Lesson 1 EDUCATION PARADIGM SHIFT: CONTENT TO OUTCOMES

Course Outcomes:
● Explain how the change of emphasis from content to outcomes in education led
to the shift of focus in teaching from the subject matter to the learner; (P.O.C.c);
(P.O.D.d); (P.O.E.c)

● Differentiate the underlying principles between program outcomes and student

learning outcomes through specific and concrete examples of assessment;
(P.O.C.c); (P.O.D.d); (P.O.E.c)

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO’s)

The students will be able to…
define key concepts/terms related to Outcomes Based Education;
identify the characteristics of a good Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) based
on the concept of Outcomes – based Education;
differentiate among institutional outcomes, program outcomes, course
outcomes and learning outcomes; and
create a matrix outlining the difference between OBE and Traditional Education

INTRODUCTION

The advent of technology caused a changed of perspective in education,

nationally and internationally. The teacher ceased to be the sole source of knowledge.
With knowledge expulsion, students are surrounded with various sources of facts and
information accessible through user – friendly technology. The teacher has become a
facilitator of knowledge who assists in the organization, interpretation and validation of
acquired facts and information.

Before attending the synchronous class, be sure that you have either seen the video in
YouTube at the link https://youtu.be/VWhZuckdqRs or you have read the article by
Macayan, M. (2017). Implementing outcome-based education (OBE) framework:
Implications for assessment of students’ performance. Educational Measurement and
Evaluation Review, 8 (1). Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321797050_Implementing_Outcome-
Based_Education_OBE_Framework_Implications_for_Assessment_of_Students
%27_Performance
I. CAPTIVATE

In class and with your small group, using a Jamboard participate in the pre-discussion activity
by answering the following questions:

● What can you say about this picture?

● How do you relate this to the concept of objectives?
● What is the teacher’s role on objective setting?
● Comment on the Peter-Hall Principle: “If you don’t know where you are going, you’d
probably end up somewhere else

By PeterPan23 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Darts_in_a_dartboard.jpg, Public Domain,

https://commo s.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3522690

In this lesson, you will learn the principles involved in outcomes-based education. In the
past, the educational set-up was focused on teacher as the center of the whole process.
Teachers spend more time giving inputs to their students. They were focused on covering a lot
of content. Also, they viewed teaching learning activities as an end — so they put emphasis on
their students’ outputs.

However, because of globalization and the need for these graduates to adapt to the
changing demands of the industries, not to mention their mobility as well as international
accreditation requirements, the educational landscape has shifted from the traditional paradigm
to the use of the outcomes-based framework.

Education now must answer two important questions: 1) what do education institutions
want their students to become or to be able to do?; and 2) how are these students helped to
achieve their expected outcomes?

What is an outcome?

Denotatively, an outcome is an end-product or a result of something. If put in the

context of education, outcome means the end-result of the entire learning experience of a
student. Here, the student will be able to demonstrate all needed skills and abilities that will
make him perform his future job role. For instance, if one is an Engineering student, after
finishing the 4-year course, he must be able to demonstrate the engineering skills and
knowledge he has supposedly acquired. Also, if one is an English Studies student, for example,
after graduation, this learner must be able to show his knowledge in English Studies, perhaps
through research, English teaching, speaking or writing. Another example is our class —
whereby you are expected to learn what outcomes-based education is. The teacher must set
as a learning outcome that at the end of the topic, you as students must be able to demonstrate
your knowledge on the concepts of OBE and these knowledge may be manifested through your
performance in well-designed assessment tools. In other words, there must be some concrete
and measurable indicators to determine if you as the learners have achieved these outcomes or
not.

What is an outcomes-based education (OBE)?

According to the Father of OBE, Spady (1994, p.12), outcomes-based education is a

framework that “focuses and organizes everything in the educational system around what is
essential for all students to be able to to successfully at the end of their learning experience” so
that at the end of the learning experience, the student will have achieved these sets of goals or
outcomes.

This is the same concept we are seeing in the diagram above. In the picture, the dart
board, which is the target is the goal or outcome, while the darts are all the designed teaching
learning activities that will be activated in order to hit the targets. So if the outcomes are not
clearly spelled out, all activities may not directly hit the targets which may result in wasted time,
energy and resources. Careful planning and execution are the key to a successful OBE-
implementation. In other words, the “everything” in Spady’s definition, which includes all
aspects in the educational process such as curriculum, resources such as classroom, curricular
and extra-curricular activities need to be aligned with the projected outcomes of the learners.

