SixBloom Course Design Studio
TRENTry it free

Course information package design software

Design course information packages that are Bloom-aligned, measurable and accreditation-ready.

SixBloom Course Design Studio runs every step of the course information package in a single chain: from writing learning outcomes to the assessment plan, from scores to learning attainment and on to programme outcomes. Instructors write, the committee approves, the quality unit sees the whole programme.

  • Item-level attainment measurement
  • Separate database per institution
  • Word, Excel and JSON export
Bloom builder screen: choosing the domain, level and approved verb
6Bloom levels, three learning domains
11steps to a complete course information package
0–5-level programme outcome matrix
Item → LO → PO → PEOmeasurement chain from exam item to educational objective

Free tool · no sign-in required

Learning outcome builder

Write a measurable, Bloom-aligned learning outcome in six steps. Choose the level, pick one of the approved verbs, add the object, condition and criterion; the sentence is assembled automatically.

Open full page →
1

Who is it for?

The subject of the outcome. It is usually omitted in course information packages.

2

Learning domain

3

Level

The level you are targeting. Levels are cumulative; a higher level also uses the ones below it.

4

Measurable verb

Choose one of this level's approved verbs. Non-observable verbs such as “knows, understands, learns” are not used.

5

Object

What the student will do. Do not write the verb here; the verb you chose is added automatically.

6

Condition and criterion

In what situation and to what level? The criterion makes the outcome measurable.

Features

The entire course information package chain on one screen

Bloom builder

You build each learning outcome from its domain, level, approved verb, object, condition and criterion. Verbs come from the institution's approved verb list; non-measurable verbs are blocked.

Assessment plan

Link exams, assignments, projects and practicals to learning outcomes. Instrument and level mismatches and under-measured outcomes are flagged instantly.

ECTS workload

Calculates workload from contact hours, independent study and assessment activities, then checks consistency with the national credit.

Attainment measurement

Every exam item is linked to outcomes; the attainment rate of each learning outcome is calculated from the scores, then programme outcome attainment from those rates. How is it measured?

PEO measurement and surveys

Recent graduate, alumni and employer surveys are prepared, sent and collected within the software; attainment of educational objectives is calculated from three pieces of evidence. How is it measured?

Outcome chain

Every link from exam item to institutional outcome and TQF-HE in a single visual; unlinked elements, weak links and a true PDF. View the chain

Roles, scope and modules

Tailor roles to your institution with the permission matrix; a dean sees only their own faculty, an instructor only their own courses. How it works?

Approval workflow and versioning

The instructor prepares; the committee approves or returns. Every change is versioned; measurement runs cannot be changed once locked.

Documentation

Course information packages are exported as Word and PDF, programme and measurement data as Excel. The institution's logo and details are added to documents automatically.

Measuring learning attainment

Did the student pass, or attain the outcome?

The course grade tells you whether a student passed the course. Accreditation asks how far each learning outcome has been attained. SixBloom links every item in exams, assignments and projects to learning outcomes, calculates each outcome's attainment rate from the scores and carries the result through to programme outcomes.

95.8%students by course grade passedgrade 60 or above
ama
53.6%course learning outcome attainment ratestudents above threshold, per outcome

Same class, same scores. Sample course: “Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis”, 24 students. While the grades look high, only 13% of students attained LO5 (evaluating an article).

1

Every exam item is linked to outcomes

In the assessment plan, exams, assignments, projects and practicals are broken down into items. Each item is linked to one or more learning outcomes with an item share (e.g. 0.5 LO2 + 0.5 LO6). The question type and the item's actual Bloom level are also entered.

  • The instrument's weight in the term grade and the item scores are both taken into account
  • A row total cannot exceed 1.0; items not linked to any outcome are excluded from measurement
Assessment plan: linking project items to learning outcomes with item shares
Sample course · click to enlarge
2

The assessment instrument itself is checked first

An outcome whose target is “evaluates” (B5) cannot be measured with a multiple-choice question. For each outcome, the software calculates the Bloom Adequacy Index (BAI) : the ratio of the items' weighted Bloom level to the target level.

below 0.70cannot be published0,70 – 0,90with a limitation statement0.90 and abovepublished

Instrument ceiling: true/false and fill-in-the-blank can measure up to B1, matching up to B2, multiple choice and short answer up to B3, long answer up to B5, projects and rubrics up to B6. An outcome with no item reaching the target level is excluded from the report.

