OBE Principles and Process

OBE Principles

There are different definitions for outcome-based education. The most widely used one is the four principles
suggested by Spady (1994).

An OBE curriculum means starting with a clear picture of what is important for students to be able to do, then
organizing the curriculum, instruction and assessment to make sure this learning ultimately happens. The four
basic principles are (Spady, 1994):

 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.

 Designing down

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.

 High expectations

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.

 Expanded opportunities

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.

OBE Process

'Constructive alignment' is the process that we usually follow when we build up an OBE syllabus. It is a term
coined by Professor John Biggs in 1999, which refers to the process to create a learning environment that
supports the learning activities appropriate to achieving the desired learning outcomes. The word 'constructive'
refers to what the learner does to construct meaning through relevant learning activities. The 'alignment'
aspect refers to what the teacher does. The key to the alignment is that the components in the teaching
system, especially the teaching methods used and the assessment tasks are aligned to the learning activities
assumed in the intended outcomes.

 Defining Curriculum Objectives and Intended Learning Outcomes

 Designing Assessment Tasks

 Selecting Teaching and Learning Activities

 Tips: Reviewing your Program-level Outcomes

 Tips: Writing Intended Learning Outcomes

 Tips: Choosing an Appropriate Outcome-based Assessment Tool and Method

 Example: An Outcome-based Assessment Marking Scheme

 Defining Curriculum Objective and Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

A learning outcome is what a student CAN DO as a result of a learning experience. It describes a specific task
that he/she is able to perform at a given level of competence under a certain situation. The three broad types
of learning outcomes are:

 Disciplinary knowledge and skills

 Generic skills

 Attitudes and values

Guidelines for Producing Effective ILO Statements

Outcomes are about performance, and this implies:

 There must be a performer – the student, not the teacher

 There must be something performable (thus demonstrable or assessable) to perform

 The focus is on the performance, not the activity or task to be performed

You could start with this stem:

On successful completion of the programme, a (name of program) graduate will be able to [action verb] +
[activity].

 Example 1: A graduate of this program will be able to effectively evaluate research designs, methods, and
conclusions.

 Example 2: Graduates of this program will be able to assess their own strengths, weaknesses, and omissions
and be able to adjust future performance in light of their self-assessments.

 Example 3: Graduates of this program will be able to effectively communicate both formally and informally
through speaking, writing, and listening.

Remember:

 Stay big picture, don't jump into details

 Consider what will be accomplished in the academic curriculum and in the co-curriculum

Alignment your Program Level Outcomes with HKUST’s Graduate Attirbutes – ABC LIVE

At HKUST, program outcomes need to be aligned with HKUST’s seven graduate attributes called ABC LIVE:

Academic Excellence

 An in-depth grasp of at least one area of specialist or professional study, based on a forward-looking and
inquiry-driven curriculum.

Broad-based education

 Intellectual breadth, flexibility, and curiosity, including an understanding of the role of rational, balanced
inquiry and discussion, and a grasp of basic values across the core disciplines of science, social science,
engineering and the humanities.

Competencies and capacity building

 High-end, transferable competence, including analytical, critical, quantitative and communications skills.
 Leadership and teamwork

 A capacity for leadership and teamwork, including the ability to motivate others, to be responsible and reliable,
and to give and take direction and constructive criticism.

International outlook

 An international outlook, and an appreciation of cultural diversity.

Vision and an orientation to the future

 Adaptability and flexibility, a passion for learning, and the ability to develop clear, forward-looking goals, and
self-direction and self-discipline

Ethical standards and compassion

 Respect for others and high standards of personal integrity

 Compassion, and a readiness to contribute to the community

Designing Assessment Tasks

Outcome-based assessment (OBA) asks us to first identify what it is we expect students to be able to do once
they have completed a course or program. It then asks us to provide evidence that they are able to do so. In
other words, how will each learning outcome be assessed? What evidence of student learning is most relevant
for each learning outcome and what standard or criteria will be used to evaluate that evidence? Assessment is
therefore a key part of outcome-based education and used to determine whether or not a qualification has
been achieved.

Steps for Assessment Design

Types of Assessment Tools and Methods

 Formative assessment

The collection of information about student learning during the progression of a course or program in order to
improve students learning. Example: reading the first lab reports of a class to assess whether some or all
students in the group need a lesson on how to make them succinct and informative.
 Summative assessment

The gathering of information at the conclusion of a course, program, or undergraduate career to improve
learning or to meet accountability demands. When used for improvement, impacts the next cohort of students
taking the course or program. Examples: examining student final exams in a course to see if certain specific
areas of the curriculum were understood less well than others; analyzing senior projects for the ability to
integrate across disciplines.

