Visible Learning Trajectories Programme: Bachelor’s programme Media & Culture shares experiences

The Programme Director, Leonie Schmidt, learned about the Visible Learning Trajectories Programme during the Senior Teaching Qualification (STQ) programme, where one of the ZLP leaders hosted a workshop. Leonie explains her motivation: “It has long been a desire to take a critical and thorough look at the overall curriculum. However, due to the significant growth we have experienced in recent years, a lot of energy and time has gone into ‘managing’ our degree programme. After all, we are dealing with a much larger group of students. Additionally, with an assessment procedure scheduled for February 2025, it was an ideal time to participate in the Visible Learning Trajectories Programme in preparation.

The Bachelor’s programme in Media & Culture includes five learning trajectories and Leonie has chosen to appoint two learning trajectory coordinators for each one, diverging from the  common practice of assigning a single coordinator per trajectory. Leonie explains this decision was intentional: “While it might seem like a lot of work, having two coordinators per trajectory has proven highly effective. The advantage of this approach is the collaboration between coordinators,  ensuring consistent attendance at trajectory meetings and fostering team work. Each pair of coordinators was responsible for developing the detailed description and content of their trajectory, as well as collaborating with the coordinators of the courses that contribute to their trajectory. Balázs comments: “Working in pairs was a positive experience. We could support each other, and having duos also brought broader expertise to the core team. This larger team was beneficial for discussing the vision and exit qualifications.”

“Over six months, we had a total of six meetings, each about four  weeks apart. The programme ran smoothly, the group meetings were well-organised and focused on achieving specific goals. We really benefitted from the guidance of the trainers, who provided a comprehensive overview and offered practical input when needed.” Leonie emphasises the importance of thoroughly reviewing the entire curriculum: “Due to the programme’s expansion in student numbers and staff, for (new) teachers understanding ‘the narrative’ of the programme   – the ways in which individual courses and their intended learning outcomes contribute to the overall learning path and programme qualifications – can be challenging.” Balázs found it helpful to discuss different visions and approaches to the content of specific courses: “The programme also revealed previously unknown overlaps in intended learning outcomes. The visualisation through the Visible Learning Trajectories tool will hopefully be valuable and help with facilitating conversations with colleagues when it comes to overlaps and gaps.”

Leonie continues: “The time investment for the learning trajectory coordinators was substantial, but well estimated in advance by the trainers. Although the degree programme allocated hours for this purpose, working in pairs meant that the total number of hours for each learning trajectory had to be divided between two learning trajectory coordinators. It would be more logical to provide compensation per person rather than per learning trajectory. For the  core team formation, two senior teachers were sought for each learning trajectory. Leonie explains: “It was important to have team members who could communicate effectively with their course coordinators. The learning trajectory coordinators are responsible for consulting the course coordinators across multiple courses. While these consultations were time-consuming, they were crucial for ensuring alignment within the learning trajectory.” Balázs adds: “It takes a lot of time to talk with colleagues and reflect on individual course objectives, but this is a crucial step in aligning ideas and building the Visible Learning Trajectories tool. In fact, I spent more time on this programme than I had expected, but  it was also very rewarding.”

The Bachelor’s programme of Media & Culture is set to implement the Visible Learning Trajectories tool in  the 2024-2025 academic year. Balázs notes: “It’s great that we will be using the Visible Learning Trajectories tool. We are confident that we’ve established a solid foundation, making  it relatively easy to accomodate future changes. ” Leonie concludes: “I am currently working on  incorporating regular follow-ups into our annual work flow to ensure everything stays up to date. I hope my successor will prioritise keeping the tool up to date.”