Chapter 2: OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION (OBE) AND ASSESSMENT

Introduction

Outcome-based Education has become the talk among those involved in teaching. For quality assurance, the
Commission on 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
Outcome-Based Education? What is Outcome-Based Teaching-Learning? What is constructive alignment?

OBE is not new. It is importantly new. The instructional cycle of mastery learning which has been applied in
the classroom since the 60's is in essence the same OBE and OBTL in principle.

The Meaning of OВЕ

OBE means Outcome-Based Education. Simply put, it is 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 solve 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 students' 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 fransformational 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 mattert of what they can do when.
they exit the system.
Outcome-Based Teaching and Learning (OBTL), Biggs 'Version

Biggs and Tang (2007) make use of the term outcome-based teaching-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 demoustrate alter they have been taught. These are referred
to as learning outcomes.

Outcomes in Different Levels

Biggs and Tang made mention of different levels of outcome-institutional outcomes, program outcomes and
course outcomes. The most broad are institutional outcomes and the most specifc 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 particular subject outcomes while learning outcomes are the most specific outcomes that
the teacher is concerned with in his/her specific lessons. See Figure 3.
Principles of OВЕ

The four principles of OBE cited by Spady (1996) are: 1) clarity of focus, 2) designing down, 3 high
expectations, and 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 is believing that all leaners can learn and succeed, but not all in the same time or in the
same way. Not all learners can learn the same thing in the same way and in the same amount of time but all
are 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 learning. outcomes.
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
principles that OBE and OBTL operate on.

The assessment process may not take place yet after you have identified desired results for unerstandably
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 right 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.

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. See
Figure 5.

In basic education, a teacher's lesson plan actually begins with lesson objective/s. However, the evaluation
portion is planned and is written last and so very often the 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

The instructional cycle given in Figure 6 shows that the cycle of instruction begins with setting clear learning
outcomes. These should be made very clear and explict to the learners who should make the learning
outcomes also their very 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 materir. While the teaching-learning process is in progress, teacher chocks learner's
progress in relation to.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: SOURCES AND CHARACTERISTICS

Introduction

In OBE, the focus is on learning outcomes. Learning outcomesare naturally associated with learners thus the
phrase student learning outcomes. Don't get confused. We are still referring to the same learning outcomes
focused on the student or the learner.

Students who are well informed about what behaviors are. expected of them in a course/subject or learning
activity have a definite guide during the learning activity and are therefore perceived to attain success.
Correlatively, teachers who know very well what they wish their students to demonstrate or perform will be
in the best position to align their instructional activities to the desired learning outcomes.

the learning outcomes by engaging himself/herself in formative assessment. If the learners have not attained
the learning outcomes, teacher will re-teach using other teaching-learning activites. When every effort has
been exerted to help the learners attain the intended learning outcomes, assessment for scoring and grading
(summative assessment) takes place.
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 Outcome-Based Teaching and Learning.

COLLABORATE

1. Are lesson objectives found in teachers' daily lesson plans, competencies written in the K to 12 Curriculum
Guide and competency standards used by trainers and assessors from the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) the same in essence as the outcomes in OBE /OBTL? Explain your answer.

2. In the language of lesson objectives, there is such a thing as enabling objectives and terminal objectives.
Between these two levels of objectives, which one may correspond to Spady's broad outcomes? Which one
may correspond to Biggs' more. specific learning outcomes?

3. Study these comic strips and state common erroneous assessment practice/s suggested by the comics.

Meaning of Learning Outcomes

Based on Figure 3 in Chapter 2, outcomes come in different levels. The intended institutional outcomes, the
broadest of all outcomes, are derived from the institution's vision and mission. From the institutional
outcomes, schools derive their graduate attributes (which are also termed student outcomes). Below the
institutional outcomes are program outcomes. For the teacher education program, the program outcomes
are laid down in the Memorandum Orders from the Commission on Higher Education, CMO No. 74 to 80, s.
2017. Higher educational institutions which have their own institutional outcomes that are derived from their
VMG (vision, mission, goals) may add program outcomes to these program outcomes issued by CHED. More
specific than the program outcomes are the course outcomes, the outcomes for each subject in the
curriculum. Most specific are the learning outcomes which others call. intended learning outcomes or
student learning outcomes to emphasize that these are the knowledge, skills and values that students are
expected to demonstrate at the end of the lesson. These are the ones assessed in the process of teaching-
learning and are expected to be demonstrated at the end of the lesson.

