The document outlines a workshop by Dr. Peter Kahn on writing effective programme specifications, emphasizing their role in quality assurance and as information sources for various stakeholders. It discusses key aspects such as writing clear outcomes, ensuring distinctiveness, addressing transferable skills, and linking teaching methods and assessment to programme outcomes. Practical exercises and guidance for improvement are also provided, along with acknowledgment of the workshop's origins and further reading recommendations.

1. Writing a Programme
Specification
Dr Peter Kahn
University of Liverpool

2. Outline of workshop
• Effective programme specifications
– Introduction
– Issues to consider
– Connections
• Practical exercises

3. Introduction
• 'A programme specification is a concise
description of the intended outcomes in
terms of knowledge, understanding,
skills and other attributes, and the
means by which these outcomes are
achieved and demonstrated.’
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/crntwork/progspec/contents.htm

4. Purpose of a programme
specification
• To provide evidence for quality
assurance purposes
• Other uses:
– as a source of information for students,
potential students, employers and
accrediting bodies;
– to promote discussion on a programme
team.

5. Uses in quality reviews
To assist reviewers in their judgements:
• against national standards for subjects
and qualifications;
• on the quality of learning opportunities
(particularly in relation to aims,
communication, curricula and
assessment).

6. External reference points
• External reference points include: subject
benchmark statements, qualifications
descriptors, requirements of professional
bodies, research into higher education.

7. Writing outcomes
• Programme outcomes should:
– be manageable in number;
– provide a strategic summary;
– apply to all students;
– be understandable by students;
– be neither too vague nor too detailed.

8. Examples
• You will develop ‘thinking skills’ which will
enable you to outline the arguments
employed in publications, identifying where
relevant the following elements: premise,
conclusion, appeal to authority …
• By the end of the programme students will
have an understanding of principles, theory,
philosophy and practice of Human
Geography.

9. A discrete approach
• Consider listing/framing outcomes
under different categories:
– knowledge and understanding;
– intellectual skills;
– practical skills;
– transferable skills.

10. Issues to consider
• It is easy to write a programme specification
that is identical to many other programme
specifications.
• The issue is to write distinctive programme
specifications that convey the thrust of the
programme.

11. Bland skills
• A discrete approach can encourage a
divorce between understanding and
intellectual or practical skills.
• Ensure outcomes which concern
intellectual and practical skills also refer
to specific subject matter.

12. Bland transferable skills
• How to avoid writing bland statements
of transferable skills:
– ability to work in teams
– ability to use word-processing
– ability to give presentations

13. Pay attention to level
• Ensure your programme outcomes
require a high-level command of these
skills.
• Provide one outcome for each key skill,
with further outcomes referring to
application, integration and autonomy in
their development.

14. Dealing with choice
• Programmes usually allow significant
choice.
• One or more outcomes will need to
refer to the additional knowledge and
skills gained by the choices that
students make.

15. Demonstrating progression
• Specifications concern programme
outcomes but outcomes should allow
scope to demonstrate progression.
– Include outcomes from earlier in the
programme.
– Use a Curriculum Skills map to analyse
progression.

16. Joint/multi discipline issues
• Each distinct programme needs to be
specified in some fashion.
– Provide a common set of outcomes with
additional outcomes for each distinct
programme.
– Provide a specification for each subject,
with a rationale for each combination.

17. Connections to programme
The outcomes should:
– deliver the aims;
– be appropriate to admissions profile;
– match outcomes of course units;
– be assessed;
– highlight strength and hide weakness.

18. Teaching and learning
• Programme specifications require you
to outline the teaching and learning
methods employed in the programme.
• Are they suited to the programme
outcomes? How can you make it
evident in the programme specification
that they are suitable?

19. Assessment
• ‘If significant intended learning outcomes
appear not to be assessed , … , it would be
unlikely that reviewers could have confidence
in the standards of the provision.’
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/public/acrevhbook/contents.htm

20. • Programme specifications require you
to outline the assessment methods
employed in the programme.
• Are they suited to the programme
outcomes? How can you make it
evident in the programme specification
that they are suitable?

21. Commendable practice
and weaknesses
• Are there any ways in which you can
use a programme specification to
highlight good practice and minimise
weaknesses?

22. Practical exercises
• Initial writing/advice
– Models of good practice
– Focus on earlier issues
• ‘Consultancy’
– Perform checks on the draft
– Identify areas for improvement

23. Acknowledgments
This workshop was originally developed
while working at the University of
Manchester.
Dr Peter Kahn
kahn@liv.ac.uk
April 2013

24. Further reading
• See also Chapter 5 – ‘Writing for
Development’ by Angela Brew, in
Baume D and Kahn P E (Eds) (2004)
Enhancing Staff and Educational
Development, Routledge.