New Publication by Faculty of Tourism Researchers on Designing Learning Outcomes in Tourism
In September 2026, the University of Maribor Press published a new handbook entitled Educating Competent and Responsible Professionals: Designing Learning Outcomes for Short Courses and Other Programmes in Tourism and Beyond, authored by Sen. Lect. Biljana Božinovski and Assoc. Prof. Dr Marjetka Rangus from the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor.
The handbook provides guidance on designing learning outcomes for short courses and training programmes developed in collaboration between higher education institutions and the tourism sector. It focuses on the principles of a balanced curriculum that integrates the acquisition of new knowledge, the development of practical skills and broader critical thinking.
Connecting Theory, Practice and Competence Development
Although the publication primarily focuses on short courses and training programmes in tourism, its guidelines can also be applied to the design of curricula for longer educational programmes and other fields of study.
The authors draw on the University of Maribor's guidelines and internal management processes for short courses and training programmes, relevant literature, and an analysis of learning outcomes from selected short courses in tourism. The analysis is informed by the principles of the philosophical practitioner approach.
The handbook also includes examples of good teaching practices presented at the international higher education conference Transforming Tourism and Hospitality through Education (TEDU25), methodological guidance on writing learning outcomes, and European frameworks for developing sustainability competences.
By combining theoretical foundations, an analysis of existing educational programmes and practical guidelines, the publication offers a useful resource for higher education teachers and other professionals involved in designing educational programmes.
Free Access to the Publication
The handbook is published as an open-access publication and is available for free download from the University of Maribor Press website: https://press.um.si/index.php/ump/en/catalog/book/1163