Jan 23, 2022 Assessment 1 Topic

The Shift of Educational Focus from Content to Learning Outcomes

Reduced to the barest components, the educative process happens between the teacher
and the student. Education originated from the terms “educare” or “educere” which
meant “to draw out.” Ironically, however, for centuries we succeeded in perpetuating the
belief that education is a “pouring in” process wherein the teacher was the infallible giver
of knowledge and the student was the passive recipient. It followed that the focus of
instruction was content and subject matter. We were used to regarding education
basically in terms of designating a set of subjects to take and when the course is
completed we pronounce the students “educated” assuming that the instruction and
activities we provided will lead to the desired knowledge, skills and other attributes that
we think the course passers would possess.

The advent of technology caused a change of perspective in education, nationally and

internationally. The teacher ceased to be the sole source of knowledge. With knowledge
explosion, 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.

Outcomes-Based Education: Matching Intentions with

Accomplishment
The change in educational perspective is called Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) which
has three (3) characteristics:

1. It is student-centered; that is, it places the students at the center of the process
by focusing on Student Learning Outcomes (SLO).
2. It is faculty-driven; that is, it encourages faculty responsibility for teaching,
assessing program outcomes and motivating participation from the students.
3. It is meaningful; that is, it provides data to guide the teacher in making valid
and continuing improvement in instruction and assessment activities.
To implement outcomes-based education on the subject or course level, the following
procedure is recommended:

1. Identification of the educational objectives of the subject/

course. Educational objectives are the broad goals that the subject/course
expects to achieve, and defining in general terms the knowledge, skills and
attitude that the teacher will help the students to attain. The objectives are
 stated from the point of view of the teacher such as: “to develop, to provide, to
enhance, to inculcate, etc.”
2. Listing of learning outcomes specified for each subject/ course
objective. Since subject/course objectives are broadly stated, they do not
provide detailed guide to be teachable and measureable. Learning outcomes are
stated as concrete active verbs such as: to demonstrate, to explain, to
differentiate, to illustrate, etc. A good source of learning outcomes statements is
the taxonomy of educational objectives by Benjamin Bloom. Bloom’s
taxonomy of educational objectives is grouped into three (3):
o Cognitive, also called knowledge, refers to mental skills such as
remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating,
synthesizing/creating.
o Psychomotor, also referred to as skills, includes manual or physical
skills, which proceed from mental activities and range from the
simplest to the complex such as observing, imitating, practicing,
adapting and innovating.
o Affective, also known as attitude, refers to growth in feelings or
emotions from the simplest behavior to the most complex such as
receiving, responding, valuing, organizing, and internalizing.
3. Drafting outcomes assessment procedure. This procedure will enable the
teacher to determine the degree to which the students are attaining the desired
learning outcomes. It identifies for every outcome the data that will be gathered
which will guide the selection of the assessment tools to be used and at what
point assessment will be done. 

The Outcomes of Education

Outcomes-based education focuses classroom instruction on the skills and competencies
that students must demonstrate when they exit. There are two (2) types of outcomes:
immediate and deferred outcomes.

1. Immediate outcomes are competencies/skills acquired upon completion of a subject, a

grade level, a segment of the program, or of the program itself.

Examples:

o Ability to communicate in writing and speaking

o Mathematical problem-solving skill
o Skill in identifying objects by using the different senses
 o Ability to produce artistic or literary works
o Ability to do research and write the results
o Ability to present an investigative science project
o Skill in story-telling
o Promotion to a higher grade level
o Graduation from a program
o Passing a required licensure examination
o Initial job placement

2. Deferred outcomes refer to the ability to apply cognitive, psychomotor and affective

skills/competencies in various situations many years after completion of a subject; grade
level or degree program.

Examples:

o Success in professional practice or occupation

o Promotion in a job
o Success in career planning, health and wellness
o Awards and recognition

Reflection: I learned from last week’s discussion that teacher as a facilitator of education must
focus on the skills, competences and learning of his/ her students which is the new learning concept
of today, to be students-centered. I learned also that we must aim to be a successful teacher, to keep
and never stop learning because that is part of being a teacher.