A Course Redesign to Redefine Students Learning Outcomes: What's All the Hype?

Since the Commission for Academic Accreditation required all Higher Education institutions in the UAE to "develop a learning outcomes-based approach" there have been many attempts to modify the way student learning is measured. At the course level, it has become important to redesign traditional content-driven courses to include specific students learning outcomes. This might be particularly challenging for General Education courses probably because of the general scope of these courses. Developing learning outcomes may ignore the integrative approaches and broader purposes associated with General education. This paper presents a case where learning outcomes have been redefined at a General Education course at a newly-accredited university in Abu Dhabi. The paper argues that mapping of course learning outcomes ensures alignment within the program and across the entire course. Students' perceptions were explored via a student survey at the end of the instruction program. This paper also includes discussion of issues and challenges such as the role of faculty in course redesign.