The paper starts from the observation that applying benchmarking statements to programmes of study has become a compulsory part of curriculum design documentation and quality assurance and shows how these processes can be much more than a simple exercise in bureaucratic compliance. Through specific examples it shows how the writing of programme specifications can be used as an opportunity to reflect on how closely what we expect of students is clearly articulated supported by the most effective learning strategies and assessed in transparent ways. It is an especially valuable way to encourage a curriculum team to relate the work they undertake in a single module to the students. experience at the level of the whole course.
The commentary explores the implications of using a benchmarking statement based upon a descriptive (rather than prescriptive) mapping of a whole field. While the author feels that the finished statements over-emphasise details of the traditions of the field and under-weight production and professional skill he argues that the mapping was broadly successful. He further argues that the benchmarking document should be used to discuss how students on a particular programme learn from the interaction of the different traditions of the field.
