WRITING A UNIT DESCRIPTION AT EHL Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne follows an outcomes-based (competency based) approach to curriculum design. This approach focuses on designing your course around what you want your students to be able to do by the end. Please refer to the key terms for clarification on the terminology surrounding this work. This is crystallized in a so-called Unit Description that features on the EHLISA portal and is accessible to students. This document contains a set of guidelines on the content of Unit Descriptions. Key Elements of Unit Descriptions 1. Name of Program 2. Name of Module and weight of the course within the module 3. Module Description 4. Name, number, level, and type of the course 5. Year 6. Semester 7. Number of credits 8. Contact hours 9. Pre and Co-requisites 10. Unit Description 11. Language 12. General Learning Outcomes 13. Subject-specific Competences 14. General Education 15. Assessment / Evaluation structure Note that the faculty members name is not part of the unit description. A change in faculty member does not necessitate a change in unit design. Course Description EHL presents the course description from a third-person perspective, starting with This course will and giving a summary of the content of the course. It may include what topics the students will study and any particular feature which differentiates the course. The intended readers are both future and present students, and stakeholders outside of the school, including parents. General Learning Outcome (GLO) The GLO is written from the second-person perspective, starting with Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to The GLO of a course is typically a one-sentence summary of the subject-specific competences. The GLO is a promise of what the students should be able to do at the end of the course. The following is a disclaimer that can be communicated with students to make them aware of their role in
the learning process. Students may vary in their competency levels on this abilities. You can expect to acquire these abilities only if you honor all course policies, attend classes regularly, complete all assigned work in good faith and on time, and meet all other course expectations of you as the student. Subject-Specific Competences The European Consortium for Accreditation (2013, p. 12) has provided the following guidelines for subject-specific competences: 1. Defined in clear and concrete terms (short and simple sentences); 2. Focused on what students are expected to be able to demonstrate; 3. Describe observable qualities which can be assessed; 4. Are results-oriented; 5. Begin with a verb (Refer to Appendix 1.) Generally for a 45 hour course, three to five subject specific competences should be developed. After you have written or updated the GLO and subject-specific competences, you are encouraged to use the rubric (Appendix 2) to self-assess your work prior to entering the information on EHLISA. General Education General education competences can be aligned to the following four areas: Cognitive: Thinking about facts, terms, concepts, principles, ideas, relationships, patterns, and conclusions. Examples: Critical thinking, knowledge and remembering, comprehension and translation, application, analysis, synthesis and creating, evaluation. Personal: Personal social skills including self-knowledge, autonomy, and recognize the importance of ongoing learning. Example: Autonomous self-development, affective skills - demonstration of appropriate emotions and affect. Social: Appropriate, productive interaction and behavior with other people. Examples: Teamwork, cooperation and respect within a team, leadership when needed, assertive behavior in dealing with conflict, negotiation and mediation skills. Ethical: Decision making that takes into account the moral implications and repercussions (effects on other people and environments) of each reasonable option. Example: managerial decisions involving social, economic, political, or legal trade-offs. Depending on the course content, other general education competences can be applied. Please consult with the Faculty Development Team (FDT) when necessary. Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne 2
Assessment The assessment plan describes each evaluation and the competences it covers. All subject-specific competences should be evaluated. For each evaluation, the following information must be provided: 1. Weight of the Assessment 2. Classification: Formative or Summative 3. Individual or Group 4. Subject-Specific Competences being assessed 5. General Education Competences being assessed Please refer to the program framework on assessment for more information. Key Terms The following list of key terms and definitions is the language used at EHL for all unit, module, and program design. Assessment: Measurement of the achievement and progress of a learner Bologna Process: A movement to bring compatibility to degree structures that will promote recognition of qualifications outside their country of origin. ECTS: European Credit Transfer System; the pan-european scheme for awarding credit to units of study. Feedback: Oral or written developmental advice on performance so that the student has a better understanding of the expected values, standards or criteria, and can improve their performance. Formative Assessment: Assessment that is used to help faculty members and learners gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the learners performance while there is still time to take action for improvement. Learning Outcomes: Measurable statements that articulate what students should know, be able to do, or value as a result of taking a course or completing a program. At EHL, there are program outcomes, yearly learning outcomes (YLOs), and unit/course learning outcomes. Module: A distinct unit of study, credit-rated, assessed, and part of a larger degree-bearing program of study. Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne 3
Appendix 1: Student Performance Verbs by Level of Cognitive Operation in Bloom s Taxonomy and Anderson and Krathwohl s Taxonomy (Nilson, 2016) Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne 4
Appendix 1: Continued Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne 5
Appendix 2: Rubric for Evaluating and Revising Student Learning Outcomes (Nilson, 2016) Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne 6