Therefore, to simply put it, before any teaching-learning activity is started, the teacher
must first set the outcomes that he intends his learners to manifest — thus, the saying, “begin
with the end in mind”. This is the guiding principle of an outcomes-based education.

There are two types of outcomes, namely, intermediate outcomes and deferred
outcomes (Navarro, Santos, & Corpuz, 2019). Intermediate outcomes, also referred to as
instructional outcomes, are the qualities, competencies and skills that the graduates have
achieved after finishing either a program, course, or learning outcomes. Some of the examples
would be: ability to solve mathematical problems, competence in speaking and writing, or ability
to do research project. On the other hand, deferred outcomes are those abilities,
competencies or skills that the graduates may have achieved or acquired several years after
completing the degree or program.

What are the levels of Outcomes-based Education?

As earlier mentioned, the success in the implementation of an outcomes-based

education lies in the clear alignment of the institutional, program, course, learning, and
assessment goals. Therefore, it is necessary that these OBE levels must be consistent with
one another.

Institutional Outcomes

Institutional outcomes are statements that express what the graduates of a certain
institution are expected to become after graduation. It is supposed that any educational
institution will have set their expectations from their graduates, that is why these institutions
create their mission-vision. Mission-vision statements serve as the institutions’ guidepost.
These statements dictate all other plans and activities that the university will design. Moreover,
schools must also create their graduate attributes. Graduate attributes are the outcomes that
the institutions have created to reflect the qualities, skills, and understandings they expect from
their graduates to develop. These go beyond academic expertise or technical knowledge
(Bowden, Hart, King, Trigwell & Watts, 2000). These may also reflect the kind of brand the
university wants for itself.

Program Outcomes

While the institutional outcomes are the bigger statements of the entire institution’s
expectations from all their graduates regardless of degrees or programs, the program outcomes
are specific to the particular degree. These are statements that express the students’ outcomes
after completing a certain degree or program. Specific discussion on program outcomes is
tackled in the succeeding lesson.

Course Outcomes

Course or subject outcomes are more specific than the program outcomes. These are
statements that indicate what the students’ should be able to do or perform after taking a
specific course or subject.

Learning Outcomes

Learning or instructional outcomes are these statements that explain what the students
can do after a specific lesson or topic.

What are the characteristics of an Outcomes-based Education (OBE)?

OBE is characterized primarily by being:

a. student-centered. Everything that is done in an institution or in a classroom would

always put the student at the center of the entire learning process. Focus should be on
what the students are expected to know and do; therefore, learning activities have to
be designed in a way that these expected outcomes are achieved.
b. faculty-driven: Teachers take on different roles as they design teaching-learning
activities that are unique to a specific learning outcome. Some of these roles, to mention
a few, may be teachers being a facilitator, a mentor, a trainor, a demonstrator,
whichever is appropriate for a particular learning outcome.
c. meaningful: OBE teachers are reflective of their entire teaching process because they
make use of any data or information they could collect about their students in designing
succeeding teaching learning and/or assessment activities. In assessing students’
achievements, teachers are constantly guided by checking the constructive alignment
among learning outcomes, teaching learning activities and assessment activities. Also,
teachers make use of clear assessment criteria in measuring students’ outputs or
outcomes. The assessment criteria are provided to the students before they are
engaged in the activities so that they are informed on the expectations set by their
teachers from them.
What are Spady’s four operating principles of Outcomes-based Education (OBE) ?

According to Spady (1994), if these four operating principles are followed consistently by
the educators and academic leaders, the implementation of outcomes-based education could
be a success.
a. Clarity of focus. All educators must be aware of the outcomes of each student and
be able to translate these at the classroom level while being guided by the the higher outcomes
such as the program and institutional level. Also, in achieving the classroom level outcomes,
teachers must refer to the learning outcomes so that appropriate assessment tasks and
teaching-learning activities are consciously designed. This alignment is called constructive
alignment.

b. High expectations. In designing assessment tasks that target the higher level
outcomes, teachers must design measures that activate higher order thinking skills and are
authentic or highly reflective of the real-life scenarios. This may be done through
demonstration, simulations, or performance assessments to name a few. In so doing, students
are then prepared for actual work life.

