Implementing Outcome-Oriented Study Programmes at University: The Challenge of Academic Culture

In recent years, the design of study programmes in Higher Education (HE) has been given considerable attention by HE practitioners and researchers. Today, a sound body of concepts and experiences on different realisations of Bologna-conforming study programmes is available. The same, however, does not hold true for questions concerning the processes of implementing and further developing programmes. This paper investigates the challenges related with implementation, particularly at universities. A first aim is to understand the specifics of academic culture and their significance for programme implementation and development. Elaborating on this analysis, a second aim is to outline the role of educational developers in this process, as well as the necessary competencies to perform such a role.