophy at: https://elibrary.utas.edu.au/lor/items/32e73ebf-a050-4644-b53d-2d0efc67dc4a/1/

Guiding Criteria Response to the criteria

☐ Course Description that reflects the relevant AQF level criteria (knowledge, skills, application of knowledge and skills).

☐ Articulates any overarching values or perspectives that this program has been designed to engender.

☐ States the level or areas of engagement expected of students to enable their development into graduates.

☐ Describes any generic graduate qualities (formerly attributes) which are most assessed (or emphasised) in the curriculum and/or list the level, modes or type of cognition expected of graduates.

☐ Lists any specific streams or majors which students have a choice to specialise in.

☐ Explains the major simulated or workplace based opportunities built into the program for students to develop into work ready graduates.


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☐ Outlines the forces which have influenced the creation of the course learning outcomes for this program.

☐ Explains how the program provides opportunities for students to extend their learning beyond any regulatory and/or accrediting requirements?


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Getting started with the AQF

The Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) contains a series of descriptors for each qualification type. These descriptors provide course designers with a broad description of the standard of knowledge, skills and their application, that a student must be able to demonstrate in order to graduate from the respective qualification. The AQF descriptors should inform the drafting of course learning outcomes and year level learning outcomes.

Course learning outcomes - define the application of knowledge and skills that a student must achieve in order to graduate with the stated qualification.

Year level learning outcomes - articulate the required application of knowledge and skills for a student to:

a) nominally achieve at the end of each year within a qualification that is longer than a year – for e.g. AQF 5 descriptors are used to construct end of first year learning outcomes for a three year AQF 7 bachelors degree b) achieve in order to be awarded a qualification that is nested within a higher level qualification – for e.g. an associate degree at the end of a second year of a three-year bachelor’s degree.

Purpose - It can be difficult to apply the descriptors from one individual AQF level in isolation. As a means of mitigating this difficulty, the following template requires you to copy and paste the descriptors for the qualification type you intend to conceptualise, accompanied by the subordinate level descriptors which could be used to inform year level learning outcomes. The template is currently populated for a bachelors degree AQF 7, accompanied by descriptors for a diploma (AQF 5 – year 1) and an associate degree (AQF 6 – year 2).

Using the template - Compare the differences between the descriptors at each level in order for you and your colleagues to develop a shared understanding of the graduate you are needing to articulate in the course learning outcomes. Once you have completed this template, you will refer to it at numerous points through the process of conceptualising the qualification.

AQF 5 / Diploma Key Differences between 5 and 6

AQF 6 / Associate Degree Key Differences between 6 and 7

AQF 7 / Bachelors degree Key Differences between 7 and 8

AQF 8 / Honours

Purpose Qualifies individuals who apply integrated technical and theoretical concepts in a broad range of contexts to undertake advanced skilled or paraprofessional work and as a pathway for further learning

Qualifies individuals who apply underpinning technical and theoretical knowledge in a range of contexts to undertake paraprofessional work and as a pathway for further learning

Qualifies individuals who apply a broad and coherent body of knowledge in a range of contexts to undertake professional work and as a pathway for further learning

Qualifies individuals who apply a body of knowledge in a specific context toundertake professional work and as a pathway for research and further learning

Knowledge Graduates will have technical and theoretical knowledge and concepts, with depth in some areas within a field of work and learning

Graduates will have broad theoretical and technical knowledge with some depth in the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines

Graduates will have a broad and coherent body of knowledge, with depth in the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines as a basis for independent lifelong learning

Graduates will have coherent and advanced knowledge of the underlyingprinciples and concepts in one or more disciplines and knowledge of research principles and methods

Skills Graduates will have:

• cognitive and communication skills to identify, analyse, synthesise and act on information from a range of sources • cognitive, technical and communication skills to analyse, plan, design and evaluate approaches to unpredictable problems and/or management requirements • specialist technical and creative skills to express ideas and perspectives

Graduates will have:

• cognitive skills to identify, analyse and evaluate information and concepts from a range of sources • cognitive, technical and creative thinking skills to demonstrate a broad understanding of knowledge and ideas with some depth in a discipline • cognitive, communication and analytical skills to interpret and transmit responses to sometimes complex problems


• cognitive skills to review critically, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge • cognitive and technical skills to demonstrate a broad understanding of knowledge with depth in some areas • cognitive and creative skills to exercise critical thinking and judgement in identifying and solving problems with intellectual independence • communication skills to present a clear, coherent and


• cognitive skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge to identify and providesolutions to complex problems with intellectual independence

• cognitive and technical skills to demonstrate a broad understanding of a body of knowledge andtheoretical concepts with advanced understanding in some areas


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• communication skills to transfer knowledge and specialised skills to others and demonstrate understanding of knowledge

• communication skills to make a clear and coherent presentation of knowledge and ideas with some intellectual independence

independent exposition of knowledge and ideas • cognitive skills to exercise

critical thinking and judgement in developing new understanding

• technical skills to design and use research in a project

• communication skills to present a clear and coherent exposition of knowledge and ideas to a variety ofAudiences

Application of Knowledge and Skills

Graduates will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:

• with depth in some areas of specialisation, in known or changing contexts and skills • to transfer and apply theoretical concepts and/or technical and/or creative skills in a range of situations • with personal responsibility and autonomy in performing complex technical operations with responsibility for own outputs in relation to broad parameters for quantity and quality • with initiative and judgement to organise the work of self and others and plan, coordinate and evaluate the work of teams within broad but generally well-defined parameters


• with initiative and judgement in planning, problem solving and decision making in paraprofessional practice and skills • to adapt knowledge and skills in a range of contexts and/or for further studies in one or more disciplines • to adapt fundamental principles, concepts and techniques to known and unknown situations • with responsibility and accountability for own learning and work and in collaboration with others within broad parameters


• with initiative and judgement in planning, problem solving and decision making in professional practice and skills and/or scholarship • to adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts • with responsibility and accountability for own learning and professional practice and in collaboration with others within broad parameters


• with initiative and judgement in professional practice and/or scholarship• to adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts• with responsibility and accountability for own learning and practice and in collaboration with otherswithin broad parameters• to plan and execute project work and/or a piece of research and scholarship with some independence


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Defining the Graduate Persona

Purpose – For course designers to define a graduate persona based on various sources of feedback (or input) and their previously stated description of the current graduate.

Step 1 – List the major pieces of feedback (or input) that you have received from various stakeholders who:

- have requested the proposed qualification- will be developing or teaching into the proposed qualification - will be accrediting the qualification

Step 2 – In response to this feedback, outline what a graduate in the proposed qualification will need to do, know and how these skills and knowledge will need to be applied. Please consider the ‘do’, ‘know’, ‘how’ and ‘context’ in relation to one another as a string of text that can be later utilised in the writing of course learning outcomes.

Step 3 – Move down to the ‘Graduate Persona’ section of the template and outline a summary of the required skills, knowledge and application for the proposed graduate (graduate persona).

Sources of Input (Step 1) Defining the proposed graduate (step 2)

Use the table below to define what the current graduate is expected to know or do + how + and in what contextIndicate in first column whether it is a core or specialist knowledge / skill.

Accrediting BodiesThe overarching competencies or standards

List below

C/S Do Know How ContextInsert here

Employers or industry bodies

List below


Students

List below


Academic / Teaching

List below


Graduate Persona (step 3)

Define what the graduate will be able to know or do + how + and in what context by referencing your dissection of the current graduate description (on separate page) in parallel with your responses to each category of feedback (above)

Indicate in first column whether it is a core or specialist knowledge / skill


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Applying the Graduate Persona within the AQF

Purpose – To prepare a set of draft course learning outcomes referencing both the appropriate AQF descriptors and your graduate persona (from the previous section of this process).

