1Draft PSG for OBE April 16, 2012

1 Republic of the Philippines

2 OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
3 COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
4
5
6CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER (CMO)
7No. ___, Series of 2012
8
9
10SUBJECT: POLICIES, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES IN THE
11 ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION (OBE)
12 SYSTEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OFFERING
13 ENGINEERING PROGRAMS
14
15In accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known
16as the “Higher Education Act of 1994,” by virtue of Resolution No. ____ of the Commission en
17banc dated _______________, for the purpose of transforming engineering education into an
18outcomes-based system to meet the demands of global equivalency of quality standards in
19engineering programs as well as to promote continuous quality improvement in higher
20education institutions (HEIs) offering said programs, the following policies, standards and
21guidelines are hereby adopted and promulgated by the Commission, thus:
22
23
24 ARTICLE I – INTRODUCTION
25
26Section 1. Background and Rationale
27
28 Quality education today is measured not only by effectiveness, efficiency,
29 sustainability, but also by relevance. Relevance in education would mean
30 addressing the needs of the students and the employers of today and providing
31 the future graduates a curriculum of global comparability. In the case of
32 engineering education, six countries represented by their engineering
33 professional societies signed the Washington Accord (WA) in 1989 defining
34 common standards for equivalency among their graduates of engineering
35 programs. Full member signatories of the WA agree that graduates from their
36 accredited engineering programs shall be mutually recognized across their
37 countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of
38 engineering, thus promoting mobility of professional engineers practicing across
39 their borders.
40
41 More importantly, since 2000, accreditation standards among the full members
42 of the WA have shifted from an Input-Based to an Outcomes-Based Education
43 (OBE) system, where the focus is for the institutions with accredited programs to
44 demonstrate that their engineering graduates have met an acceptable level of
45 knowledge, skills, and attitude demanded by their different fields of practice.
46 Furthermore, accreditation demands that program outcomes must be aligned
47 with the mission and educational objectives and the OBE system is supported
48 by a continuous quality improvement program.
49
50 All signatories of the WA are represented by nationwide professional
51 engineering organizations that are non-governmental and independent of
52 academic institutions or societies. The Philippine Technological Council (PTC) is
53 the only umbrella organization of all professional engineering organizations in
54 the country and since 2009 has led the preparation of the application for the
55 Philippines to be a provisional member of the WA. The immediate goal of the
56 PTC is to represent the Philippines in applying and getting admitted as a
57 provisional member of the WA by February of 2012. In this regard, it has created

3 Page 1 of 6
 4Draft PSG for OBE April 16, 2012
5

58 the Accrediting and Certification Board for Engineering and Technology

59 (ACBET), the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), and has completed
60 its Certification and Accreditation System for Engineering Education (CASEE).
61 As would be expected, the PTC-CASEE is based on prospective school
62 applicants for accreditation implementing an OBE system and being able to
63 meet a set of criteria.
64
65 In 2007 and 2008, the Commission on Higher Education, through the efforts and
66 recommendation of the Technical Panel for Engineering and Technology (TPET),
67 has released a series of memoranda for compliance by all engineering schools
68 offering baccalaureate engineering programs. The CMOs mandated engineering
69 schools to follow a new set of policies, standards and guidelines for all
70 baccalaureate engineering programs that defined the needed competencies for
71 the practice of each engineering field, and a set of program outcomes that
72 engineering students in the different fields are expected to possess by the time
73 they graduate. The first batch of students covered by these CMOs is expected
74 to graduate in 2013.
75
76 This CMO is therefore a reinforcement of the previously CHED-issued
77 memoranda now currently in effect among engineering schools as a means to
78 establish an OBE system to prepare the concerned HEIs in meeting the
79 accreditation criteria of the PTC-CASEE.
80
81Section 2. Objective and Purpose
82
83 This CMO aims to provide the policies, standards and guidelines for all HEIs
84 offering engineering programs to work towards establishing an OBE system for
85 engineering programs. The purpose of this CMO is to promote the capacity
86 building of concerned HEIs to plan for the needed infrastructure and continuing
87 quality improvement program in support of the OBE system.
88
89
90 ARTICLE II – GENERAL POLICIES AND STANDARDS
91
92Section 3. General Policies
93
94 It shall now be the policy of the Commission to require, support, and monitor the
95 establishment of an OBE System in all HEIs offering engineering programs.
96
97 All HEIs offering engineering programs shall shift to an OBE system with its full
98 implementation by the end of Academic Year 2016-2017.
99
100 The Commission, through the TPET shall issue further a series of CMOs to
101 realize the full implementation of OBE system in all HEIs offering engineering
102 programs. In this regard, all existing CMOs affecting engineering programs shall
103 be subjected to review and revision by the OPS in order to conform to the
104 requirements of OBE system implementation.
105
106 The General Standards on OBE System Implementation shall be continuously
107 aligned with the accreditation criteria set by the PTC-CASEE as well as any
108 additional general criteria that shall be set by the Commission.
109
110 The Commission, through the TPET, shall design and conduct a series of
111 seminar-workshops in order to orient and train the officials and staff of all
112 concerned HEIs on the shift to OBE system.
113