Teaching objectives are not the same as learning outcomes. Teaching objectives are formulated from the
point of the teacher while learning outcomes are formulated from the point of view of the learner. Teaching
objectives state what the teacher does while learning outcomes state specifically what knowledge, skill or
value must be demonstrated by the learner after instruction. There should be no disconnect between
teaching objective and learning outcome. In the words of OBE, they must be aligned.

Sources of Learning Outcomes

1. The institution's vision and mission statements are a relevant source of student learning expectations.
Public schools refer to the public school system vision and mission statements as source of learning
outcomes. Private schools are either sectarian or non-sectarian and their vision and mission statements may
be sourced from their respective religious goals, in the case of sectarian schools, or their founder's
philosophy in the case of non-sectarian [Link] school teachers observe constructive alignment, then we
expect that their teaching-learning activities and assessment tasks are aligned with their learning outcomes
(what they call learning objectives) which are in turn aligned with the DepEd vision-mission statements.
Teacher education institutions must teach the future teachers to align their lessons (learning outcomes,
teaching-learning activities and assessment tasks) with the DepEd vision and mission statements.

2. Policies and competencies and standards issued by government education agencies such as the
Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are prescribed sources of learning outcomes. The DepEd issued the
K to 12 Curriculum Guide that contains the competencies expected to be taught by teachers in the basic
education level. It likewise issued the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST). TESDA likewise
has a list of competencies per course and CHED has program outcomes and course outcomes for all
programs. (The PPST from DepEd and the program outcomes of teacher education from CHED are given
below.

3. To bridge the gap between academe and industry, expected competencies identified by the different
professions, business and industry should be adopted to ensure that graduates are able to perform as
expected in their respective work places and/or professions. In the Philippines, the various Professional
Regulatory Boards of the Professional Regulation Commission have come up with lists of competencies
expected of professionals. The Board for Professional Teachers, for example, has a list of these competencies
in its Table of Specifications (TOS)

4. For schools to be relevant, they should consider the thrusts and development goals of national
government in the formulation of learning outcomes. Schools are there for society and society is also there
for the schools.

In a global world and for global citizenship, the determination of learning outcomes must likewise consider
international trends and development. This makes graduates globally competitive. Amidst talk on glocal
citizenship, it is.

Below are the vision and mission statements and core values of the Department of Education, Philippines:

THE DEPED VISION

We dream of Filipinos who passionately love their country and whose values and competencies enable them
to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.

As a learner-centered public institution, the Department of Education continuously improves itself to better
serve its stakeholders.

THE DEPED MISSION

Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and motivating environment. Teachers facilitate
learning and constantly nurture every learner.

Administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure an enabling and supportive environment for
effective learning to happen.

Family, community, and other stakeholders are actively engaged and share responsibility for developing life-
long learners..

OUR CORE VALUES

Maka-Diyos Maka-tao Makakalikasan Makabansa

Program Outcomes for Teacher Education Based on the CMOs

Based on CMOs 74-80 s. 2017, The Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the teacher education program,
graduates of all programs in all types of schools (professional institution, college or university) have the
ability to:

6.1 Common to all programs in all types of schools The graduates have the ability to: (Student Program
outcomes)

a. articulate and discuss the latest developments in the specific field of practice. (PQF level 6 descriptor)

b. effectively communicate in English and Filipino, both orally and in writing

c. work effectively and collaboratively with a substantial degree of independence in multi-disciplinary and
multi-cultural teams. (PQF level 6 discriptor)

d. act in recognition of professional, social and ethical responsibility.

e. preserve and promote "Filipino historical and cultural heritage" (based on RA 7722)

6.2 Common to the discipline (Teacher Education) (Teacher Program Outcomes)

a. Articulated the rootedness of education in philosophical, cultural, historical, psychological, and political
contexts.

b. Demonstrate mastery of subject matter/discipline

c.. Facilitate learning using a wide range of teaching methodologies and delivery modes appropriate to
specific learners and their environments.
d. Develop innovate curricula, instructional plans, teaching approaches, and resources for diverse learners.