Step 1. Have your graduate persona(s) to use as a reference point

Step 2. Refer to the qualification descriptors in the AQF for the relevant qualification type and replace those which are currently sitting in the respective ‘knowledge’, ‘skills’ and ‘application of knowledge and skills’ sections of the template below. Please note: This template has been pre-populated with descriptors for an AQF 8 Bachelor Honours, however these would need to be replaced for the relevant qualification type for any other qualification.

Step 3. Refer to you graduate persona in order to complete the ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’ sections of the template. You will need to simply insert a new row for each new response and indicate whether it is a core or specialist knowledge/skill. Please note: Whilst it is tempting to copy and paste appropriate responses from the previous template, try and resist doing this as the primary purpose is to define required knowledge, skills and their application, in direct response to the AQF descriptors. Your responses from the previous template will enable to promptly do this so that you don’t get caught relying too heavily on the language of the AQF descriptors.

Step 4. Utilise the responses you have entered into the ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’ sections of the template in parallel with your graduate persona, in order to define the ‘application of knowledge and skills’ for your proposed graduate.

Step 5. Read the explanatory notes on constructing a course learning outcome that are located in the top cell of the right column of the table.

Step 6. Refer to your responses in the ‘Application of Knowledge and Skills’ section of the template in order to commence drafting a sequence of course learning outcomes.

Step 7. Finalise your draft sequence of course learning outcomes by numbering each learning outcome and placing them in a logical hierarchy.

Bachelor Honours Draft Course Learning Outcomes

Purpose The Bachelor Honours Degree qualifies individuals who apply a body of knowledge in a specific context to undertake professional work and as a pathway for research and further learning

Learning outcome = Stem + active verb + focus + condition

The stem: The opening part of the learning outcome e.g. - On completion of this course, you will be able to:

The active verb: The verb which states what you want students to know, consider or do. e.g. - Choose, identify, distinguish, assess, construct etc.

Focus: The process, product or outcome of the action (active verb).Process example – “methods of passage planning”Outcome example – “limitations of electronic systems”Product example – “a passage plan”

Condition (optional): Conditions that are applied to the ‘active verb’ and ‘focus’, to provide a scope for the learning outcome. e.g.: “appropriate for search and rescue operations”, “to ensure navigation safety”, “to

implement Bridge Resource Management”

Knowledge Graduates of a Bachelor Honours Degree will have coherent and advanced knowledge of:the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines

C/S KnowAdd a new description of knowledge on a single/new row

knowledge of research principles and methods

C/S Know


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Add a new description of knowledge on a single/new row

Skills Graduates of a Bachelor Honours Degree will have: • cognitive skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge to identify and provide solutions to complex problems with intellectual independence

C/S Do Know Condition Problem-solving What do you mean by ‘intellectual

independence’

• cognitive and technical skills to demonstrate a broad understanding of a body of knowledge and theoretical concepts with advanced understanding in some areas

C/S Do Know - Body of Knowledge Know - Advanced Knowledge

• cognitive skills to exercise critical thinking and judgement in developing new understanding

C/S Do Know - knowledge of How

• technical skills to design and use research in a project

C/S Do Know – the field or areas How

• communication skills to present a clear and coherent exposition of knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences

C/S Do Know - knowledge of the field or areas How

Application of Knowledge and Skills

Graduates of a Bachelor Honours Degree will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:

• with initiative and judgement in professional practice and/or scholarship

C/S Do Know - knowledge of the field or areas How Context

• to adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts


• with responsibility and accountability for own learning and practice and in collaboration with others within broad parameters


Use this space to start drafting prospective course learning outcomes


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• to plan and execute project work and/or a piece of research and scholarship with some independence


Finalising a sequence of draft course learning outcomes

On completion of this course, you will be able to:

ID C / S Active Verb Focus Condition 1.0


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Expanding Course Learning Outcomes

Purpose: To define the threshold knowledge and skills that a student will need to be assessed against in relation to each course learning outcome.

