OutcomeBased Approach to Curriculum Design: Examples for an Easy Start Dr. Angela Ho Associate Head

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Outcome-Based Approach to Curriculum Design
Examples for an Easy Start Dr. Angela
HoAssociate HeadEducational Development
CentreHong Kong Polytechnic University
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The first task

• When you plan your teaching for a subject, what
  is the first thing that you think about?

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Intended outcomes for this workshop

• By the end of this hour, participants will
• be aware of the key concepts of outcome-based
  approach to teaching, learning and assessment
• be able to identify key features of outcome
  statements
• be able to select action verbs for different
  learning outcomes
• Be aware of the importance of curriculum mapping

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Part A

• Important concepts of the outcome-based
  approach to teaching, learning and assessment

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Embracing outcome-based concepts in curriculum
development
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• Outcome-based education means starting with a
  clear picture of what is important for students
  to be able to do, then organising the curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment to make sure that
  this learning ultimately happens. (Spady, 1994)

• Group work
• Underline the important words identify
  essential concepts of applying outcome-based
  approach in curriculum development

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• Outcome-based education means starting with a
  clear picture of what is important for students
  to be able to do, then organising the curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment to make sure that
  this learning ultimately happens. (Spady, 1994)

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Concept 1Designing backwards in curriculum
development

• Starting with clarifying the outcomes that
  students are to achieve
• Then organising the curriculum, instruction, and
  assessment

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• When you plan your teaching for a subject, what
  is the first thing that you think about?

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• Outcome-based education means starting with a
  clear picture of what is important for students
  to be able to do, then organising the curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment to make sure that
  this learning ultimately happens. (Spady, 1994)

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Concept 2Mapping outcomes through the curriculum

• Ideal graduate attributes
• ?
• Programme outcomes
• ?
• Programme structure
• ?
• Subject outcomes
• ?
• Teaching and assessment in subjects

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Embracing outcome-based concepts in enhancing
assuring student learning
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4 components of outcome-based approach to
teaching, learning assessment
Clarify intended learning outcomes
Design aligned teaching, learning assessment
Collect data on student attainment of outcomes
Feedback data to academics for improvement
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Clarifying intended learning outcomes (starting
point)

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• When you plan your teaching for a subject, what
  is the first thing that you think about?
• What is your answer?
• Are you already embracing the concepts of
  learning outcomes?

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Concept 3 Learning outcomes do not equal to
content
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4 components of outcome-based approach to
teaching, learning assessment
Clarify intended learning outcomes
Design aligned teaching, learning assessment
Collect data on student attainment of outcomes
Feedback data to academics for improvement
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Designing aligned teaching, learning
assessment (basis of success)
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Concept 4Constructive Alignment (Biggs)
Desired Learning Outcomes
Teaching Learning Activities
Assessment Methods
Ensuring learning outcomes
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4 components of outcome-based approach to
teaching, learning assessment
Clarify intended learning outcomes
Design aligned teaching, learning assessment
Collect data on student attainment of outcomes
Feedback data to academics for improvement
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Collecting evidence on students attainment of
learning outcomes (quality assurance)
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Concept 5Outcome assessment is not about
examination (M. Stone, 15 Dec 05, PolyU
Symposium)

• Referring to a quality assurance concept
• is about collecting evidence on the extent
  programme / institutional learning outcomes are
  attained by students e.g. Problem solving,
  Design, Critical thinking, Leadership
• therefore concerns aggregated result (not
  result of individual students)

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4 components of outcome-based approach to
teaching, learning assessment
Clarify intended learning outcomes
Design aligned teaching, learning assessment
Collect data on student attainment of outcomes
Feedback data to academics for improvement
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Using data to improve teaching
learning(Continuous improvement)
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Implementation of outcome-based approach the US
scenario (more accountability-focused)
Clarify intended learning outcomes
Improve teaching learning (Alignment)
Collect data on student attainment of outcomes
(Outcomes Assessment)
Feedback data to faculty members
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Implementation of outcome-based approach HK
scenario (more learning enhancement focused)
Clarify intended learning outcomes
Design aligned teaching, learning assessment
Collect data on student attainment of outcomes
Feedback data to academics for improvement
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Part B

• Clarifying learning outcomes (writing outcome
  statements)

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What are learning outcomes?
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Learning outcomes

• Learning outcomes encompass
• What students should know / understand
• What students should be able to do
• What students should be like

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Are these learning outcomes?