 Criterion-referenced assessment

A score that compares a student's performance to specific standards. The student is assessed in reference to
some student outcome that can be expected as a result of an education experience (i.e., a degree of mastery
of identified criteria. Criteria are qualities that can provide evidence of achievement of goals or outcomes, such
as comprehension of concepts introduced or reinforced, a kind of inquiry behavior encouraged, or a technique
practiced for its potential contribution to the skill of the artist/student or the meaning/communication of the art
work. It makes sense to assess in terms of what a teacher believes was taught.

 Alternative assessments

A catch all term for assessments that depart from the traditional multiple choice, norm-referenced tests such
as coding live art criticism discussions , portfolio reviews, rating performances or art products on criteria
established by teachers and students, journals, authentic task assessment and direct observation of student
performance.

 Authentic assessments

Assessment that fits meaningful, real-life learning experiences. It includes recording evidence of the learning
process, applications in products and performances, perception of visual and audio relationships, integrations
of new knowledge, reflecting profitably on one's own progress, and interpreting meaning in consideration of
contextual facts.

 Performance assessments

An observation of the process of creating an answer or product that demonstrates a student's knowledge
and/or skills. Directly observable, student- generated evidence of learning

Developing Marking Schemes

Once an assessment tool has been settled on, specific decisions may have to be made about the criteria by
which student work will be assessed, depending on the learning outcome being assessed and the tool for
assessment. Choosing criteria is where rubrics come in.

A rubric is a set of criteria for assessing student work or performance. Rubrics are particularly suited to
learning outcomes that are complex or not easily quantifiable, for which there are no clear "right" or "wrong"
answers, or which are not evaluated with standardized tests or surveys. Assessment of writing, oral
communication, critical thinking, or information literacy often requires rubrics.

Rubrics have two dimensions: they identify the various characteristics of the outcome, and they specify various
levels of achievement in each characteristic. Thus, a well-designed rubric consists of:

1. clear definitions of each characteristic to be assessed for a given learning outcome, and
2. clear descriptions of the different levels of achievement for each characteristic.

Because rubrics establish criteria, they can help make assessment more transparent, consistent, and objective.
Faculty members and evaluators can use rubrics to communicate to students and each other what they see as
excellent work, while students gain an understanding of what is expected and how their performance will be
assessed.
 Rubrics are also useful when there is more than one evaluator; rubrics can serve as standardized scoring
guides that assist different evaluators to determine the quality of student work in a consistent manner.

Giving Feedback

Feedback tells students how they are doing towards achieving intended learning outcomes. This information
can help them to improve their learning and so help them to enhance their performance in assessment. There
is also considerable research evidence that the most important part of the assessment process, with regard to
supporting learning, is feedback.

Each unit in a programme should normally include not only summative assessment but also formative
assessment for which suitable feedback is provided in time for students to learn from it before major
summative assessment. Coursework often serves a formative purpose through feedback while also contributing
to summative assessment through the marks awarded; in such cases, feedback should be returned in time to
inform the next piece of coursework.

Selecting Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)

Selecting teaching and learning activities aims to help students to attain the intended learning outcomes and
engage them in these learning activities through the teaching process.

A student-centered approach is the emphasis in OBE as its success is largely dependent on the extent to which
students take responsibility for their own learning and whether or not co-operative learning is used; this is
because one of the long-term outcomes of OBE is usually related to generic skills and attitudes such as
teamwork and co-operation. Therefore, programs and courses should also provide experiences that students
are going to encounter in the real world. These activities can be teacher-managed, peer-managed or self-
managed.

Biggs (1999) suggested the following points of guidance for planning teaching strategies:

 Sound knowledge is based on interconnections – connecting new learning with old. Encourage students to
create conceptual structures which integrate their new and old learning.

 Develop meta-cognitive skills by being explicit about learning and maximising students’ awareness of their own
knowledge construction through structured reflection

 Plan learning activities that actively involve students. Activity heightens arousal and makes performance more
efficient

 Incorporate explicitly stated study skills into learning, and if necessary, provide support for developing skills,
for example in teamwork

 Consider how information technology can support learning and teaching.