Now that you have produced some course learning outcomes, you are now at a stage where it is natural to ask questions such as:

How will we produce a schedule of units (subjects)? What topics will be covered and assessed in each unit?

At this stage, the course learning outcomes and the statement of curriculum philosophy are relevant reference points to inform your answers to the above questions. It is now necessary to break each of these course learning outcomes down into a series of required knowledge and skills.

Step 1 – Read through the UTAS graduate quality statement and write a separate quality on each line. You will inevitably need to demonstrate that you have designed assessment experiences (tasks) for students to achieve these graduate qualities. For each quality consider whether the context (represented in the method of assessment) is the ideal means of students being able to demonstrate that they have learnt these qualities. If you believe there are qualities which can only be achieved through being considered as a context or condition in a learning outcome, you will need to consider incorporating these into the unit level learning outcomes.

Step 2 - Define what a student needs to be able to do and know in order to achieve the course learning outcomes.

Step 3 - Write what the desirable context is for the students to demonstrate that they have learnt the stated skills and knowledge.

Step 4 - Write any necessary (major) enablers or conditions for the student to be able to demonstrate that they have learnt the stated skills and knowledge.

Step 5 - Sequence these strings (your responses across a single row) backwards from ‘graduate’ to ‘commencing student’.

UTAS Graduate Quality Statement Graduate Qualities Derived from Statement

The University of Tasmania experience unlocks the potential of individuals. Our graduates are equipped and inspired to shape and respond to the opportunities and challenges of the future as accomplished communicators, highly regarded professionals and culturally competent citizens in local, national, and global society. University of Tasmania graduates acquire subject and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, and develop critical and creative literacies and numeracies and skills of inquiry. They demonstrate the ability to apply this knowledge in changing circumstances. Our graduates recognise and critically evaluate issues of social responsibility, ethical conduct and sustainability, are entrepreneurial and creative, and are mindful of their own wellbeing and that of the community. Through respect for diversity and by working in collaborative ways, our graduates reflect the values of the University of Tasmania.

Themes EthicsEntrepreneurship and CreativitySustainabilityWellbeingSkillsLiteracyNumeracyExperiential Learning

Defining Unit Level Intended Learning Outcomes Insert Draft Course Learning Outcome

ID Threshold Skills Threshold Knowledge Desirable Context Necessary Enablers Graduate Qualities Professional Competencies


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Insert Draft Course Learning Outcome







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Drafting Year Level Learning Outcomes

Purpose: To draft a series of year level learning outcomes that are subordinate to the course learning outcomes.

You will need to refer to the AQF descriptors from ‘Getting Started with the AQF’ in parallel with your sequences of threshold knowledge and skills in order to construct a series of year level learning outcomes that sit directly below each course learning outcome.

For example, if you are designing a series of year level learning outcomes for a four year Bachelor Honours degree, you may elect to use the AQF descriptors to inform the respective years as described below:

Course Learning Outcomes - End of Year 4 – AQF Level 8 Year Level Learning Outcomes - End of Year 3 – AQF Level 7 Year Level Learning Outcomes - End of Year 2 – AQF Level 6 Year Level Learning Outcomes - End of Year 1 – AQF Level 5

Step 1 – Have a copy of the AQF Descriptors ‘Getting Started with the AQF’ and your previously completed template ‘Expanding your Course Learning Outcomes’ printed or accessible on another screen.

Step 2 – Refer to your previously entered ‘key differences’ between each descriptor in order to get a feel for developing year level learning outcomes based on the AQF descriptors from levels that are directly below the level of the qualification.

Step 3 - For each Course Learning Outcome you will need to:

Paste in each course learning outcome into the top row of each single column row. Paste the relevant AQF descriptor that has been used to inform the drafting of this Course Learning Outcome into the relevant cell in the second column. Copy and paste the ‘active verb, focus and condition table from the ‘Finalising a sequence of draft course learning outcomes’ section of the ‘Applying the Graduate Persona within the AQF’ template into

the last column of the CLO row. Copy and paste the ‘Do, Know, How and Context’ table from the ‘Application of Knowledge and Skills’ section of the ‘Applying the Graduate Persona within the AQF’ template into the last column of the

CLO row.