c. Expanded opportunity. As explained by Spady (1994, p.9), all students can learn
and succeed, but not on the same day, in the same way” that is why teachers need to provide
expanded opportunity for students to profess or demonstrate the earning outcomes. This
expanded opportunity may include the time dimension, whereby the students may be allowed to
do remedial, make-up or practice tests. Also, the mode in which the assessment tasks is given
may be diversified. This is when teachers may consider the varied learning or thinking styles of
their students, as well as the multiple intelligences. Teachers may be reminded by Einstein’s
statement, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live
its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

d. Design down. OBE follows the top-down approach to teaching as well as

assessment. While the traditional education uses the bottom-up approach, where teachers
teach concepts, then create quizzes based on these lessons, and lastly, design end-of-term
tasks as a measure of the students’ learning, in the top-down approach, the teacher begins with
the end in mind. He first defines the end-result, what he wants his students to demonstrate
after the course. Then, he designs the final assessment to measure this outcome, followed by
the identification of the teaching-learning activities that may be used to help the students
achieve the specified outcomes.

After knowing these key concepts of outcomes-based education, be engaged with these
activities to further your understanding.
 A. With the same groups as earlier identified, complete the matrix below by comparing the
ROLE of the teacher in the traditional set-up and in the outcomes-based education set-
up. Be ready to explain your answers.

Traditional Education Outcomes-based Education

Teachers are the dominant factor inside Student would always put at the center
the classroom. of the entire learning process in
everything that is done in an institution
or in a classroom.

The focus is on All educators must be aware of each

teaching/instructing/directing rather than
on learning.
student's outcomes and be capable of
translating these at the classroom level
while being accompanied by higher level
outcomes such as program and
institutional outcomes.

The classroom management is entirely Teachers must design assessment tasks

dependent on teachers, on his/her
experience capability, and sometimes on
his/her whims and caprices.
that activate higher order thinking skills
and are authentic or highly reflective of
real-life scenarios when designing
assessment tasks that target higher
level outcomes.

The content and methods of teaching Outcomes-based education is a

are decided by the teacher targeting the
average students. The needs and
interests of the individual students are
rarely considered while teaching.
framework that "focuses and organizes
everything in the educational system
around what is fundamental for all
students to be able to successfully
complete their learning experience at the
end of their learning experience."

B. List down three course outcomes that you think you would have acquired after taking this
course, Assessment in Learning 1. Be able to explain your answers.

Course Outcomes for Prof Ed 311 — Assessment in Learning 1

C. Wiith the same groupings, study these sample outcomes taken from an actual course syllabus.
After studying the samples, do the following:

1. Pick out PO 14 & PO 16. Comment on how the statements are phrased in relation to
what you expect the program will hone/mold you to become.

2. Pick out CO 1. Comment on how the statement is phrased and how it is aligned to the
program outcomes identified.

3. Pick out ILO 1 & 3. Comment on how the statements are phrased and how they are
aligned to the course outcomes.

Program Outcomes:
PO 14: ______________________________________________________________________
PO 16: ______________________________________________________________________
Comment:___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

Course Outcomes:
CO 1: ______________________________________________________________________
Comment:___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Intended Learning Outcomes:
ILO 1: ______________________________________________________________________
ILO 3: ______________________________________________________________________
Comment:___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

4. Comment on the alignment among the ILOs, Teaching-Learning Activities (TLA), and the
Assessment Tasks (AT).

Comment:___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Online Quiz (Supply-type of test) for this lesson. Answer comprehensively with no more than 4
sentences per question. Anything beyond the 4th sentence will no longer be considered as your
answer. Rubric for rating (3 pts- content, 2 pts - correct language use)

1. What is an outcomes-based education?

2. Explain the differences among the levels of outcomes?
3. Comment on Einstein’s statement, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its
ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
4. What do you mean by, “In OBE, begin with an end in mind.” How do you ensure quality
education in this principle?

Supplemental Reading:

Empowering Students through OBE from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?

doi=10.1.1.731.3640&rep=rep1&type=pdf

References:

Bowden, J., Hart, G., King, B., Trigwell, K., & Watts, O. (2000). Generic capabilities of
ATN university graduates. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Education, Training
and Youth Affairs. http://www.clt.uts.edu.au/atn.grad. cap.project.index.html

Macayan, M. (2017) Implementing outcome-based education (OBE) framework:

Implications for assessment of students’ performance. Educational
Measurement and Evaluation Review, 8 (1) from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321797050_Implementing_Outcome-
Based_Education_OBE_Framework_Implications_for_Assessment_of_Students
%27_Performance

Navarro, R.L., Santos, R.G., & Corpuz, B. B. (2019). Assessment of learning 1.

Fourth Edition. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

Spady, W. (1994). Outcome-based education: Critical issues and answers. Arling

ton, VA: American Association of School Administrators.

Prepared by: Dr. Sunleigh Gador