6.3 Common to graduates of a horizontal type of institution as defined in CМО 46, 2012

a. Graduates of professional institutions demonstrate service orientation in their respective professions.

b. Graduates of colleges are qualified for various types of employment and participate in development
activities and public discourses, particularly in response to the needs of the communities they serve.

c. Graduates of universities contribute to the generation of new knowledge by participating in various

The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers

The program outcomes for the teacher education program in the Philippines must necessarily be based on
the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers issued by the Department of Education in Department
Order #42, s. 2017. While the program outcomes for teacher education issued by the Commission on Higher
Education were based on the PPST, it may be good to present the gist of the professional standards
contained in 7 Domains, 37 strands.

Quality teachers in the Philippines need to possess the following characteristics:

recognize the importance of mastery of content knowledge and its interconnectedness within and across
curriculum areas, coupled with a sound and critical understanding of the application of theories and
principles of teaching and learning. They apply developmentally appropriate and meaningful pedagogy
grounded on content knowledge and current research. They display proficiency in Mother Tongue, Filipino
and English to facilitate the teaching and learning process, as well as exhibit the needed skills in the use of
communication strategies, teaching strategies and technologies to promote high-quality learning outcomes.

provide learning environments that are safe, secure, fair and supportive in order to promotelearner
responsibility and achievement. They create an environment that is learning-focused and they efficiently
manage learner behavior in a physical and virtual space. They utilize a range of resources and provide
intellectually challenging and stimulating activities to encourage constructive classroom interactions geared
towards the attainment of high standards of learning.

establish learning environments that are responsive to learner diversity. They respect learners' diverse
characteristics and experiences as inputs to the planning and design of learning opportunities. They
encourage the celebration of diversity in the classroom and the need for teaching practices that are
differentiated to encourage all learners to be successful citizens in a changing local and global environment.

Interact with the national and local curriculum requirements. They translate curriculum content into learning
activities that are relevant to learners and based on the principles of effective teaching and learning. They
apply their professional knowledge to plan and design, individually or in collaboration with colleagues, well-
structured and sequenced lessons that are contextually relevant, responsive to learners' needs and
incorporate a range of teaching and learning resources. They communicate learning goals to support learner
participation, understanding and achievement.
apply a variety of assessment tools and strategies in monitoring, evaluating, documenting and reporting in
learners' needs, progress and achievement. They use assessment data in a variety of ways to inform and
enhance the teaching and learning process and programs. They provide learners with the necessary feedback
about learning outcomes that informs the reporting cycle and enables teachers to select, organize and use
sound assessment processes.

establish school-community partnerships aimed at enriching the learning environment, as well as the
community's engagement in the educative process. They identify and respond to opportunities that link
teaching and learning in the classroom to the experiences, interests and aspirations of the wider school
community and other key stakeholders. They understand and fulfill their obligations in upholding
professional ethics, accountability andiransparency to promote professional and harmonious relationships
with learners, parents, schools and the wider [Link] personal growth and professional
development exhibit high personal regard for the profession bymaintaining qualities that uphold the dignity
of teaching such as caring attitude, respect and integrity. They value personal and professional reflection and
learning to improve their practice. They assume responsibility for personal growth and professional
development for lifelong learning.

The 7 Domains and 37 strands of the PPST are in Appendix A. Learning outcomes in teacher education
subjects must take into consideration the program outcomes laid down by CHED and the Philippine
Professional Standards for Professional Teachers issued by the Department of Education.

In summary, when teacher formulates his/her learning. outcomes, he/she takes into consideration the
institutional outcomes, the program outcomes from the CHED, the Philippine Professional Standards for
Teachers and the DepEd vision and mission statements since DepEd is the main employer of teacher
education graduates.

Characteristics of Good Learning Outcomes

1. Good learning outcomes are centered on the student/learner. This is the reason why learning outcomes
are referred to as student learning outcomes. Good learning outcomes are learner-centered. They describe
what the learner is able to do as a result of teaching. Here is an example, "The learner is able to write a
paragraph that observes unity, coherence, variety... "To teach the students how to write a good paragraph is
not learner-centered. It is teacher-centered instead. It is a teaching objective not a learning outcome.
Teaching objectives belong to the teacher while learning outcomes belong to the learner.