Constructive alignment table: BAI value and publication gate for each outcome
Sample course · click to enlarge
3

Attainment per outcome from scores

Scores are entered with an Excel template or by pasting. Each student's performance on each outcome is calculated; the proportion of students whose performance exceeds the threshold (70%) is that outcome's attainment rate. The rate is compared with the target set by the committee (70%).

Student performanceΣ (unit weight × score obtained) ÷ Σ (unit weight × full marks)
Attainment ratestudents above threshold ÷ students measured
  • Blank is not zero: for a student who missed the exam, the item drops out of both the numerator and the denominator
  • Mean, standard deviation and skewness are shown together; intermediate calculations are not rounded
  • Class indicators are not shown for classes with fewer than 5 students
Learning outcome attainment: attainment rate per outcome, target line, mean and BAI
Sample course · click to enlarge
4

The questions themselves are measured too

Item analysis calculates each question's difficulty (p) and discrimination (d): the difference between the top 27% and bottom 27% by course total. Negative discrimination may indicate an error in the answer key and is flagged in red.

  • Very easy (p ≥ 0.95) and very hard (p ≤ 0.10) questions are flagged separately
  • Item analysis is shown only to the instructor responsible for the course; it does not feed into attainment calculations
Item analysis: difficulty, discrimination and reverse discriminator warning
Sample course · click to enlarge
5

Students see their status, not a number

For each student, one of four statuses is shown for each outcome: Attained Developing Support recommended Not yet measured

The difference between 71 and 68 is measurement noise, so students are shown a status instead of a number. The table is keyed by student number; names are not needed.

Student statuses for each outcome: achieved, developing, support recommended
Sample course · click to enlarge
6

From outcomes to programme outcomes

Attainment on a course's outcomes is carried to programme outcomes through the contribution levels in the LO × PO matrix. Only publishable outcomes are included. The programme dashboard combines the latest locked runs of all courses using course coefficients; programme outcomes fed by no course are shown separately.

PO attainmentΣ (contribution level × LO attainment) ÷ Σ contribution level
Flow to programme outcomes: attainment of each programme outcome through the course's contribution
Sample course · click to enlarge

Closed loop

Locked run, improvement record, re-measurement

At the end of the term, results are locked as a scoring run : they cannot be changed at database level; Word, Excel and PDF measurement reports can be exported. For each outcome below target, an improvement record is opened: finding, possible cause and decision. “We improved the course” is not a decision; “The item measuring LO5 had negative discrimination, so we replaced the question” is.

Once the next term's run is locked, the two runs are compared. A difference counts as significant if it exceeds the noise limit (1.96 × standard error): clear improvement, positive trend, no change or action ineffective. A record cannot be closed until an outcome run is linked.

1Plan 2Measure 3Lock 4Improve 5Re-measure Run #1 → #2 difference > noise limit?
Improvement records: finding, cause and decision for outcomes below target
Sample course · click to enlarge
Documented formulasEvery indicator is documented with its name and formula; the server and the browser perform the same calculation and a self-test compares the two.
Immutable recordLocked runs and the audit log are protected at database level; parameter changes do not affect earlier runs.
Minimal personal dataA student number is enough; scores and student data are never sent to AI.
Visible parameter sourcesThe attainment threshold, target and pass mark appear in reports together with who set them.

Measuring programme educational objectives

Where are your graduates five years on?

A programme educational objective (PEO) is what a graduate is expected to achieve in their profession 3–5 years after graduation. Because students have not yet graduated, cannot be calculated from course grades. SixBloom measures objectives with three independent pieces of evidence: objective indicators, employer observation and the graduate's own assessment. Surveys are prepared, sent and collected within the software.

  • Recent graduate, alumni and employer surveys in one place
  • Responses are anonymous; emails and links are deleted when the survey closes
  • Year-on-year trends with locked periods
1

Prepare, send and collect surveys here

Survey centre manages three surveys: at graduation the recent graduate, 3–5 years later the graduate and employer and surveys. Questions come from the question bank and are frozen once published. Responses are collected through personalised email links, reminders or an open link.

  • No link is kept between response and invitation; responses flow anonymously into the measurement period
  • AI suggests questions, reviews them and writes the introduction; suggestions are not saved without approval
  • You can also upload a CSV from Google Forms or a similar tool
Survey centre: recent graduate, alumni and employer surveys; prepare, publish, send, collect, calculate
2

Which programme outcome prepares for which objective?

PO × PEO matrix makes the programme's design visible: an objective fed by no programme outcome shows that the programme does not prepare graduates for it. The committee fills in the matrix; if you wish, AI prepares a suggestion with justifications, which you accept cell by cell.

