Writing digital, AI and foreign-language outcomes that can be measured
Circular 54 requires bachelor's programmes to include outcomes for digital competence, content on artificial intelligence and foreign languages, written so they can be observed, assessed and measured. "Students will understand AI" is hard to observe or measure. This guide shows a stronger way to write it.
What is a learning outcome under Circular 54?
A learning outcome states the competence a graduate needs to study, work and develop professionally, at the level the programme is for.
Outcomes must match the level in the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework (Article 7.1) and express the competences learners need for study, work and career development (Article 7.2). They must be made concrete as requirements that can be observed, assessed and measured. They are then the basis for designing, running, assessing and improving the programme, and for recognising results and awarding degrees (Article 7.3).
Which outcomes must a bachelor's programme include?
Four, named in Article 7.2(a).
- Digital competence.
- Content on artificial intelligence (AI).
- Foreign-language ability.
- Adaptability and lifelong learning.
More specific outcome requirements for each field are set in the programme standards for that field, issued by the Minister (Article 7.2(d)). Where a field had no programme standard when the circular took effect, programmes are built and issued to the level standard in Chapter II of the circular (Article 25.5).
Why is "students will understand AI" too weak?
Because nobody can observe or measure understanding directly, and Article 7.3 asks for outcomes that can be observed, assessed and measured.
In our reading, an outcome is strong when a reviewer can point to what a student does, under what conditions, and how it is judged. Verbs such as understand, know or be aware of describe a state of mind. Verbs such as draft, compare, justify, evaluate or present describe something a lecturer can see and score.
What does a measurable outcome look like?
It names the task, the evidence and the standard. Here is one example, before and after.
| Aspect | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Students understand and use AI responsibly. | Students use an AI tool to draft a 300-word market summary, record their prompts and edits in an AI-use log, and justify two claims in a three-minute oral check. |
| What is observed | Nothing specific. | The draft, the AI-use log and the oral answer. |
| How it is judged | No criteria. | A four-level rubric: accuracy of claims, quality of evidence, honest use of AI, clarity in English. |
| Outcomes it serves | Unclear. | AI, digital competence and foreign language at once. |
This example is WorldWise Learning's illustration, not wording from the circular. Each institution decides its own outcomes, tasks and rubrics.
What are CEIW and A-R-E?
Two simple structures we use to make reasoning visible, so a rubric can score it.
CEIW is for writing: Claim, Evidence, Interpretation, Warrant. The student states a claim, gives evidence, explains what the evidence shows, and says why that supports the claim. A-R-E is for speaking: Answer, Reason, Example. In a three-minute oral check, a student who used AI to draft must still answer, give a reason and add an example in their own words. Neither structure is required by Circular 54. They are one practical way to turn an AI or language outcome into something a lecturer can observe.
How do you write a measurable outcome, step by step?
- Start from the programme outcome and decide which courses carry it. Programme and course outcomes are linked through a matrix or another method the institution sets (Appendix II, item 2).
- Choose a verb you can see, such as draft, compare, evaluate, justify or present.
- Name the task and its conditions: what students produce, with which tools, in what time.
- Name the evidence: the product, a log of AI use, an oral check, a recording.
- Set the standard: a rubric and a pass threshold. The institution sets thresholds, scales and tools (Appendix II, item 4).
- Check the fit: teaching, learning activities and assessment must be designed consistently with the outcomes (Article 10.3).
How do course outcomes connect to programme outcomes?
Each course states its own outcomes and its contribution to the programme's outcomes (Article 9.2), and the two are linked through a matrix or another method the institution chooses (Appendix II, item 2).
If you already have your programme outcomes, our free programme outcomes mapper checks them for digital, AI, foreign-language and adaptability coverage in about two minutes. Nothing leaves your computer.