Transcript files/public/obe_baume - Center for Enhanced Learning

Outcomes-based
approaches to teaching,
learning & curriculum
David Baume PhD FSEDA
For Hong Kong Polytechnic University
15th December 2005
The importance of
learning outcomes
“If you don’t know
where you’re going,
any bus will do.”
Overview of keynote
1
2
3
4
5
The historical development of outcomes-based
education (OBE), mainly in UK
General and subject-specific outcomes
Writing good outcomes
Using outcomes for curriculum design, learning
and teaching
Towards the future of OBE
1 The development of OBE,
mainly in UK
•
•
•
•
Spady (US)
Baume and Jones
Quality Assurance Agency – guidelines
Quality Assurance Agency – subject
benchmarks
• Outcomes are not enough!
1 Spady (1982, 1994)
• Outcomes are “clear, observable demonstrations
of student learning that occur at or after the end
of a significant set of learning experiences.”
• e.g. “If the verbs in an outcome are ‘design’ and
‘produce’, then those are precisely the two
processes:
– that students must demonstrate,
– that teachers must help them learn, and
– that must be assessed and reported.”
• That is, outcomes, teaching, learning and
assessment must be consistent with each other
– in ‘constructive alignment’ (Biggs)
1 Baume and Jones (1974)
1 Dearing (1997)
• We recommend that institutions of higher
education begin immediately to develop, for
each programme they offer, a ‘programme
specification’ which … gives the intended
outcomes of the programme in terms of:
– the knowledge and understanding that a student will
be expected to have upon completion;
– key skills: communication, numeracy, the use of
information technology and learning how to learn;
– cognitive skills, such as an understanding of
methodologies or ability in critical analysis;
– subject specific skills, such as laboratory skills.
(Note: General & Subject Specific)
1,2 QAA – guidelines
An Honours graduate will have developed an
understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of
it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline.
Through this, the graduate will have developed
analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can
be applied in many types of employment. The graduate
will be able to evaluate evidence, arguments and
assumptions, to reach sound judgements, and to
communicate effectively.
An Honours graduate should have the qualities needed
for employment in situations requiring the exercise of
personal responsibility, and decision-making in complex
and unpredictable circumstances.
(Note: General & Subject Specific)
1,2 QAA – subject benchmarks
Outcomes for Masters programmes in Business and Management
Graduates are expected to be able to demonstrate a range of cognitive and intellectual skills together with
techniques specific to business and management. They should also demonstrate relevant personal and
interpersonal skills. These include:
a Critical thinking and creativity: managing creative processes in self and others; organising thoughts,
analysis, synthesis, critical appraisal. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements
in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and
generalise appropriately.
b Problem solving and decision making: establishing criteria, using appropriate decision techniques including
identifying, formulating and solving business problems; the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the
ability to implement and review decisions.
c Information and knowledge: scanning and organising data, abstracting meaning from information and
sharing knowledge.
d Numeracy and quantitative skills including the use of models of business situations; qualitative research
skills.
e Effective use of Communication and Information Technology (CIT).
f Two-way communication: listening, negotiating and persuading or influencing others; oral and written
communication, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports.
g Personal effectiveness: self-awareness and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in
people and different situations; the ability to continue learning.
h Effective performance within a team environment and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals'
contributions in group processes; team selection, delegation, development and management.
i Leadership and performance management: selecting appropriate leadership style for situations; setting
targets, motivating, monitoring performance, coaching and mentoring, continuous improvement.
j Ethics and value management: recognising ethical situations, applying ethical and organisational values to
situations and choices.
k Ability to conduct research into business and management issues.
l Learning through reflection on practice and experience.
1,2 Outcomes for Masters in
Business & Management
• Critical thinking and creativity
• Managing creative processes in self and others
• Organising thoughts, analysis, synthesis, critical
appraisal…
• Problem solving and decision making
• Establishing criteria, using appropriate decision
techniques including identifying, formulating and
solving business problems
• The ability to create, identify & evaluate options
• The ability to implement & review decisions
1,2 Outcomes for Masters in
Business & Management
• Leadership and performance management
• Selecting appropriate leadership style for
situations
• Setting targets
• Motivating
• Monitoring performance
• Coaching and mentoring
• Continuous improvement
2 Outcomes for Underwater
Engineering
• Students will be able to produce and
justify conceptual designs for a range of
underwater intervention devices, manned
and unmanned
– Identify user needs
– Identify environmental and operational
conditions
– Identify relevant available technologies
– Generate and compare alternative
approaches…
2 Outcomes for Teaching in
Higher Education
Identify their own professional development goals
Plan for their initial and/or continuing professional developm
Undertake appropriate development activities
Review their development and their practice
And
Use a variety of methods to evaluate their teaching
Inform their professional role with relevant strategy, policy
quality considerations
Extend their use of learning, teaching and assessment
approaches
Contribute to the processes of module/programme design,
implementation and evaluation
Provide support to students on academic/pastoral issues
2 Outcomes in Instrumentation
for Mechanical Engineers
• Select appropriate instrumentation
techniques and devices for the
measurements they need to make in their
work … (examples)
• Use these in practical settings
• Interpret the readings taken, with due
allowance for major possible sources of
error…
Learning Outcomes are
not enough
Learning Outcomes describe what people can do.
But how can we be sure they will do them?
We need different kinds of outcomes: E.g.
“Professionals are accountable for the quality of
their work, and take responsibility for maintaining
and improving their knowledge and skills.”
It’s not what you can do – it’s what you do do!