Reviewing your Program Level Outcomes

 Number of outcomes

Keep the number manageable; 10-20 outcomes are probably the acceptable range. Address intermediate
outcomes at a year or course level

 Check for overlap

Easily differentiable from each other. This is particularly important if you are going to map your curriculum

 Check for clarity

Communicate clearly to students about what they need to achieve in the programme (i.e. it would give them a
clear direction for their study)
 Check for representativeness

Informs reader of attributes found in a graduate from the programme

 Check for alignment

Alignment of outcomes at different levels: School, Program, Course. Alignment between ILOs, assessments and
teaching and learning activities. Alignment with the University’s graduate attributes (ABC LIVE) to produce all-
round students with academic and professional competence.

Writing Intended Learning Outcomes

Intended learning outcomes need to be written at both program and course levels. Both of them need two
essential elements:

 A statement of what content are the student is expected to be able to do at the end of learning experience;

 The levels of understanding or performance in those content areas.

Program Learning outcomes

The accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) defines Program Learning Outcomes as
"statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation."
To get started, the school must develop a list of learning outcomes derived from, or consonant with, the
School’s mission. The mission and objectives set out the intentions of the School, and the learning goals say
how the degree programs demonstrate the mission. That is, the learning outcomes describe the desired
educational accomplishments of the degree programs.

Course Learning outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes describe the complex performances a student should be capable of as a result of
learning experiences within a course. These are determined by the course instructor, or, in the case of a
course with several sections, by a team of instructors who teach the same course.

Choosing appropriate action verb

In the process of writing learning outcomes, the curriculum team would use associated action verbs for
different levels of learning. The use of action verbs facilitates alignment of program and course learning
outcomes and course learning outcomes with assessments. When writing program learning outcomes,
anticipate how student learning will be assessed in relation to each expectation. Vague verbs such as know or
understand are not easily measured and need to be substituted with performative verbs such as identify,
define, describe or demonstrate. Some of these verbs are listed in the table for consideration.

Levels of Learning Action Verbs

Level 6: Creating Create: generating, planning, producing, composing

Level 5: Evaluating Evaluate: checking, critiquing, assessing, concluding

Level 4: Analysing Analyze: differentiating, organizing, attributing, comparing,

outlining
 Level 3: Applying Apply: executing, implementing, classifying, calculating,
constructing

Level 2: Understanding Understand: interpreting, exemplifying, classifying,

summarizing, inferring, comparing, explaining

Level 1: Remembering Remember: recognizing, recalling, describing, listing

In the early years, lower level cognitive outcomes, i.e. "Remembering", "Understanding" are given stronger
emphasis. The level moves upwards as the years move on. Higher level outcomes like "Evaluating" and
"Creating" would have more emphasis in later years. It is a curriculum team’s responsibility to ensure this
developmental progression over the program and to make sure the four types of intended leaning outcomes
are covered appropriately.

Choosing an appropriate tool and method

Rules of thumb:

1. design assessment methods that are aligned with the overall aim of the program
2. ensure that have accounted for any requirements set by professional bodies

3. see that your assessment tasks are aligned with the stated learning outcomes

4. use assessment methods that best measure achievement of the stated learning outcomes
5. be fair in how much you ask of your students and how much value you assign to each task

6. A variety of assessment methods is employed so that the limitations of particular methods are minimised and
take account of the diversity of students

7. There is provision for student choice in assessment tasks and weighting at certain times

A Variety of Tools and Methods is needed because:

 In order to achieve constructive alignment and validly assess all of the outcomes

 Traditional assessment only assess a fairly narrow range of skills and with the current expectations to develop
students a lifelong learners with a range of transferable and disciplinary skills, a narrow range of assessments
is unlikely be able to assess validly on a wide range of outcomes

 A variety of assessment offers all students disadvantaged under one the opportunity to possibly excel in the
others

 Borden range of assessment methods means more choice and variety for students. These are the two factors
that can increase interest and motivation

 To develop students' competencies

 To take a holistic approach on assessing students' performance

Example of an OBA Marking Scheme

Here is an example of a constructively aligned assessment scheme:

Objectives Grading Criteria

Grading will be based on you Grades will depend on how well you can
attaining the following criteria: demonstrate that you have met all objectives:

Demonstrate appreciation and A: Awarded if you have clearly met all the
understanding of the delicate objectives, displaying deep knowledge of the
balance in the environment. content, creative thinking, applying the concepts
effectively to new situations

Demonstrate understanding of B: Awarded when all objectives have been met well
sustainability and related issues and effectively
in the environment.

Have knowledge of relevant UK C: Awarded when the objectives have been

and EU environmental addressed satisfactorily, or where evidence is strong
legislations. for some objectives, but weaker in others.

Relate specific pollution control F: Less than C, or work not submitted

technologies to industries.

Appreciate the range of

engineering related
environmental problems.