Step 4 – For the development of each year level learning outcome:

Paste the relevant AQF descriptor (from the lower AQF level) that corresponds with the original descriptor used to draft the Course Learning Outcome. Refer to this AQF descriptor in parallel with the CLO and the associated threshold knowledge (from the expanding course learning outcomes template), to define the ‘Do, Know, How and Context’. Use your input into the ‘Do, Know, How and Context’ fields in order to draft the components of a learning outcome expressed as active verb, focus and condition. Utilise the entries into the active verb, focus and condition to draft a year level learning outcome.

Course Learning Outcome 1 – Insert Here

CLO Paste in relevant AQF descriptor that has been used to inform the drafting of this Course Learning Outcome

Tasmanian Model Year 4 descriptor:Transitional study, with the transition being to either meaningful employment, professional




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qualification or further study through research pathways to AQF 8.

Employment pathways – rich experiential learning based on multi-disciplinary teams

Professional pathways – provide the groundwork for professional recognition or accreditation

Research pathways – deepen and apply disciplinary knowledge.

YR 3 Paste in relevant AQF descriptor from one level below that corresponds with the original descriptor used to draft this Course Learning Outcome

Tasmanian Model Year 3 descriptor:Specialist skills and knowledge, particularly disciplinary knowledge. By the end of this year, students should be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge against the learning outcomes of the course and discipline areas to AQF 7. Experiential learning at this stage should be both authentic and proximate.



Compile string of active verb, focus and condition from above to construct your draft year level learning outcome

YR 2 Paste in relevant AQF descriptor from two levels below that corresponds with the original descriptor used to draft this Course Learning Outcome

Tasmanian Model Year 2 descriptor:Continuing to build depth in degree core knowledge and disciplinary knowledge, but ideally in a flexible structure which allows students to engage with a broad range of opportunities, including multi-disciplinary study, more proximate learning, and greater engagement with the Tasmanian and global communities.




YR 1 Paste in relevant AQF descriptor from three levels below that corresponds with the original descriptor used to draft this Course Learning Outcome

Tasmanian Model Year 1 descriptor:A broad introduction to degree core knowledge, including some breadth options. Basic skills in




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numeracy and literacy should be imparted and students should be introduced to concepts in experiential learning.




Tasmanian Model Year 4 descriptor:Transitional study, with the transition being to either meaningful employment, professional qualification or further study through research pathways to AQF 8.












Tasmanian Model Year 2 descriptor:Continuing to build depth in degree core knowledge and disciplinary knowledge, but ideally in a flexible structure which allows





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students to engage with a broad range of opportunities, including multi-disciplinary study, more proximate learning, and greater engagement with the Tasmanian and global communities.


Tasmanian Model Year 1 descriptor:A broad introduction to degree core knowledge, including some breadth options. Basic skills in numeracy and literacy should be imparted and students should be introduced to concepts in experiential learning.













Tasmanian Model Year 3 descriptor:Specialist skills and knowledge, particularly disciplinary knowledge. By the end of this year, students should be able to demonstrate





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advanced knowledge against the learning outcomes of the course and discipline areas to AQF 7. Experiential learning at this stage should be both authentic and proximate.















Professional pathways – provide the




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groundwork for professional recognition or accreditation


















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Templates to come (as of 25/11/16)

- Using year level learning outcomes – Inserting the year level learning outcomes into sequences of threshold knowledge and skills - Locating units of study - Clustering strings of threshold knowledge and skills as concepts for draft units of study


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Documents

Expanding Course Learning Outcomes - EQUELLA Web viewIt is presented in an editable word document to reflect ... The AQF descriptors should inform the drafting of course ... are entrepreneurial