Paper outlines and learning outcomes

Paper outlines provide the official information about the nature and key requirements of all papers. The outlines provide you with an overview of a paper, and all the information and expectations necessary to pass it. You can access a paper outline through the Moodle page for that paper and through the paper outlines website. This is also a good place to check out past paper outlines to give you a sense of what might be expected; however, bear in mind that papers may change from year to year.

A paper outline includes the following information related to assessment:

• Paper learning outcomes.
• Assessments (including any that are compulsory), the percentage of the overall paper mark they are worth, and their due dates.
• The assessment/examination ratio.
• Requirements for assessed work, e.g. assessment type, format, referencing guidelines (if any), and submission expectations. More detail may be provided on Moodle.
• How achievement will be measured and/or where detailed marking criteria may be found (e.g. on Moodle).
• How to request extensions, ask for special consideration, and appeal your grades.
• The university’s expectations around academic integrity.

You are expected to plan for and meet the submission dates for your assessments. There may be penalties for late assessment submissions. If you think that you may have trouble meeting a due date, contact your lecturer sooner rather than later.

The paper learning outcomes:

• Describe what you are expected to be able to do by the end of the paper.
• Should be tightly tied to your assessments, so that they give you a good sense of the capabilities that you are expected to develop.
• Are a great study aid: try rephrasing learning outcomes into practice assessment questions.

Your lecturer may also include learning outcomes that are tied to specific assessments and/or topics. These learning outcomes would describe what you are expected to be able to do by the end of each component (e.g. by the end of a particular assessment).