Learning and teaching academic standards in landscape architecture

Abstract

Developing and assessing learning outcomes for work-readiness and employment has been long overdue in Landscape Architecture in Australia, but few studies have shown how this could be done at a local level. Aligned with the academic standards for bachelor and masters levels, as mandated by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), an iterative three-stage approach was undertaken to develop Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for a revised national accreditation of Australian Landscape Architecture programmes. Ten TLOs, across the domains of graduate knowledge, skills/abilities and individual attributes were developed in relation to participant’s comments in the study. Participants also advocated for the assessment of TLOs such as open ended tasks, problem-solving tasks, portfolios and peer assessments for assessing domains of graduate attributes. National academic standards and assessments are thus suggested here as minimum threshold learning outcomes that can be customised and assessed by Landscape Architecture programme directors in Australian universities.