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 measurable. 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, and 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.
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
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
Institutional, Program, Course and Learning Outcomes
Outcome in Outcome-Based Education come in four levels:
1. Institutional Outcomes – graduates of an educational institutions are supposed to be
able to do beyond graduation
2. Program outcomes – graduates of a particular educational program or degrees are
able to do at the completion of the degree or program.
3. Course Outcomes – what should students be able to demonstrate at the end of the
course or a subject.
4. Learning or instructional outcome/lesson outcome – student should be able to do after
a lesson or instruction.