Our Programme Design Philosophy
NEW: A vision for education and skills at Newcastle University: Education for Life 2030+
Programme level design underpins our Leading Edge Curriculum Framework.
"Designing at programme level enables us to shape the educational journey that our students experience moving from a curriculum as a collection of units to learning as a transformative learning experience"
Engaging in intentional programme-level design that is aligned to the LEC requirements is central to how we:
- sequence Learning and Assessment progressively across the student journey
- embed knowledge, Education for Life Skills and Attributes holistically
- develop Encounters with the Leading Edge
- design Capstone Modules
- incorporate Cross-cutting Curriculum Themes
- provide Global Opportunities and Placements
Our approach to programme design starts with an understanding of our students and the skills we aim to develop through the programme.
Following programme design, programme teams articulate the cohesive programme narrative in the Programme design record.
Constructive Alignment
Programme-level design is guided by the principle of constructive alignment, ensuring coherence between:
- learning outcomes
- teaching and learning activities
- assessment
Programme teams begin by articulating what graduates should know, understand, and be capable of doing - the knowledge, skills, and attributes that matter most. Teaching, learning, and assessment are then intentionally designed to support progression toward these outcomes, making links between learning, criteria and outcomes explicit to students.
Programme and Module Learning Outcomes
Within this approach, Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs) act as the anchor for module design, teaching approaches, and assessment criteria.
Rather than separate outcomes for knowledge, skills, and attributes, each of the 6 – 9 PLOs integrates all three. They reflect the programme’s vision and identity as well as its engagement with the leading edge of research, industry, and/or practice and society and align with national standards.
Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs) enact the programme learning outcomes (PLOs) at module level, describing the intended module-specific learning. Each MLO provides a contextualised articulation of a PLO within the module’s disciplinary focus and framed at the appropriate FHEQ level for the module's stage.
MLOs explicitly articulate the skills and attributes developed through the module and inform the design of teaching, learning, and assessment and support students’ progression towards achieving the overall PLOs.
Key documents for LEC Programmes
On the EPGS site see
- How to Create LEC-Aligned PLOs
- The policy document Programme and Module Learning Outcomes sets out the tight alignment between PLOs and MLOs
- The Programme Design record includes a Programme Map that tabulates relationships between PLOs and MLOs
Support for Collaborative Design
Programme teams will be supported by the Curriculum Transformation Team to engage in a structured, collaborative process of curriculum redesign aligned with the new curriculum framework.
Support includes facilitated programme-focused design periods, workshops, and resources that enable teams to work flexibly while developing coherent, programme-level curricula.