2. Good learning outcomes are based on and aligned with the institutional, program and course outcomes. It
is in aligning learning outcomes with institutional outcomes that educational institutions realize their
intended institutional outcomes. It is inanging learning outcomes with intended program outcomes issued by
the regulating body (in the case of the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education) that the program
outcomes are also realized. It is in aligning the learning outcomes to the course outcomes that each
course/subject in the teacher education curriculum attains its course outcomes.
3. Good learning outcomes are based on and aligned with local, national and international trends and issues.
From the social reconstructionist point of view, schools are not ivory towers. They are expected to help
address social problems and so for relevance, it is necessary that learning outcomes are based on and aligned
with current issues. Aligning learning outcomes with local, national and international issues ensures teaching-
learning that is relevant and attuned to the local and global world of learners.

4. Good learning outcomes are known and are very well understood by both students and faculty. The
learning outcomes are no secret for the teacher only. In fact, in OBE and OBTL the teacher starts the lesson
with a clarification of the learning outcome/s to ensure that each student knows what is/ are expected of
him/her. Some teachers have the commendable practice of writing the learning outcome on the board.

5. Good learning outcomes include a spectrum of thinking skills from simple remembering to creating or from
the lowest and simplest cognitive, unistructural process to cognitive in Bloom's and Anderson's revised
taxonomy of objectives. You have learned this in the first course on assessment, Assessment in Learning 1.
For a review, Bloom's and Anderson's taxonomy of objectives are given here.

Other than Bloom's taxonomy, the most popular among taxonomies of objectives, are other taxonomics of
learning objectives that include simple thinking skills and higher order thinking skills. Below are taxonomies
of McTighe and Wiggins, Marzano, Fink and Biggs and Collins. All of these taxonomies of objectives include
objectives from the lowest to the highest levels. McTighe and Wiggins (McTighe, 2018) in their
Understanding by Design (UbD) described four key types of educational goals knowledge, basic skills, long-
term understanding and long-term transfer goals, They also cited 6 facets of understanding. Knowledge goals
specify the knowledge that students should know while basic skills state what students should be able to do.
Understanding goals refer to students' grasp of big ideas. Learner's understanding is demonstrated when
they can:
Explain-Provide explanations

Interpret-Identify means

Apply-Use knowledge in new situation

Have perspective-See viewpoints through critical eyes

Empathize-Able to find value in what others may find odd

Have self-knowledge-Aware of what they do not understand.

Fink's Taxonomy for Significant Learning (Fink, 2003) includes: CLIHAF

1. Caring developing new feelings, interests and values)

2. Learning how to learn learner becoming a self-directed

3. Integration-connections

4. Human Dimension - learning about self and others

5. Application thinking) skills (critical, creative and practical

6. Foundational knowledge remembering. understanding and remembering

Like Bloom and Anderson, Marzano, Fink, McTighe and Wiggins, Biggs also begins with the simplest cognitive
skill. See Biggs' SOLO taxonomy below.
The Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) is a means of classifying learning outcomes in terms
of their complexity. Learning becomes more complex as it progresses. Teaching-learning begins with one or
few aspects of the task (unistructural), then tackling several aspects of the task unrelated and so tasks that
are independent of each other (multistructural), then integrating the multiple aspects into a whole
(relational), and finally generalizing into something abstract (extended abstract). See the behavioral terms
that apply per level.

In summary, all the taxonomies of objectives or outcomes discussed in the foregoing paragraphs begin with
the cognitive process at the lowest level becoming more complex and higher in level as one goes higher in
the taxonomy of objectives. Good learning outcomes are concerned not only with the cognitive process in
the lower level like remembering but also with more complex outcomes in the higher cognitive level such as
applying, evaluating and creating.

4. Good learning outcomes are SMART Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result oriented and Time-bound. "To
discuss everything that you learned from this course" is not a good learning outcome. It is not specific. But
"to illustrate with a concrete example at least 5 principles of learning" is a good learning outcome. Good
learning outcomes are stated using behavioral terms.

5. Good learning outcomes are useful and relevant to the learners. The learning outcomes are for the
learners to attain at the end of the lesson. It is easier for the learners to realize the learning outcomes if they
are of use and of relevance to them. If the learning outcomes are relevant, the learners see the importance
or significance of realizing the learning outcomes in their life. It is quite difficult for learners to learn
something which has no relevance to their life.