  • Suggested cells are marked; undo with one click
  • The number of accepted suggestions is written to the audit log
PO × PEO matrix with the AI suggestion button
3

Three pieces of evidence, one reliable result

Survey responses are converted to percentages using (x − 1) ÷ 4 ; reverse-coded items are reversed; participants who answer without reading are filtered out by attention checks . Layers are combined according to their weights; a layer with fewer than five responses is not published and is not counted as zero.

PEO (F21)0.30 × objective + 0.40 × employer + 0.30 × alumni
  • Two response rates (F22): relative to all graduates and to those reached
  • Representation bias (F23): the grade average of respondents is compared with that of all graduates
  • Attribution (F24): “I gained this competence in the programme” is reported separately
PEO measurement period: layers, combined score, status, attribution and response rates
4

Attainment and trend at a glance

For each objective, the value for the latest locked period is shown with the target line, layers and response counts. Change between locked periods is read as a trend; a locked period does not change, so if a correction is needed a new period is opened.

  • The programme outcomes that prepare for the objective are shown alongside with their current values
  • Minimum group size, missing layer and conflicting source warnings below the row
PEO attainment: target line, trend across periods, layers and the programme outcomes that prepare for it

Outcome chain

From exam item to institutional outcome a single chain

The hardest question in an accreditation file is: “On what evidence do you claim this programme outcome has been attained?” The measurement chain draws the answer: every link from each exam item to learning outcomes, then to programme outcomes, educational objectives, institutional outcomes and the national qualifications framework, together with its value, in a single visual.

Measurement chain: clicking a programme outcome highlights the whole chain in both directions; weak links are dashed
1Header Institution name and logo, department, course and measurement run above the visual.
2Coverage boxes How many items, outcomes and objectives are actually fed.
3Click to trace the chain Click a node; everything that feeds it and everything it feeds is highlighted.
4Dashed line Weak links are shown separately; where the evidence is thinnest is clear at a glance.
5Value badges Each node shows its value in green if above target, orange if below.

Course or programme level

View the chain for a course starting from items, for a selected course starting from LOs without items, or at programme level only.

Weak links shown dashed

Items with a low item share and weak LO → PO and PO → upper-layer links are drawn separately; hide them with one click.

Unlinked elements report

Any item, outcome or objective with no links, listed in a table with the missing link, its impact and where to fix it.

True PDF

Vector PDF, A4 or A3 landscape when needed; the selected chain is highlighted and unlinked elements appear on an extra page.

AI matrix suggestion

Justified suggestions for PO × PEO, PO × IO and PO × TQF-HE. Only texts are sent; saving is your decision.

Start with ready-made sample data

Populated from day one with sample objectives, TQF-HE level 6 descriptors, institutional outcomes and labelled sample measurement periods.

A

Three layers of evidence for programme outcomes

A programme outcome rests not only on course grades but on three pieces of evidence: locked in-course measurements, recent graduates' self-assessment and employers who observe interns or recent graduates. In-course evidence is dominant and mandatory; surveys cannot replace it.

Combined PO (F16)0.60 × in-course + 0.15 × recent graduate + 0.25 × employer
Consistency (F17)τ = 1 − (highest − lowest layer) ÷ 200 · final = combined × τ

When sources conflict, there is no way to know which one is right; the result is lowered in proportion to that uncertainty and the reason is shown on screen.

PO attainment: in-course, recent graduate and employer layers, combined value, consistency coefficient and final value
B

Spot gaps before the evidence file does

The table below the visual lists every element with no link in the chain: exam items that measure no outcome, programme outcomes fed by no course, unmet TQF-HE qualifications. Each row takes you to the screen where it can be fixed.

  • Layer, element, missing link, impact and where to fix it
  • Printed as an extra page in the PDF
Unlinked elements table: layer, element, missing link, impact and where to fix it
C

Institutional outcomes and the national framework

Final programme outcome values are carried through contribution matrices to institutional outcomes (F18, across all programmes) and TQF-HE qualifications. TQF-HE is coverage evidence; F25 is only an indirect indicator showing the measured counterpart of coverage and feeds no other calculation.

IO and TQF-HE indicatorΣ (contribution × final PO) ÷ Σ contribution · unmeasured POs drop out of the denominator
  • TQF-HE level 6 (bachelor's) descriptors are ready; add the field-specific qualifications
  • Category summary and qualification detail
TQF-HE attainment: category summary and indirect indicator per qualification
AI sees only textProgramme, outcome and question texts are sent; scores, student numbers, personal names and survey responses are never sent.
The matrix is the committee's decisionAI suggests; cells arrive marked and saving is up to the committee. Accepted suggestions are tracked in the audit log.
Locked periods do not changeOnce locked, PEO and PO survey periods are protected at database level; sample periods are excluded from calculations once a real period is opened.
Anonymous surveysThere is no link between invitation and response; when a survey closes, emails and links are deleted and only the counts remain.

