Module 3

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) and Assessment

Time Allotment: 3.0 hrs.

I. Introduction

Assessment is the process that asks and answers important questions: To what
degree are students learning? Are courses effective? While many of us have long asked
these questions about teaching, the goal of “outcomes-based assessment” is to familiarize
the ways we answer them, in harmony with each program goals.

In this module, you will be introduced to outcomes-based education and

assessment an assessment of student learning based on outcomes, student learning
outcomes or the targets set before the discussion of the lesson which should be acquired
by the students after the course and the different sources of the expected student learning
outcomes which set the directions to see to it that these outcomes are aligned to the
programs stated and you will know also the different characteristics of a good learning
outcomes which should be defined and clarified, specific, focused on the learner and
somehow very realistic and should offer a timeline for the completion of the desired
learning .

II. Learning Outcomes

After completion of this module, you must have:

1. explained the essence of OBE and OBTL;
2. compared understanding by design, OBE and OBTL;
3. explained the meaning of constructive alignment in the context of the
instructional cycle.

III. Learning Content/Topic

Outcomes Based-Education

Outcomes-based Education has become the talk among those involved in

teaching. For quality assurance, the Commission oh Higher Education issued CHED
Memorandum Order 46, series of 2012, Policy Standard to Enhance Quality Assurance
through Outcomes-Based and Typology-Based Quality Assurance.

What is Outcomes-Based Education? What is Outcomes-Based Teaching-Learning? What is

constructive alignment?

OBE is not new. It is importantly new. The instructional cycle of mastery of

learning which has been applied in the classroom since the 60’s is in essence the same OBE
and OBTL in principle.

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The Meaning of OBE

OBE means Outcomes-Based Education. It is an education based on outcome. This

outcome may refer to immediate outcome or deferred outcome.

Immediate outcomes are competencies/skills upon completion of a lesson, a subject, a

grade/year, a course (subject) or a program itself.
Examples are ability to communicate in writing, reading, speaking, and solving mathematical
problems.

Deferred outcomes refer to the ability to apply cognitive, psychomotor and affective
skills/competencies in the various aspects of the professional and workplace practice (Navarro,
2019).
Examples are success in professional practice or occupation as evidence of skill in career
planning, health and wellness and continuing education. Navarro’s explanation of outcomes is
synonymous with Spady’s.

OBE, Spady’s Version

Spady spouses transformational OBE. Transformational OBE is concerned with

long-term, cross-curricular outcomes that are related directly to student’s future life roles such
as being a productive worker or a responsible citizen or a parent. In transformational OBE,
learning is not significant unless the outcomes reflect the complexities of real life and give
prominence to the life roles that learners will face after formal education. In transformational
OBE, learning outcomes comprise the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that
learners should acquire to enable them to reach their full potential and lead successful and
fulfilling lives as individuals, as a member of a community and at work. Spady describes
outcomes as clear learning results that we want students to demonstrate at the end of learning
experiences; what learners can actually do with what they know and have learned and tangible
application of what have been learned. “Spady, 2007) For Spady, the outcomes he refers to are
the deferred outcomes cited by Navarro (2019).

Spady adds:

This has bacroconceptions of the same things. Years ago, we had outcomes that
were really just little skills. Now, we’ve got complex role performances as culminating
outcomes. From an OBE perspective, it’s not a matter of what students had or what courses
they have taken. It’s a matter of hat they can do when they exit the system.

Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning (OBTL), Biggs Version

Biggs and Tang (2007) make use of the term outcomes-based teaching and
learning (OBTL) which in essence is OBE applied in the teaching-learning process. They define
outcomes as learning outcomes which are more specific than institutional outcomes, program
outcomes and course outcomes. In Biggs’ and Tang’s OBTL, outcomes are statements of what
we expect students to demonstrate after they have been taught. These are referred to as
learning outcomes.

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Outcomes in Different Levels

Biggs and Tang made mention of different levels of outcome –

a. institutional outcomes
b. program outcomes
c. course outcomes
The broadest are institutional outcomes and the most specific are learning outcomes.

Arranged from most broad to most specific, outcomes start with institutional
outcomes followed by program outcomes, course outcomes and learning outcomes.

From the institutional outcomes are drawn the graduate attributes that graduates
of the institution are expected to demonstrate after graduation. Others claim that the graduate
attributes are likewise drawn from the program outcomes.

The program outcomes are outcomes that graduates of the program are expected
to demonstrate at the end of the program.

Course outcomes are the specific outcomes that the teacher is concerned with in
his/her specific lessons.

Institutional Outcomes-Graduate
Attributes

Program Outcomes

Course Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes in Different Levels

Principles of OBE

The four principles of OBE cited by Spady (1996) are:

1. clarity of focus
2. designing down
3. high expectations

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4. expanded opportunities
Clarity of focus simply means that outcomes which students are expected to
demonstrate at the end of the program are clear. Designing down means basing the
details of your instructional design on the outcomes, the focus of instruction. High
expectations are believing that all learners can learn and succeed, but not all in the same
time or in the same way and in the same amount of time but all capable of mastery and
meaningful learning. Some learners may need more time than others. Teachers, therefore,
must provide expanded opportunities for all learners. Most learners can achieve high
standards if they are given appropriate opportunities. OBE is anchored on the premise that
all learners are teachable.
The Parable of the Talents is a frequent reminder that not all learners received
five talents. Others received three and still others one. Take note, however, that everyone
received a talent or more. Other than more time and more opportunity for learners with just
one or three talents, more scaffolding from teacher is necessary.

