CED106

OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION

OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION

• OBE is defined as a curriculum design that ensures coherent, logical, and systematic
alignment between and among the different levels of outcomes.
• OBE also ensures connection among the essential elements of the curriculum: intent,
content, learning experiences, and evaluation.
Basically, an educational outcome is a culminating demonstration of learning (Spady,
1993).
• It includes what the student should be able to do at the end of a course (Davis,
2003).
Outcomes are clear learning results that we want students to demonstrate at the end of
significant learning experiences and are actions and performances that embody and
reflect learner competence in using content, information, ideas, and tools successfully
(Spady, 1994).

THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF OUTCOMES IN OBE

Institutional level Program level Course level
•Philosophy • Program Goals • Course Objectives
• Mission • Program • Instructional Objectives
• Aims •Competencies

Institution level
At the institutional level, this includes the philosophy, vision, mission, and aims of the
institution. They are statements of what a HEI hopes to contribute to the society.

Program level
At the program level, these are the goals, program competencies, and course
outcomes that all students should master and internalize.

Course level
At the instructional level, outcomes include the learning objectives for every course in
higher education.

• At any level, outcomes should be mission-driven, evidence- based, and learning-

focused.

OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION OBE

as a curriculum design enables higher education institutions to develop various
curricula based on the needs of students and the demands of society.
• It encourages educational institutions to clearly focus and organize the learning
environment that supports the development of students and the implementation of the
curriculum.
OBE is an approach to planning, delivering, and evaluating instruction that requires
administrators, teachers, and students to focus their attention and efforts on the
desired results of education (Spady, 1994).

It is important that when designing a curriculum for OBE, the competencies and
standards should be clearly articulated. Writing the learning outcomes in OBE closely
resembles Robert Mager's guidelines (1984) that include expected performance, the
conditions under which it is attained, and the standards for assessing quality.
"SMART." It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound

APPROACHES TO AN OBE CURRICULUM

According to Spady (1994), there are two common approaches to an OBE
curriculum, namely:
• Traditional/Transitional Approach
• Transformational Approach

1. Traditional/Transitional Approach

Emphasizes student mastery of traditional subject- related academic outcomes

(usually with a strong focus on subject-specific content) and cross-discipline
outcomes (such as the ability to solve problems or to work cooperatively).

2. Transformational Approach

Emphasizes long-term cross-curricular outcomes that are related directly to students'

future life roles (such as being a productive worker or a responsible citizen or a
parent).
ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF OBE
Spady (1994) also identified four essential principles of OBE.
1. Clarity of focus
2. Designing back
3. High expectations for all students.
4. Expanded opportunities for all learners.

1. Clarity of focus
This means that everything teachers do must be clearly focused on what they want
students to know, understand and be able to do. In other words, teachers should focus
on helping students to develop the knowledge, skills and personalities that will enable
them to achieve the intended outcomes that have been clearly articulated.

2. Designing back
It means that the curriculum design must start with a clear definition of the intended
outcomes that students are to achieve by the end of the program. Once this has been
done. all instructional decisions are then made to ensure achieve this desired end
result.
3. High expectations for all students.
It means that teachers should establish high, challenging standards of performance in
order to encourage students to engage deeply in what they are learning. Helping
students to achieve high standards is linked very closely with the idea that successful
learning promotes more successful learning.

4. Expanded opportunities for all learners.

Teachers must strive to provide expanded opportunities for all students. This principle
is based on the idea that not all learners can learn the same thing in the same way and
in the same time. However, most students can achieve high standards if they are given
appropriate opportunities.
Designing curriculum based on OBE principles is a noble process of making
curriculum relevant and responsive to the students' needs and requires a paradigm
shift in teaching and learning. Malan (2000) identified several features of outcomes
based learning

FEATURES OF OUTCOMES BASED LEARNING

IT IS NEEDS-DRIVEN
Curricula are designed in terms of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected from
graduates and aim to equip students for lifelong learning.

