Outcome Based Education (OBE): Defining the Process and Practice for Engineering Education

Abstract

Outcome Based Education aka OBE is one of the de-facto standards for modern educational system. An outcome is a culminating demonstration of learning that the students should be able to do at the end of a course, and in process at end of the degree program. Therefore, OBE is an approach to education in which decisions about the curriculum are driven by the exit learning outcomes that the students should perform in their professional life. The curriculum thus defines all the learning outcomes clearly and unambiguously, along with the contents, teaching/learning methods, assessment strategies and academic quality control process to ensure all-round development of the students. An engineer is a unique combination of different skill sets that must be mastered to resolve nontrivial reallife engineering problems. Consequently, the adoption of OBE in engineering education is the compelling necessity. This study offers a comprehensive, ready to adopt OBE framework for tertiary level engineering programs complying with the benchmark mandates of the OBE and the guidelines of Washington Accord. Additionally, the framework is successfully deployed in the department of CSE, IUB for the design and implementation of the undergraduate CSE program, a transcript of which is also documented. This will assist the concerned institutions to design their program in OBE model to gain international academic equivalency and accreditation.

A Comprehensive Exploration of Outcome-Based Education Principles and Practices

“…According to [29,30,31], who also discussed the possibilities of OBE in a larger global perspective, higher education institutions must adjust to the outcome-based education system due to the continuing economic revolution that the expansion of market needs such kinds of standardized indicators and international accreditations measures that higher educations need to implement.…”

The Validity of the Competency Instrument for Construction Technology Program Lecturers in the Practice of Outcome-based Education (OBE)

“…This suggests that the items in the knowledge construct of the questionnaire are considered relevant and well-aligned with the evaluators' expertise. The high agreement scores for certain items, particularly those related to the definition of OBE and the understanding of CQI, underscore the importance of these concepts in vocational education (Latif & Nor, 2021;Syeed et al, 2022).…”

Open-ended laboratory: comprehensive course evaluation framework for structural engineering laboratory

“…Outcome-based Education (OBE) is defined as a comprehensive approach to organizing and operating a curriculum that is focused on and defined by the successful demonstrations of learning sought from each learner and the adoption of OBE in engineering education is the compelling necessity (Spady, 1993;Syeed et al, 2021). OBE emphasises on two main components in terms of student achievement in an academic programme which are the Programme Outcomes (POs) that is measured at the point of graduation, and the Programme Educational Objectives (PEOs) that is assessed over a longer period of time after graduation (Tshai et al, 2014).…”