6 Page 2 of 6
 7Draft PSG for OBE April 16, 2012
8

114 An OBE monitoring system shall be developed and instituted periodically by the
115 CHED in coordination with the Technical Committees of the TPET in order to
116 ensure the compliance of the concerned HEIs to this CMO.
117
118Section 4. General Standards on the Establishment of an OBE System
119
120 In order to ensure the sustainable delivery of an OBE system in the concerned
121 HEIs, an institutional framework with the following components shall be in place
122 for each engineering program offering:
123
124 4.1 Mission and Vision
125 4.2 Program Educational Objectives
126 4.3 Program Outcomes
127 4.4 Matrix of Courses with Program Outcomes (Curriculum Map)
128 4.5 Outcome-Based Teaching and Learning Delivery Process
129 4.6 Program Assessment and Evaluation Process
130 4.7 Continuing Quality Improvement Program
131
132 A definition of each OBE system component is given in Section 7.
133
134
135 ARTICLE III – IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES
136
137Section 5. Implementing Guidelines for Academic Year 2012-2013
138
139 5.1 CHED shall provide copies of this CMO to all concerned HEIs upon its
140 approval.
141 5.2 CHED, through TPET, shall prepare a 5-year Implementation and
142 Monitoring plan related to this CMO for the approval of the Commission.
143 5.3 The TPET shall open a website (www.ched-tpet.org) for the effective
144 dissemination of OBE-related information, for initiating relevant discussion
145 forums on OBE, and the downloading of OBE-related documents and
146 OBE Implementation Monitoring Form 1 (OBE-MF-01) by the concerned
147 HEIs.
148 5.4 CHED shall conduct a series of orientation and training workshops in
149 order to prepare its technical and support staff and the concerned HEIs for
150 compliance with this CMO and for the completion of OBE-MF-01.
151 5.5 All concerned HEIs are expected to upload their completed OBE-MF-01
152 online via the TPET website.
153 5.6 CHED, through the Technical Committees of the TPET shall conduct a
154 review of all submitted OBE-MF-01 and shall act accordingly.
155
156Section 6. Implementing Guidelines after Academic Year 2012-2013
157
158 CHED, shall release additional Implementing Guidelines aligned with its
159 implementation and monitoring plan for this CMO as needed. New CMOs may
160 also be released to repeal previous CMOs which do not conform to OBE
161 system.
162

