FAQ - What does 'outcomes-based' education mean?

Answer

In contrast to a content and time-based method, OBE specifies the "outcomes" students should be able to demonstrate upon leaving the system.  These outcomes are derived from a negotiated vision of the skills and knowledge students need to be effective in whatever they have been learning, e.g. medicine or creative writing.  The new statutory guidelines and quality assurance agency subject benchmarks are written using inherently student-focussed outcomes, which are thought to be more flexible and unambiguous than aims and objective.  OBE focuses educational practice on ensuring that students master those outcomes.

OBE outlines the learning outcomes that should be a result of the student experience. It focuses on the end-product and defines what the learner is accountable for, rather than telling teachers how to teach or students how to learn, or specifying the steps in between. Learning outcomes determine what is taught and assessed and can help to identify what is and is not essential.

Outcomes should be definite and measurable. Criticism has been levelled at the concept by many organisations, especially in the US where K-12 schools have been adopting OBE approaches.  It is certainly the case that outcomes can be written, just like aims and objectives, in a manner that are so general that they do not guide teaching or assessment, or in a way that is not measurable, as can often be the case when trying to define attitudinal outcomes.  However, well-written outcomes can be very useful guides for curriculum design and assessment, and can be extremely helpful to students when attempting to engage in self-directed learning.

Here is an example:

Aim: To improve communication skills in healthcare.

Objective: All new graduates must be able to demonstrate effective communication skills in all areas and in all media e.g. orally, in writing, electronically, by telephone etc.

Outcome Topic: Communicating with Police and Procurator Fiscal/Coroner

Outcome: Demonstrate proper procedure when such communication is necessary and know how to relay appropriate information without breaking rules of confidentiality.

The objective and outcome examples above are from a document from the Scottish Deans Medical Curriculum Group which is available at the URL listed below.

In general, the process of defining outcomes starts with a rigorous analysis of the ‘end-product’, i.e. What should a medical student be able to do upon graduation?  Once these knowledge, skills and attitudes have been defined, then the process works backwards through the curriculum, mapping out how these will be accomplished.  It is also very important to eliminate material that does not ultimately contribute to the achieving of these outcomes.  The process of mapping the expected outcomes for a graduate onto a curriculum relies on drafting ‘specifications’ for the degree programme.

Links:

Newcastle Medical School Outcomes Document

Powerpoint Presentation by Nick Ross, Birmingham

Disclaimer: This FAQ was written by Dr Jean McKendree and does not reflect an official endorsement by the HEA or any other organisation.  Any questions or queries should be sent to: enquiries@medev.ac.uk

Last updated: 04 July 2011