IT IS OUTCOMES-DRIVEN
The model has a line that runs from taking cognizance of training needs to setting an
aim (purpose) for the program, goals for syllabus themes, learning outcomes, and
finally assessing the learning outcomes in terms of the set learning objectives. Linked
to the needs and the purpose of the program, learning content is only selected after the
desired outcomes have been specified. Content becomes a vehicle to achieve the
desired learning outcomes, which are aimed at inculcating a basis for lifelong
learning.

IT SPECIFIES OUTCOMES AND LEVELS OF OUTCOMES

Learning objectives are described in terms of Benjamin Bloom's cognitive, affective,
and psychomotor domains and set according to Robert Mager's guidelines for
formulating objectives

THE FOCUS SHIFTS FROM TEACHING TO LEARNING

The model has a student-centered learning approach where lecturers act as facilitators.
Study guides help the learners to organize their learning activities and group work,
continuous assessment, and self-assessment are major features.

THE FRAMEWORK IS HOLISTIC IN ITS OUTCOMES' FOCUS

Although the learning objectives are aimed at learning at grassroots level, they are
linked to goals and aims at higher levels. Attaining learning objectives is, therefore,
not an end in itself; it provides building blocks for achieving higher-level outcomes

An OBE curriculum is mission-driven that requires all institutions to anchor all their
curricular offerings to the curriculum and to the vision, mission, and philosophy of the
institution.
• Outcomes-based Education follows a logical and systematic process that is linear,
starting with the institutional outcomes. The interrelated processes and the expected
outputs are clearly stated.

THREE STEPS THAT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED IN DEVELOPING

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Developing Course Competencies

Each set of competencies should reflect the nature of the courses, embody the course
description, and focus on the learner and learning. Costa and Kallick (2009)
encouraged educators to include habits of mind in the course outcomes or
competencies. These habits of mind are essential for students to accomplish the
desired learning tasks or outcomes.

Developing a Curriculum Map

It is important for the college faculty to develop a curriculum map to plot the program
outcomes with the specific courses for a particular degree program. In the curriculum
map, the contribution made by each course to achieve the expected learning outcomes
should be clear. • It is necessary to see that each set of course competencies be
logically organized in a spiral progression organization considering two architectonics
of curriculum: the vertical (sequence) and horizontal organization (scope and
integration).

Developing the Syllabus

the faculty will develop the syllabus for each course. This includes identifying course
content, learning activities, and course requirements or assessment tools. OBE
requires all teachers to focus on the outcomes prescribed for each course. OBE does
not prescribe any template of syllabus. It simply directs teachers that the teaching and
learning experiences as reflected in the syllabus should be aligned perfectly with the
course competencies.
• Every faculty member in HEls is required to prepare syllabus for the courses they
will teach.In OBE, it is important to ensure perfect alignment between and among the
four elements of instruction: objectives, contents, learning experiences, and
assessment, tools. It is also imperative that all these elements contribute to the
realization of the program outcomes and institutional outcomes
• In OBE The learning experiences should be learner centered and learning focused.
The teacher should use constructivist teaching approaches that will help the students
attain the desired course outcomes and contribute to the development of life-long
learning skills. • It is also desirable to focus on activities that develop 21st century
skills, such as communication skills, collaboration, critical thinking skills, and
creativity and innovation skills.
• In OBE, it is also highly desirable that the assessment tools are the best tools that
will truly measure students' performance. It should be constructively aligned to the
achievement of the expected learning outcomes. Criterion-referenced assessment is
encouraged in OBE: therefore, a clear description of the assessment tool, methods of
assessment, and rubrics are included.
• The references should be updated and useful for understanding the course.
• The class requirements and the evaluation criteria should be clear and based on the
competencies of the course.
• If a HEl prescribes standard evaluation criteria, then it should be reflected in the
syllabus.