In theory, learning outcomes are a keystone in creating student-centred education and benefit a wide variety of agencies in higher education. In this paper we argue that the learning outcome can be a false god to whom too much attention is paid, distorting the
learning process. We consider that learning outcomes are contextually situated and cannot be used to articulate their intended meaning beyond an expert audience, and suggest that understanding these limitations is essential to their successful use as aids to learning or the design of learning opportunities. It is important to raise the level of critical discourse on what has become a hegemony within higher education in the UK and increasingly across Europe as the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area becomes established. We aim to provoke a discussion of alternative models for HE design that are less dependent on such a contextually reliant concept.