• From whose perspective are they written?
• How to test that they are achieved?

• Objectives of the programme / subject are to
• provide a broad view of both theoretical and
  practical issues in xyz.
• introduce students to the concepts and
  applications of xyz.
• familiarize students with the tools and languages
  for xyz.
• expose students to the applications of xyz.
  .

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Outcomes for engineering programme(Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology, ABET, USA)

• to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and
  engineering
• to design conduct experiments as well as
  analyze interpret data
• to design a system, component, or process to meet
  desired needs
• to function on multi-disciplinary teams
• to identify, formulate, and solve engineering
  problems
• have an understanding of professional and ethical
  responsibility
• to communicate effectively
• have the broad education to understand the impact
  of engineering solutions in a global and societal
  context
• possess the ability to engage in life-long
  learning
• possess a knowledge of contemporary issues
• to use the techniques, skills, and modern
  engineering tools necessary for engineering
  practice

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Writing outcome statements
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Features of good Outcome statements

• Outcome statements
• are broad statements of key learning achievement
• Articulate performance of students in terms of
  action verbs
• sometimes also specify the level of performance

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MBA programme outcomes

• Group A
• Determine which items are about
• What they should know / understand
• What they should be able to do
• What they should be like
• Group B
• Evaluate the quality of the outcome statements
  w.r.t.
• are broad statements of key learning achievement
• Articulate performance of students in terms of -
  action verbs (e.g. analyse), or - outcomes of
  actions (e.g. analysis)
• sometimes also specify the level of performance

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MBA programme outcomes (an excellent example of
professional competences)

• It captures the key competences of managers
• It represents professional competences with clear
  operational action verbs at the appropriate level
  of performance
• It links professional competence with the
  content to be leant

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Kinds of knowledge Levels of understanding
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Distinguish the kind of knowledge you want
Declarative knowledge . Knowing about
things . Knowledge we can declare to someone
in writing or telling Functioning
knowledge . Knowledge we put to work in
solving a physics problem,
analysing a case study, designing a
building, making an argument Slide extracted
from presentation of Biggs Tang, 2006

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Connecting declarative knowledge and
functioning knowledge

• 2 Modeling use such knowledge and understanding
  in the modeling and design of computer-based
  systems for the purposes of comprehension,
  communication, prediction and the understanding
  of trade-offs.
• 3 Requirements, practical constraints and
  computer-based systems in their context
  recognise and analyse criteria and specifications
  appropriate to specific problems, and plan
  strategies for their solution.
• 5 Methods and tools deploy appropriate theory,
  practices and tools for the specification,
  design, implementation and evaluation of
  computer-based systems.

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The SOLO Taxonomy with sample verbs indicating
levels of understanding
Competence
Fail Incompetent Misses point
Incompetence
one relevant several relevant
integrated into generalized to
aspect independent
aspects a structure new domain
Prestructural Unistructural
Multistructural Relational
Extended Abstract Slide extracted from
presentation of Biggs and Tang, 2006
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Part C

• Designing teaching, learning assessment to
  align with intended learning outcomes

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Material Technology for Interior Designers
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Material Technology for Interior Designers
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Part D

• Curriculum mapping

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Curriculum Map for a Programme

• Provides an OVERVIEW of the extent to which each
  programme outcome is taught and assessed
• Allows gaps (e.g. under-addressed outcomes) and
  other problems (e.g. over-represented
  outcomes) to be identified

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Curriculum Map (example A)

• Key I Introduced R Reinforced A
  Assessed

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Curriculum Map (Example B)
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The Process of Curriculum Mapping
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Mapping from subject to programme

• Each subject team map its outcome, teaching and
  assessment against the programme outcomes(done
  by subject team)
• Combine all the subject mapping to form a
  programme map
• Review the entire programme map for gaps and
  problems and rectify accordingly (done by
  programme team)

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Important!

• Curriculum mapping should be a collaborative
  effort of the programme team

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A change in paradigm