9 Page 3 of 6
10Draft PSG for OBE April 16, 2012
11

163Section 7. Definition of Acronyms and OBE-Related Terms

164
165 7.1 Acronyms
166
167 ACBET – Accreditation and Certification Board for Engineering and
168 Technology
169 CASEE – Certification and Accreditation System for Engineering
170 Education
171 CHED – Commission on Higher Education
172 CMO – CHED Memorandum Order
173 EAC – Engineering Accreditation Council
174 HEI – Higher Education Institution
175 OBE – Outcomes-Based Education
176 OBTL – Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning
177 OPS – Office of Programs and Standards
178 PEO – Professional Engineering Organization
179 PTC – Philippine Technological Council
180 TPET – Technical Panel for Engineering and Technology
181 WA – Washington Accord
182
183 7.2 OBE-Related Terms
184
185 Assessment – one or more processes that identify, collect, analyze, and
186 report data that can be used to evaluate achievement of the program
187 educational objectives and program outcomes. Effective assessment
188 uses relevant direct, indirect, quantitative and qualitative measures as
189 appropriate to the outcome or objective being measured. Appropriate
190 sampling methods may be used as part of an assessment process.
191
192 Continuous Quality Improvement – periodic feedback process for
193 changing any aspect of a program whereby formal results from
194 assessment and evaluation and other informal observations are
195 utilized in the formulation of the changes, with expected higher
196 degrees of attainment of program educational objectives and higher
197 degrees of attainment of student outcomes.
198
199 Curriculum Map – matrix relating all the courses listed in the program
200 curriculum with one or more of the declared program or student
201 outcomes.
202
203 Evaluation – one or more processes for interpreting the data and
204 evidence accumulated through assessment processes. Evaluation
205 determines the extent to which program educational objectives and
206 program or student outcomes are achieved. Evaluation results in
207 decisions and actions regarding program continuous quality
208 improvement.
209
210 Institutional Mission and Vision – statements on the long-term view of
211 the institution of itself and of the world within which it operates,
212 including the fundamental purpose of its existence, its long-term role
213 and stature, and what it does to achieve this purpose and how it
214 would like to play its role.
215
216 Outcomes – what learners are expected to know and be able to do at the
217 desired level of competence.
218

12 Page 4 of 6
13Draft PSG for OBE April 16, 2012
14

219 Outcomes-Based Education – clearly focusing and organizing

220 everything in an educational system around what is essential for all
221 students to be able to do successfully at the end of their learning
222 experiences.
223
224 Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning – constructive alignment of
225 intended, learning outcomes with appropriate outcome-based
226 assessment methods and teaching and learning activities. This is
227 OBE applied in the classroom level.
228
229 Performance Criteria – specific, measurable statements identifying the
230 performance(s) required to meet the outcome; confirmable through
231 evidence.
232
233 Performance Level – Assigning a performance level to a student is a
234 product of professional expertise and personal knowledge of the
235 student’s ability. The performance levels do not correspond to grades.
236 Assignment of performance levels should be based upon the
237 descriptions provided, not upon any expected score on the
238 assessment.
239
240 Program Educational Objectives – broad statements that describe the
241 career and professional accomplishments that the program is
242 preparing graduates to achieve within a few years of graduation.
243 Program educational objectives are based on the needs of the
244 program’s constituencies.
245
246 Program or Student Outcomes – specify what students are expected to
247 know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to the
248 skills, knowledge, and behaviors that the students acquire as they go
249 through the program.
250
251 Rubric – set of categories developed from the performance that define
252 and describe the progression towards meeting important components
253 of the work being completed, critiqued, or assessed. Each category
254 contains a gradation of levels of completion or competence with a
255 score assigned to each level and a clear description of what criteria
256 need to be met to attain the score at each level
257
258
259 ARTICLE IV – TRANSITORY PROVISION
260
261Section 8. HEIs that have been granted permit or recognition for any Bachelor of Science
262 in Engineering degree program are required to fully comply with all the
263 requirements in this CMO, within a non-extendable period of five (5) years
264 after the date of its effectivity. State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and
265 Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs) shall also comply with the
266 requirements herein set forth.
267

15 Page 5 of 6
16Draft PSG for OBE April 16, 2012
17

268
269 ARTICLE V – EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE
270
271Section 9. This CMO shall take effect immediately upon approval by the Commission
272 beginning Academic Year 2012-2013, after publication in an official gazette or
273 in a newspaper of general circulation.
274
275
276
277Pasig City, Philippines ________________________________
278
279
280 For the Commission:
281
282
283
284 PATRICIA B. LICUANAN
285 Chairperson
286

18 Page 6 of 6