The guidelines present common principles for developing short, learning-outcomes-based descriptions for all qualifications. These are crucial for qualifications databases and registers. This initiative is part of a broader European attempt to increase transparency of qualifications across countries, facilitating mobility and supporting lifelong learning. Significant progress in National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) and the use of learning outcomes in Europe has increased qualification understanding and portability. Structuring short descriptions of qualifications and their learning outcomes consistently improves transparency and, comparability, and facilitates their availability and use in digital environments. Short descriptions provide learners, employers, education and training providers, and others with quick access to learning outcomes information, complementing full national descriptions. The publication offers recommendations on the formal aspects (length, format) and content (scope, complexity, context) of these descriptions. It also includes practical resources, such as lists of action verbs and qualifiers, to help describe clearly the learning outcomes of qualifications.
Authors
- Catalogue number
- TI-BA-24-003-EN-N
- Citation
- Cedefop, European guidelines for the development and writing of short, learning-outcomes-based descriptions of qualifications , Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/838553
- DOI
- https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/838553
- ISBN
- 978-92-896-3775-6
- ISSN
- 1831-2403
- Pages
- 82
- Published in
- Belgium
- Themes
- Education policy , Labour market — Free movement of workers
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements 44
- Contents 45
- Tables, figures and boxes 46
- Tables 46
- Figures 46
- Boxes 46
- Introduction 47
- The importance of short learning-outcomes based descriptions of qualifications 47
- Development and aim of the guidelines 48
- Users and applications of the guidelines 49
- Scope of the guidelines 49
- Use of short learning outcomes descriptions 50
- How to navigate the guidelines 50
- Additional considerations 51
- Learning-outcomes-based short descriptions: main building blocks 52
- A – Formal aspects 53
- A1. Length 53
- A2. Format of the description 53
- B – Content aspects 54
- B1. Overall objectives and orientation of the qualification in the form of a narrative 54
- Guiding questions 55
- Recommendations 57
- Additional considerations and tips 60
- B2 – Learning outcomes in bullet points 61
- Guiding questions 63
- Recommendations 63
- Additional considerations and tips 68
- Acronyms 70
- Annexes 71
- Annex I. Examples of short learning-outcomes-based descriptions of qualifications 71
- Annex II. Action verbs 74
- Annex III. Qualifiers (adjective and adverbs) 77
- Annex IV. European qualifications framework: level descriptors ( ) 78
- Annex V. Additional sources and links 80
- Competence frameworks 80
- 6222_en1.pdf -1
- Acknowledgements 4
- Contents 5
- Tables, figures and boxes 6
- Tables 6
- Figures 6
- Boxes 6
- Introduction 7
- The importance of short learning-outcomes based descriptions of qualifications 7
- Development and aim of the guidelines 8
- Users and applications of the guidelines 9
- Scope of the guidelines 9
- Use of short learning outcomes descriptions 10
- How to navigate the guidelines 10
- Additional considerations 11
- Learning-outcomes-based short descriptions: main building blocks 12
- A – Formal aspects 13
- A1. Length 13
- A2. Format of the description 13
- B – Content aspects 14
- B1. Overall objectives and orientation of the qualification in the form of a narrative 14
- Guiding questions 15
- Recommendations 17
- Additional considerations and tips 20
- B2 – Learning outcomes in bullet points 21
- Guiding questions 23
- Recommendations 23
- Additional considerations and tips 28
- Acronyms 30
- Annexes 31
- Annex I. Examples of short learning-outcomes-based descriptions of qualifications 31
- Annex II. Action verbs 34
- Annex III. Qualifiers (adjective and adverbs) 37
- Annex IV. European qualifications framework: level descriptors ( ) 38
- Annex V. Additional sources and links 40
- Competence frameworks 40