Roles, scope and modules

Everyone sees only their own work and their own unit

A user's role determines what they can do; their scope determines in which programmes they can do it. Scope never widens permissions; it only narrows them. Which modules the institution uses comes from its subscription plan. The three layers are independent, and every change is written to the audit log.

Five built-in roles

Administrator, quality committee, instructor, dean / vocational school director, head of department / programme. The institution can add its own roles too.

Four scopes

Institution-wide, the assigned faculty / vocational school, the assigned programme, or only their own courses. Instructors do not see other people's courses.

Modules and lock

The plan keeps each module open, read-only or closed. When a plan is downgraded, data is not deleted; it stays read-only.

Roles and permission matrix

Who does what, in one table

Rows are permissions, columns are roles. The institution administrator ticks boxes to fit roles to how the institution works, and adds new roles such as deputy head of department or programme coordinator.

  • No one can grant a permission they do not hold or edit an account with more permissions than their own
  • The last active administrator is protected; users cannot change their own role
  • There is no permission or report that shows an instructor's name together with outcome scores
Roles and permissions: permission matrix and data scope row

Faculty / vocational school dashboard

Deans see all programmes of their faculty side by side

Programmes are linked to a faculty, vocational school or graduate institute. Deans and vocational school directors see only their assigned unit, heads of department only their assigned programme. The dashboard brings each programme's course status and programme outcome attainment together on one screen.

  • Number of programmes and courses, courses awaiting approval, courses with a locked run
  • Programme outcome attainment heat map; an unmeasured outcome is not counted as zero
  • Contains no personal names
Faculty / vocational school dashboard: course status of the programmes and PO attainment heat map

Users and scope

Create hundreds of accounts from Excel at once

Paste the name, email, role and scope columns; a dean gets a faculty code, a head of department a programme code. Existing email addresses are skipped, and temporary passwords are shown only once. The same fields can also come from the HR system through the integration API.

  • Each account's role and scope are shown in the list
  • In the user list, a dean sees only the people in their own unit
  • The administrator role cannot be granted through bulk add
Users: role, scope column and bulk add

Modules and lock

Start with one department and open modules as you need them

The software consists of eight modules: the core course information package, assessment, outcome chain, PEO measurement, survey centre, AI assistants, import and the integration API. The plan sets the status of each module; the institution cannot change this setting.

  • Read-only: stored data can be viewed and downloaded but not changed
  • Closed: screens appear locked, and the institution administrator can send a request with one click
  • The core module is open on every plan; subscription requests work even under a lock
Platform: plan and module matrix

Programme dashboard

The quality unit sees the entire programme

Programme outcome attainment is calculated from each course's latest locked measurement run, contribution matrix and course coefficient. Programme outcomes fed by no course, outcomes below target and courses outside coverage are visible at a glance.

  • Attainment, contributing courses and number of measured outcomes for each programme outcome
  • Tables with no personal names, ready for the accreditation file
  • One-click export to Excel
Programme dashboard: programme outcome attainment rates

Check and approval

See what is missing before submitting a package

The check step reviews the package point by point: required fields, number of outcomes, level distribution, assessment and score consistency. Only genuine errors block submission; everything else is a warning, and the user may well be right.

  • The package compliance percentage is visible on every screen
  • AI can assess the package as a whole; suggestions do not enter the package without approval
  • Copy from the previous term to the new term
Check, approval and export screen

How it works

Four steps from application to first package

  1. ApplyFill in the application form. Choose a code for your institution; the trial account is opened after review.
  2. Your address goes liveA dedicated address and SSL certificate for your institution are set up automatically: kod.sixbloom.com. You can point your own domain to it if you prefer.
  3. Add your teamThe institution administrator adds instructors, committee members and programme outcomes; data can be imported from your previous system.
  4. Prepare packagesInstructors prepare the package in 11 steps, the committee approves it, documents are exported as Word, Excel and JSON.

Integration

Data can arrive in five ways

The course catalogue, instructors, course enrolments and assessment scores do not have to be entered manually. SixBloom takes this data from the institution's student information system, Moodle or HR system. All routes use the same data contract and are processed under the same rules. Institutions usually start with A; B or C is added for data whose source is ready. D is a transitional route until an API is ready.

