Outcome Based Education (OBE) is one of the significant developments in the Indian education system and implemented across many institutions in India as well abroad. It is one of the transformations in the education sector where this methodology focuses on outcomes of the learning(s). OBE is a goals driven system where student and faculty member have clarity on the learning outcomes and at every stage the student’s learning is measured in quantifiable terms.
The model maximises the learner’s learning in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude. Since ages education system focused on passing of knowledge to students there by the curriculum and teaching has occupied primary role. With the introduction of OBE, teaching approach has shifted to student centric learning from teacher centric learning. To bring quality in education AICTE has brought National Board of Accreditation (NBA) an accreditation body into existence and encouraging the institutions to get the NBA accreditation to the programs offered. NBA is strongly recommending Outcome Based Education system which is radical in terms of thinking compared to traditional system. It demands a different perspective from the faculty, students and management in addition to different curriculum structure, policies and guidelines etc. OBE is result oriented education system where are traditional system is input based education. The teacher and student is clear on outcomes to be achieved at the end of the learning process.
Flexibility another feature of OBE, where the teacher can structure his/her lessons based on the progression making in the process of outcomes accomplishment. At various levels like course level, program level and institutional level outcomes attainments can be measured which is the limitation in the traditional education system. OBE provides scope to involve the students in the learning process which helps them to have long lasting learnings.
Is the education system at business schools is Outcome based? There are different perspectives to answer the question. All management institutions do have prescribed set of goals which are supposedly guide their work. Education system currently focusing more on transmit knowledge, content to be delivered and assessment of students understanding. The approach is more of teacher centric rather than student centric. As the business environment is more dynamic, technological innovations and high expectation of agile based delivery demanding the dovetail of learning with graduate attributes to meet the expectations of industry? So Out Come Based learning becomes the central focus as it is emphasising on what students will know or able to do after completion of a topic or course etc, which is the guiding force for faculty to design the teaching pedagogy and assessment components. Out Come Based education is more of a philosophy than a set of practices. Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is a student-centric teaching and learning methodology in which the course delivery, assessments are planned to achieve stated objectives and outcomes. OBE starts with identifying what is important to students to perform at industry, then organize the curriculum, instruction and assessment to ensure assurance of learning.
According to Spady, there are four basic principles around which OBE revolves. They are Clarity of focus, curriculum design, establish high, challenging standards of performance and Expanded opportunities to students. There is no fixed methodology to implement OBE but however it is advisable to build knowledge assets based on skill development and with workshops enhance knowledge. The progress of the graduates will be measured using THREE parameters namely Program Educational Objectives (PEO), Program Outcomes (PO) and Course Outcomes (CO). The goal of OBE is to bridge the gap between education and employability. One of the parameters of responsive education is employability. Hence it is imperative to have Outcome based Education Philosophy in Management institutions.
Written by
Dr. S. V. Ramana Rao, Director, Siva Sivani Institute of Management.
