What Is Outcome Based Education (OBE)?

A renowned academician and psychologist, William G. Spady, best known as the “Father of Outcome-
Based Education” had coined the term “OBE” in the year 1988.

William’s attempts in enhancing the quality of the educational ecosystem by introducing outcome-based
approaches have indeed brought a revolutionary change. Unlike the traditional way of teaching-learning,
the OBE model focuses on mapping, measuring, and achieving predetermined educational goals. The
educational goals are not limited to academics but also include attributes like -

 Problem analysis & solving

 Ability to simplify complex learning methods
 Individual & team work
 Professionalism
 Ethics
 Communication skills
 Life-long learning

This blog aims at helping educators, faculty, and educationalists to understand the concept of OBE and
how it can help in maximizing their students’ success.

Outcome Based Education – Why?

Before understanding the concept of OBE, you must understand why there’s a need for an outcome
based education system. What are the factors that have made OBE, the most “sensible” way of
learning in the current situation?

Well, The Prime Reason Is – “Unemployment”.

Here’s the flow of the typical educational system-

 Teachers & students spend countless time and effort in academic lectures that focus on theoretical aspects.
 A whole amount of parent’s hard-earned money is spent on their children’s studies.
 The employment ratio is low due to the prevailing gap between industry requirements and curriculum, thus
impacts the skillsets.

As per the reports of CMIE, India’s unemployment rate as of November is found to be just 36.2% - a
shocking and saddening figure indeed! And this is why it is essential to change the perspective of
educationalists and encourage them to adopt an outcome based learning system. Besides gaining academic
knowledge, students need to have skills and practical experience that would help them grow in their
 careers. The OBE framework works in sync with Bloom's Taxonomy Framework and outlined to fill
up such learning gaps by covering the given educational areas–

 Knowledge
 Comprehension
 Application
 Analysis
 Synthesis
 Evaluation

Even the most reputed accreditation agency – the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), the
permanent signatory member of WA - Washington Accord, has specified certain guidelines for the
institutions that require the accurate assessment of student learning outcomes in order to get a successful
accreditation.

Principles Of Outcome-Based Education (OBE)

The framework of outcome based education system is built on the basis of the following principles.
Let’s first understand these basic principles.

 Organization of Curriculum

The syllabus and curriculum is designed & outlined keeping in mind the end-goal. The faculty gets the
provision to mold the content as per their students’ requirements.
 Student Skill Enhancement

The student-centered teaching-learning approach enables students to develop and polish their skill-set.

 Outcome-Focused Techniques

Outcome-focused techniques allow the teachers to map and measure their strategies and bring the best out
of the students.

 Global Opportunities for Students

The well-organized and structured way of learning enables students to grow on an individual level, meet
international standards of quality education, and boost their careers.

In a crux, outcome based learning is directly proportional to the “outcomes”. However, the “outcomes”
differ at every stage (beginner, intermediate, and expert) of learning and thus, they need to be categorized
and mapped.

Let’s understand the types of outcomes in technical yet simple terms.

 Course Outcomes (COs)

Course outcomes are the objectives that are achieved at the end of any semester/year. For instance, if a
student is studying a particular course then, the outcomes would be concluded on the basis of the marks or
grades achieved in theory and practical lessons.

 Program Outcomes (POs)

Program outcomes can be defined as the objectives achieved at the end of any specialization or discipline.
These attributes are mapped while a student is doing graduation and determined when they get a degree.

 Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)

The program educational objectives specify the expected outcomes of students once they graduate, mostly
the way they conduct their behavior & ethics and excel in their careers.

Here’s an example of an OBE making scheme that depicts the assessment factors and grading criteria of
the OBE system.

Criteria Grades

Grading will depend on what Grades as

criteria the student has per the
attained- objectives-
 Criteria Grades

Criteria: deep knowledge of Grade A

the curriculum, ability to
think out of the box, wisdom
to apply the knowledge in
real life situations, great skill-
set, maximum objectives
achieved

Understanding of curriculum Grade B

and problem solving skills,
fair number of objectives
achieved

Satisfactory performance but Grade C

overall weaker performance
in other areas, fewer
objectives attainment

Extremely poor knowledge & Grade F

no skill set

Challenges Faced By Educators In Adapting OBE

Undoubtedly, the OBE approach is a boon for faculty and educators. However, managing this new way of
teaching-learning may bring the following challenges to their table.

 Managing records of students manually is tough

 Designing an appropriate curriculum requires effort
 Analyzing the vast student database is a draining task
 Keeping a tab on daily student activity & progress is difficult
 Prioritizing the weightage of assessments
 Huge possibility of errors in manual calculations of students attainments
 Improper mapping & measuring of – COs and PO

Automation - The Best Solution For Seamless

Implementation Of OBE!
 Manual student data management and tracking their performance can be simplified with
automated outcome based education software. Right from student enrollment to their entire college
journey, it enables the faculty to map and measure everything without any chances of errors. It allows them
to create the best teaching plans, assignments, questionnaires, and generate the following reports -

 Accurate CO-PO calculation

 Question-wise student performance
 Yearly attainment measurement
 Detailed analysis reports
 Student-wise attainment
 Course-wise & program-wise attainment
 Direct and Indirect Attainment

In this way, educators can use an efficient OBE system to ease the assessment hassles and help students to
match the 21st-century student skills.

What is a holistic assessment of students?

Holistic assessment is the process of using multiple sources to gather information

and provide feedback to support and guide learning. It focuses on achieving quality
 and balance in the assessment system to support decision-making and increase
student motivation and success in learning

What assessment strategies would you use?

A Collection Of Simple Assessment Strategies You Can Use Every Day

 An open-ended question that gets them writing/talking. ...
 Ask students to reflect. ...
 Use quizzes. ...

Outcome Based Education (OBE) Approach: Outcomes are about performance, and this
implies: There must be a performer – the student (learner), not only the teacher

What is the importance of the principles of assessment in teaching and learning?

Assessment for learning helps teachers gather information to: plan and modify
teaching and learning programmes for individual students, groups of students, and
the class as a whole. pinpoint students' strengths so that both teachers and students
can build on them

What is the main role of the teacher in the outcome based learning approach?

OBE is meant to be a student-centered learning model. Teachers are meant to guide

and help the students understand the material in any way necessary, study guides,
and group work are some of the methods instructors can use to facilitate students
learning.

What are the appropriate measures in assessment?

Examples of direct measures:
 Exams/tests. ...
 Course-embedded assessment - methods of assessment that occur in the context of
a course. ...
 Overall work product. ...
 Performances (public or taped)
 Presentations (public or taped)
 Exhibitions.
 Internship evaluations.
 Behavioral observation

Why is it important to use appropriate assessment methods?

Well-designed assessment methods provide valuable information about student
learning. They tell us what students learned, how well they learned it, and where
they struggled.

What is an assessment measurement?

When defined within the context of degree programs and academic and student
support services, direct assessment measures capture student's actual performance
in a way that demonstrates specific learning has occurred.