Constructive Alignment

Constructive alignment is Biggs’ term of “designing down” as given by

Spady.
Constructive alignment is a process of creating a learning environment that supports the
learning activities that lead to the achievement of the desired learning outcomes.

The supportive learning environment is a learning environment where the intended learning
outcomes, the teaching-learning activities and the assessment tasks are aligned. It is a
learning environment that is highly focused on the attainment of learning outcomes.

In the context of assessment, constructive alignment also means that the

assessment tasks and the specific criteria as bases of judgment of students’ performance
are aligned to the intended learning outcomes. This is the concern of this course on
Assessment – that the assessment tasks are aligned to the intended learning outcomes.
The Intended Learning
Outcomes of the
Curriculum
The outcomes are formulated first.
From these, the assessment criteria are
developed. The Assessment Regime

Once an appropriate assessment regime

has been designed, activities are organized Teaching and Learning
that will teach the student how to meet the
assessment criteria (and, hence, the Activities
outcomes).
What the teacher does and what the
students do are aimed at achieving
the outcomes by meeting the assessment
criteria. This takes advantage of the
known tendency of student to learn
what they think will be assessed and
is
called backwash

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 Aligned Curriculum Model
(Source: Bigg, J.B. (2003). Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham: Open University Press)
Understanding by Design

Wiggins and McTighe (1998), advocates of Understanding by Design (UbD),

give these 3 stages:
1. identify desired results;
2. determine acceptable evidence; and
3. plan learning experiences and instruction.

1. Identify
desired
results

2. Determine
acceptable evidence.

3. Plan learning
experiences and
instruction.

Stages of Backward Design

(Source: https://cft.vandervilt.edu/guide-sub-pages/understanding-by-design/)

This UbD is OBE and OBTL in principle and in practice. Identifying desired
results is identifying outcomes, the first step in OBE and OBTL. Determining acceptable
evidence of the realization of outcomes is assessment.
In UbD, it is only when desired results (outcomes) and evidence of the
realization of the proof of the attainment of that outcome that the teacher starts to plan for
instruction. This is to ensure alignment of assessment task and criteria and instructional plan
with learning outcome, the desired result. UbD operates on the same principle that OBE and
OBTL operate on.
The assessment process may not take place yet after you have identified
desired results for understandably you have not yet taught but the evidence of learning through
an assessment task is already identified at this stage. Identifying the evidence of learning tight
after identifying the intended learning outcome has an instructional advantage. Making clear
how the intended learning outcome will be assessed invariably sharpens and focuses
instruction. In fact, if teacher is not able to determine how he/she is going to assess the
achievement of the intended outcome, it means that the intended outcome is not specific and
clear enough that teacher does not even have a clear idea on how he/she is going to assess it.
In basic education, a teacher’s lesson plan actually begins with a lesson
objective/s. However, the evaluation portion is planned and is written last and so very often the

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evaluation that teacher writes is far-fetched from his/her lesson objective. “Your evaluation is
not congruent with your objective” – is a common remark of school heads who check lesson
plans and do classroom observations. This implies the need for teachers to work on an
assessment task that is aligned to the lesson objective.
The Instructional Cycle

Learning Outcomes

Teaching-Learning which begins

with preinstruction assessment,
teaching process which includes
Summative Assessment Teaching-Learning Activities,
Formative Assessment and
Reteaching, if necessary

The Instructional Cycle

The Instructional Cycle

The instructional cycle above shows that the cycle of instruction begins
with setting clear learning outcomes. These should be made very clear and explicit to the
learners who should make the learning outcomes also their own. Based on the learning
outcome and applying all principles of teaching and educational technology the teacher has
learned, the teacher first finds out how well the learners have attained prerequisite
knowledge and skills, remedies the situation, if necessary, then proceeds to teach for the
attainment of the intended learning outcome. Teacher employs appropriate teaching-
learning activities and instructional materials. While the teaching-learning process is in
progress, teacher checks learner’s progress in relation to the learning outcomes by
engaging himself/herself in formative assessment. If the learners have not attained the
learning outcomes, the teacher will re-teach using other teaching-learning activities. When
every effort has been exerted to help the learners attain the intended learning outcomes,
assessment for scoring and grading (summative assessment) takes place.

Knowing what is expected from the learners by their teachers at the end of
a particular lesson helps them to meet those targets successfully in the same way that
students who are well informed about what behaviors are expected of them in a course or
subject or learning activity have a definite guide during the learning activity and are
therefore perceived to attain success.

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 It is clear that, that which determine/s the content, the teaching-learning
activities, the instructional materials in the instructional process and assessment is/are the
intended learning outcome/s. Then and only then can we call it Outcomes-Based Teaching
and Learning.
IV. Learning Assessment
(in Google Forms)

V. Enrichment Activity

1. Explain the essence of OBE and OBTL.

2. Compare the similarities and differences of UbD and OBE/OBTL. Use a table for
the comparison.

3. Explain the meaning of constructive alignment in the context of the instructional

cycle.

VI. References:

Corpuz, Brenda B. PhD, Cuartel, Imelda E.DA. Assessment in Learning 2: Authentic

Assessment. (2021). Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Manila

Navarro, Rosita L., De Guzman-Santos, Rosita. (2013). Authentic Assessment of

Student Learning Outcomes 2. Lorimar Publishing, Inc., Cubao, Quezon City

Cajigal, Ronan M., Mantuano, Maria Leflor D. (2014). Assessment of Learning 2.

Adriana Publishing Co., Inc. Cubao, Quezon City

https://words.usask.ca/gmcte/201 but he wants to have his

students9/11/19/outcomes-based-assessment/s

VII. Course Syllabus in PED 107 E – Assessment in Learning 2

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