Find all you need to know about Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) on this page. You’ll also find resources to help you write your course and unit level ILOs.
What are ILOs?
ILOs are statements that explicitly describe what every student needs to have learned to successfully complete the course or level of study.
Higher Education Quality Assurance practice defines students in terms of what they can do at the end of a course, not what they have been taught.
ILOs should focus on what subject knowledge and understanding, as well as skills, behaviours, values, and ethics, students must be able to demonstrate by the end of the course. Determining the overall purpose and aims of your course or unit is the basis for the development of meaningful ILOs
Intended learning outcome FAQ
ILO tools and resources
What are the benefits of well-written ILOs?
- Enable lecturers to be more precise in planning, supporting, and assessing learning.
- Provide a basis for writing assessment criteria.
- Allow lecturers to make changes and updates to your course without going through formal change procedures
- Provide a clear idea of what is expected, and a goal for learning and studying. This has been found to improve student success rates[1] as well as students’ confidence, sense of belonging, and retention – with significant benefits for those from Widening Participation backgrounds.[2]
- Enable informed choices to be made about courses during recruitment or units during the course.
- Help identify relevant prior learning and recognise what they know so they can better articulate their skills and knowledge on completion of their studies for future study and employability purposes.
[1]Hattie, 2011, 130
[2]Winklemes, Bernacki, Butler, Zochowski, Golanics, and Weavil, 2016
White, M.A. (1971) The View from the Student’s Desk, (p.340)
“The analogy that might make the student’s view more comprehensible…is to imagine oneself on a ship sailing across an unknown sea, to an unknown destination. A [lecturer] would be desperate to know where [they are] going. But a student only knows [they are] going on a ship. The chart is neither available nor understandable… Very quickly, the daily life on board ship becomes all important…the daily chores, the demands, the inspections, become the reality, not the voyage or the destination.”
- Explicitly articulate the underpinning values, attitudes, and skills not reflected in the content.
- Enable transparent and effective links to be made between learning and teaching methods, and assessment and feedback methods, and course/unit evaluation methods
ILOs and quality assurance
Setting and maintaining academic standards
Degree-awarding bodies are responsible for setting and maintaining the academic standards and quality of courses leading to qualifications that they award. Institutions must:
- position their qualifications at the appropriate level of the relevant framework for higher education qualifications
- ensure that course intended learning outcomes align with the relevant qualification descriptor
- ensure that course intended learning outcomes required for each of their courses and qualifications are specified clearly (including those for any intermediate or exit qualifications within them)
- be satisfied that, for any course, the learning opportunities and assessment provides every student with the opportunity to achieve, and to demonstrate achievement of, the course intended learning outcomes
For more guidance, visit: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code
Framework for Higher Education Qualification (FHEQ)
The FHEQ is a formal structure that has been adopted by the UK to define their qualification system. The FHEQ has qualification descriptors for each level which state the outcomes which a student should achieve and the wider abilities which a student may have developed. This ensures that intended learning outcomes are at the right academic level for the course, defines the progression between levels and confirms that credit and qualifications are awarded to mark the achievement of positively defined outcomes.
The frameworks and descriptors are an important tool for professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs) in defining and using qualifications in the context of their professional recognition and accreditation processes.
Course and unit intended learning outcomes should be linked to the correct level of the FHEQ (for example, Bachelor degree with Honours is a level 6 qualification). Intended learning outcomes provide a standard benchmark for UK HE, providing transparency and comparability between courses and institutions (nationally and internationally), ensuring degree standards and outcomes are equitable.
For more guidance, visit: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf
Subject Benchmark Statements
Subject Benchmark Statements define what can be expected of graduates in particular subject areas. They describe what graduates might know, understand and be able to do at the end of their studies.
For more guidance, visit: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements
Characteristic Statements
These statements describe the qualifications (e.g. Foundation degree, Masters degree) in terms of their purpose, general characteristics and generic outcomes, but do not include subject level detail. CILOs are required to align with the relevant statement.
For more guidance, visit: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code
Examples of ILOs from different disciplines
By the end of the course you will be able to…
Recognise complexities in the construction industry, and the need for safe, efficient and sustainable development.
MSc in Modern Building Design (PGT Early Adopter), Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Apply key engineering management concepts and principles, linking theory and practice meaningfully and identifying the most relevant data to inform decision making.
MSc in Engineering Business Management, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Appraise existing information in order to generate innovative solutions relating to the environmental design of buildings.
MSc in Architectural Engineering: Environmental Design (PGT Early Adopter), Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Apply the concepts and principles of chemical and biochemical engineering to the solution of engineering problems in both familiar and in unpredictable professional environments.
BEng and MEng Chemical Engineering (Vanguard), Department of Chemical Engineering
Analyse and solve complex open-ended problems relating to the conservation of historic buildings and cultural heritage, identifying possibilities for originality and creativity.
MSc in Conservation of Historic Buildings (PGT Early Adopter), Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Communicate complex information clearly and effectively to the target audience.
MSc in Civil Engineering: Innovative Structural Materials (PGT Early Adopter), Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Plan and execute a small project.
BEng in Computer Systems Engineering, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
By the end of the course you will be able to…
Develop coherent arguments and challenge assumptions.
BSc and MSci Sport and Exercise Science (Vanguard), Department for Health
Demonstrate originality and creativity to systematically deal with complex issues at the forefront of sport and exercise science.
MSci Sport and Exercise Science (Vanguard), Department for Health
Construct and sustain a reasoned argument about educational issues in a clear, lucid and coherent manner.
BA Education with Psychology, Department of Education
Design and conduct experimental and observational studies and analyse the data resulting from them.
BSc Economics and Mathematics, Department of Economics
Synthesise a wide range of conceptual and empirical material in a coherent and structured way for a variety of public and policy audiences.
MSc Public Policy, Department of Social and Policy Sciences
Recognise the inherent variability and diversity of psychological functioning and its significance.
BSc Psychology, Department of Psychology
Critically evaluate research.
MA International Security, Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
By the end of the course you will be able to…
Formulate and test hypotheses.
BSc Biochemistry, Department of Biology and Biochemistry
Propose and apply creative solutions to chemical problems.
BSc Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
Utilise self-directed problem solving and analytical skills in a wide variety of practical situations.
MSc Software Systems, Department of Computer Science
Formulate methods of solution for a variety of mathematical problems and provide a theoretical justification for the methods.
BSc Mathematics, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Apply principles of evidence-based practice to the safe and effective management of patients.
MPharm Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Analyse and solve a variety of problems in physics by means of the appropriate application of physical principles and mathematical techniques.
BSc Physics, Department of Physics
Select and utilise appropriate practical methods, models, techniques and tools for the specification, design, construction, documentation and validation of computer-based system.
BSc Computer Science, Department of Computer Science
By the end of the course you will be able to…
Use state-of-the-art business analytics software.
MSc in Business Analytics (PGT Early Adopter)
Critique current business analytics research.
MSc in Business Analytics (PGT Early Adopter)
Develop specialised business analytics models for problems arising in specific contexts.
MSc in Business Analytics (PGT Early Adopter)
Analyse quantitative data and apply statistical techniques appropriately.
BSc Management
Exercise independent judgement and construct a reasoned argument accompanied by evidence in support of conclusions.
BSc International Managemen
Analyse and discuss financial information in a business context, identifying the most relevant data to inform decision making.
MSc in Financ
Identify, reflect upon, and engage critically with appropriate and representative literature in the field of business and management.
MBA Executive