RouteHow it worksWho does itBest suited toStatus
A · Push via REST APIThe institution's system sends data to SixBloom. The key, scope and IP allowlist are controlled by the institution administrator.Institution IT (a script or an SIS export job)Up-to-date data as soon as the SIS changes, or every nightReady
B · Pull from source (JSON or CSV)SixBloom calls the institution's JSON API or CSV address manually or every night. The address, authentication and field mapping are entered on screen.Institution administrator; only the address and access details from ITThe system already publishes data; no new code will be writtenReady
C · Moodle adapterCourses, student enrolments and grade items are retrieved via Moodle Web Services; each grade item's ID number is mapped to an assessment instrument.Moodle administrator (web service token)Midterm, assignment and quiz scores are kept in MoodleReady
D · File importA CSV or JSON file exported from the system is uploaded via the administration screen.Institution administratorAPI not ready; one-off import at the start of the termReady
E · Institutional identity (SSO)Instructors sign in with their institutional account (SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect or LDAP).Institutional identity managementCentralising password managementOn the roadmap

Security and KVKK

Your data stays with your institution

Separate database

Each institution's data is kept in a separate database; institutions cannot see each other's data.

Only course text goes to AI

AI is optional and runs with the institution's own key. Scores, student numbers and personal names are never sent.

No changes without approval

AI suggestions do not enter the package until the user accepts them. Locked measurement runs and the activity log cannot be changed.

Encrypted connections and keys

All addresses are served over SSL. API keys are stored encrypted and never sent back to the screen.

Nightly backup

Institution databases are backed up every night; backups are kept in an area with no web access.

Data processing agreement

The institution is the data controller; SixBloom is the data processor. The obligations are set out in the service agreement.

Plans

Start with one department, then roll out across the institution

Trial

7 days free; all features, opens with a sample course

Free7 days
  • 1 user
  • 1 course
Start trial

Department

For a single department or programme

Get a quotetailored to your institution
  • 30 users
  • 90 courses
  • AI support
  • Word, Excel and JSON export
Apply for this plan

Faculty

Multiple departments and programmes

Get a quotetailored to your institution
  • 120 users
  • 500 courses
  • AI support
  • Word, Excel and JSON export
Apply for this plan

Institution

Entire institution; unlimited users and courses

Get a quotetailored to your institution
  • 500 users
  • 2.000 courses
  • AI support
  • Word, Excel and JSON export
Apply for this plan

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Is installation required?

No. Once your application is approved, your institution's address and administrator account are opened; you use it in your browser. If you want to use your institution's own domain, your IT department adds a DNS record; the SSL certificate is obtained automatically.

Can we import our existing course information packages?

Yes. The import screen reads Excel files and pages from your old system and shows a preview; the courses you confirm are imported. Old learning outcome sentences can be restructured in the Bloom builder.

How is learning attainment measured, and how does it differ from the course grade?

The course grade is a weighted average of exams and tells you whether a student passed the course. In attainment measurement, each exam item is linked to one or more learning outcomes; each student's performance on each outcome is calculated; the proportion of students above the threshold becomes that outcome's attainment rate. This reveals results the grade hides, such as “95% of the class passed, but only 13% attained the article evaluation outcome”. Details are in the attainment measurement section.

Is AI mandatory, and can it see our data?

It is not mandatory; it starts switched off. If you enable it, it runs with the provider your institution chooses and your own key. Only course description texts are sent; scores, student numbers and personal names are not. Suggestions do not enter the package until you accept them.

Can a dean or head of department see the whole institution?

No. Programmes are linked to a faculty or vocational school; deans and vocational school directors see only the information of their assigned unit, heads of department only that of their assigned programme. Instructors see only their own courses. Role permissions come from the permission matrix maintained by the institution administrator. Details are in the roles and scope section.

What happens when the trial ends?

Your data is not deleted and remains readable; new records and changes are enabled once a subscription starts. The institution administrator sends a request in one click from Administration → Subscription.

Is it suitable for K-12 schools?

The system is designed primarily for higher education course information packages. A version suited to the school outcomes structure is in preparation; select school as the institution type on the application form to find out more.

What happens to our data if we end the contract?

Within 30 days of termination you can export all your packages as Word, Excel and JSON; a database dump is provided on request. After that period the data is deleted. Details are in the Service and Subscription Agreement.

Prepare your first course information package today

The trial account opens with a sample course, so you can try every step straight away.

Try it free

Institution sign-in

Enter your institution's code. The code is the first part of the address given to your institution: agu.sixbloom.com gibi.

If you use your own domain, open that address directly. Institution not registered yet? Apply for a trial.