Learning outcomes v1.1

The periodic review went very well, with commendations for the quality of our documentation and the enthusiasm of the course team, which was nice. We had a couple of minor technical conditions, which have been swiftly fixed, and only one significant recommendation – to clarify the learning outcomes in relation to the learning agreement. This ties in nicely with the upcoming changes to the academic framework, which will see all courses reduce the number of learning outcomes per module to a maximum of 4, and reduce the number of course learning outcomes to a maximum of 6. It has also provided a window of opportunity to squeeze something into the module learning outcomes to address the issue of tutorial engagement (or the lack of it for some students). In the previous module outcomes, we referred to ‘appropriate academic contexts’. We’ve now narrowed this down to ‘tutorials’ to remove any wriggle room, and to link tutorial engagement directly to assessment. We’ve kept the more generic term in the course outcomes, but inside the actual modules, there’s no confusion about what we mean.

Here are the final learning outcomes for the BA Hons Graphic Arts & Design course at Leeds Metropolitan University:

Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion the BA Hons Graphic Arts & Design course, a graduate is able to:

1. Integrate practical and theoretical skills in the production and presentation of a consolidated body of work.
2. Negotiate, create and present a coherent, sustainable, individually appropriate and critically informed body of work.
3. Articulate their ideas, intentions and outcomes within appropriate academic and professional contexts.
4. Locate their practice within appropriate social, cultural, historical, professional and technical contexts.


Learning Outcomes – Level Six
On successful completion of Level Six, the student is able to:

1. Integrate practical and theoretical skills in the production and presentation of a consolidated body of practical work and an Extended Learning Agreement.
2. Negotiate, create and present a coherent, sustainable, individually appropriate and critically informed body of practical work and an Extended Learning Agreement.
3. Reflect upon their learning, and articulate their ideas, intentions and outcomes in tutorials and through an Extended Learning Agreement.
4. Locate their practice within appropriate social, cultural, historical, professional and technical contexts, and articulate their understanding of these contexts in tutorials and through an Extended Learning Agreement.


Learning Outcomes – Level Five
On successful completion of Level Five, the student is able to:

1. Integrate practical and theoretical skills in the production and presentation of a consolidated body of practical work and a Learning Agreement.
2. Negotiate, create and present an individually appropriate and critically informed body of practical work and a Learning Agreement.
3. Reflect upon their learning, and articulate their ideas, intentions and outcomes in tutorials and through a Learning Agreement.
4. Locate their practice within appropriate social, cultural, historical, professional and technical contexts, and articulate their understanding of these contexts in tutorials and through a Learning Agreement.
5. Understand the broad range of processes that constitute graphic arts and design.
6. Embrace ambiguity, uncertainty and unfamiliarity in relation to their individual creative practice.


Learning Outcomes – Level Four
On successful completion of Level Four, the student is able to:

1. Integrate practical and theoretical skills in the production of a negotiated practical project and a first Learning Agreement.
2. Develop and apply practical skills in the creation and presentation of a body of self-directed practical work.
3. Work independently and assume responsibility for their own learning.
4. Reflect upon their learning, and articulate their ideas, intentions and outcomes in tutorials and through a first Learning Agreement.
5. Locate their practice within appropriate social, cultural, historical, professional and technical contexts, and articulate an understanding of these contexts in tutorials and through a first Learning Agreement.
6. Undertake a theoretical approach to study.
7. Research and analyse the work of others within a critical account.
8. Produce of a reasoned argument that interrogates and interprets selected examples of visual culture.
9. Resolve collaborative and developmental studio briefs using a range of techniques, processes and materials.
10. Demonstrate awareness of the broad range of approaches that constitute graphic arts and design.
11. Understand the course philosophy.
12. Understand which support services, facilities and learning technologies are available, and be competent in their use.