3 I hope that, by the end of this
keynote, you will have…
• Reviewed a learning outcome of a course
that you teach
• Explored any possible ways you might
improve that learning outcome
• Reviewed your course against two models
of curriculum
• Started to re-plan your curriculum to make
maximum use of learning outcomes
3 Writing good outcomes
A
•
•
•
•
good outcome is, among other things:
Attractive – students want to achieve it
Comprehensible – they know its meaning
Attainable – they can learn to achieve it
Coherent – it clearly fits into their programme
Take one of your own learning outcomes, and
discuss with your neighbour:
1.
How well does it show each of these qualities?
2.
How could you improve the outcome?
3.
What are other qualities of a good outcome?
4 Two models of curriculum
• Model A – “Curriculum is content. Teaching is
the delivery of content. (Assessment is seeing if
the content has been learned.)”
• Model B – “Curriculum is outcomes. Teaching is
supporting students to achieve learning
outcomes. (Assessment is seeing if these
outcomes have been achieved.)”
Note: Both of these models are ‘ideal types’.
They represent two ends of a spectrum.
4 Curriculum planning with
Model A
A1
A2
A3
A4
Plan the curriculum to be taught
Teach the course
Give feedback to students on their work
Assess what students have learned
4 Curriculum planning with
Model B
B1 Plan the course aims and learning outcomes
B2 Ensure these learning outcomes are assessable
B3 Determine what student activities will help
students to attain these outcomes
B4 Provide resources, support and feedback to the
students as they do these learning activities
B5 Assess students - have they attained the
course outcomes?
B6 Review student results
B7 Change teaching & assessment as appropriate
4 Two approaches to curriculum
planning compared
Model A
Model B
Plan content
Plan the learning
outcomes
Ensure they are
assessable
Plan learning activities
Support & resource the
student learning
Teach content
Give feedback
Ensure students receive
feedback
Assess
Assess
Review & change teaching
4 Beliefs underpinning practice:
Model A
• “The curriculum is mainly about content”
• “Teaching is substantially about delivering
curriculum content”
• “Feedback aids student learning”
• “Assessment measures if students have learned
the content”
4 Beliefs underpinning practice:
Model B
• “Education is about helping, supporting and
challenging students to achieve outcomes”
• “Learning requires appropriate learning activities by
students, supported by appropriate resources”
• “Learning needs detailed feedback to each student
about their progress towards the outcomes”
• “Assessment provides feedback to the course and
to the teachers as well as to the students”
• “Courses should use feedback to improve
themselves”
4 Your course
• How far does your course adopt model A and
how far model B?
• What would the ideal shape of your course?
How much of model A and how much of model
B? Why?
4 OBE and curriculum design, learning
and teaching; the whole story in 1 slide!
1. What are the aims?
2. What are the intended learning outcomes?
3. How will you assess attainment of these
outcomes?
4. What student learning activities will help
students attain these outcomes?
5. How will you support students to do, and
receive feedback on, these activities?
The answers to these five questions are
your course!
4 Learning outcome from UK OU
MBA course (Fundamentals of Senior Management)
Original version:
Modified version:
• To increase your
• You will be able to
understanding of your
give an analytical
own role as a
account of your own
manager, and of the
roles as a manager
context in which you
and of the context in
perform
which you work
(This is one of 12
• You will be able to
learning outcomes for
relate your role to
600 study hours)
your context
4 Learning outcome from UK OU
MBA block (Understanding Stakeholders)
Original version
You will be able to:
• Recognise the range
of stakeholders in
your & other
organisations
• Be aware of their
main interests
(This represents about
10 study hours)
Modified version:
You will be able to:
• Identify the
stakeholders in your
& other organisations
• Identify their main
interests
4 Outcome & activity from UK
OU MBA block (Understanding Stakeholders)
Learning outcome:
You will be able to:
• Identify the
stakeholders in your
& other organisations
• Identify their main
interests
Learning activity:
• Identify the
stakeholders in
your organisation
and in one other
organisation of
your choice
• Identify their main
interests
4 Possible assessment tasks for
the MBA block (Understanding Stakeholders)
1. Who are the main stakeholders in your organisation?
2. What are their main interests?
3. How did you do these two tasks?
4. How would you identify the main stakeholders of an
organisation for which you do not work?
Your answers must show how you have used relevant
theoretical ideas in your analysis
(Question 3 gets students to describe and analyse what
they did.
Question 4 gets them to say how they would apply their
general method.
And they have to make appropriate use of theory.)
4 Outcomes-based education on
the UK OU MBA
• Learning outcomes specified for each:
– module (600 hours total study),
– block (~60 hours study) and
– (sometimes) section (~6 hours study)
• Learning activities - ~350 out of 600 hours
– the rest is reading
• Learning activities – 1 or 2 ( each 5-10 minutes)
in every hour of studying / reading
4 Teaching and supporting
learning in OBE
• Choose a small learning outcome for your course
– maybe the one you worked on earlier
• How would you assess it? Write an assessment
task!
• What learning activities will your students
undertake to learn how to successfully
undertake this assessment task; that is, to
achieve the outcome?
• How will you support them?
5 Towards the future of OBE
• Courses will help students to want,
passionately, to do things, rather than just
‘be able to’ do things
• Assessment will assess whether students
actually and spontaneously achieve the
outcomes, rather than just ‘being able to’
• Outcomes will include values and
principles and purposes as well as abilities
– “education graduates will help every
single student to achieve their full positive
potential”, for example.