Incorporating Learning Outcomes in Transfer Credit - The Way Forward for Campus Alberta?

Oct 15, 2026

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Learning outcomes have become central to higher education reform worldwide, shaping quality assurance, teaching and learning, and transfer credit in interconnected ways. The article concentrates on how learning outcomes can be incorporated into transfer credit systems, using Alberta as a case study. It examines transfer credit, prior learning assessment, student mobility, and system coordination, presenting both advantages and limitations for diverse stakeholders. Drawing on international initiatives and Alberta’s context, it proposes a transparent, systematic way forward.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Learning Outcomes in Higher Education

Quality Assurance and Teaching/Learning

Transfer Credit Focus

Alberta Context and Challenges

Transfer Credit and Prior Learning Assessment

Student Mobility and System Coordination

International Context and Trends

Method and Argument

Critical Analysis Approach

Mutual Support Across Areas

Proposal: A Way Forward

CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 46, No. 2, 2016, pages 148-164 Incorporating Learning Outcomes in Transfer Credit: The Way Forward for Campus Alberta? Dietmar K. Kennepohl Athabasca University Abstract Learning outcomes have become an integral part of the global trend in higher education reform and are employed in three interconnected areas: (1) quality assurance,(2) teaching and learning, and (3) transfer credit. The article touches briefly on the first two areas, but focuses discussion on employing learning outcomes in transfer credit. Using Alberta as a case study, its higher education system is examined and assessed, with emphasis on transfer credit, prior learning assessment, student mobility, and system coordination. Both the advantages and limitations of learning outcomes are presented, including balancing the needs of a wide variety of stakeholders. Taking lessons learned from similar international initiatives and an analysis of the Alberta context, the discussion culminates in a proposal for a way forward for this educational jurisdiction, promoting and incorporating learning outcomes as an important component of systematic and transparent method of transfer credit. Resumé De nos jours, les acquis d’apprentissage sont parties intégrantes dela réformede l’éducation post-secondaire à travers le monde. Ces acquis sont abordésdans trois domaines qui sont étroitement liés : (1) l’assurance de la qualité,(2) l’enseignement et l’apprentissage, et (3) le transfert des crédits. Dans cet article il sera question d’aborder brièvement les deux premiers domaines, pour ensuite mettre l’accent sur la façon d’employer les acquis d’apprentissage pour le transfert des crédits. L’Alberta nous servant comme étude de cas, nous étudierons et évaluerons son système d’éducation postsecondaire, en ciblant les facteurs suivants : le transfert des crédits, l’évaluation et la reconnaissance des acquis , la mobilité des étudiants, et lacoordination des systèmes. Nous CJHE / RCES Volume 46, No. 2, 2016 Incorporating Learning Outcomes in Transfer Credit / D. K. Kennepohl 149 présenterons les avantages et les limites des acquis d’apprentissage, tout en gardant à l’esprit les besoins de toutes les parties prenantes. Nous tiendrons compte des leçons apprises de telles initiatives internationales, et analyserons le contexte albertain. Nous terminerons notre discussion en proposant lavoie à suivre à cette région, c’est-à-dire, de promouvoir et d’intégrer les acquis d’apprentissage, et de les adopter, étant donné qu’ils constituent une importante composante d’une méthode systématique et transparente de transfert de crédit. The learning outcomes movement has been at the forefront of a lot of lively academic discussions and genuine restructuring within higher education systems around the globe. The underlying motives leading to both their creation and use varies somewhat by jurisdiction. For example, their development in Europe, through the Bologna Process for universities and Copenhagen Process for vocational colleges, were motivated by a desire for mobility in work and education for European citizens. On the other hand, in the United States developing learning outcomes resulted from a strong sense of public accountability precipitated by the Spellings Commission, which demanded institutions have clearly articulated outcomes coupled with evidence that students had attained them. Whatever the initial impetus was to employ them, describing learning outcomes (along with assessment of the outcomes) has become the vehicle by which many institutions and educational jurisdictions describe quality (Hazelkorn, 2015; Douglass, Thomson, & Zhao 2012) . Learning outcomes are usually employed in three areas: (1) quality assurance,(2) teaching and learning, and (3) transfer credit. The three are related, and it is important to have familiarity with all three in order to understan

FAQs

What three areas does the article link to learning outcomes?

It links learning outcomes to (1) quality assurance, (2) teaching and learning, and (3) transfer credit. The article notes these areas are interconnected and require familiarity to understand any one of them.

Which topics are analyzed using Alberta as the case study?

The discussion focuses on transfer credit, prior learning assessment, student mobility, and system coordination in Alberta’s postsecondary education system.

What is the central outcome of the paper regarding transfer credit?

It culminates in a proposal for a “way forward” that promotes and incorporates learning outcomes as an important component of a systematic and transparent transfer credit method.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet