An introduction to learning outcomes A consideration of the nature, function and position of learning outcomes in the creation of the European Higher Education Area

This chapter explores the nature and functions of learning outcomes in the context of the Bologna educational reforms. Section 1 explains what they are and where they originate. Section 2 explores their practical application and multiple functions, and provides a schematic summary. Section 3 places them in the context of current pedagogical reform and highlights their relationship to curriculum development teaching learning and assessment. Section 4 establishes their centrality to the Bologna Process and the successful completion of the European Higher Education Area. Finally, the concluding section 5 points to some important issues associated with their application in the immediate future.