Introduction
Outcome based learning (OBL) has been widely adopted in countries like Australia, United States and South Africa for some time. However, it has only been introduced into Hong Kong not long ago. In 2004, the University Grants Committee (UGC) published a document entitled “Hong Kong Higher Education: to make a difference, to move with the times”. The document formulates the role statements for each higher education institutions and emphasizes that all institutions should “pursue the delivery of teaching at an internationally competitive level in all the taught programmes that are offered”, and outcome based learning is introduced to improve and enhance student learning (Stone, 2005). In 2007, the Quality Assurance Council of the UGC published an Audit Manual in which it is stated that the UGC-funded institutions are engaged in two major initiatives, viz (1) to prepare the 3-3-4 academic structure for 2012, and (2) to adopt an outcome based approach to student learning (University Grants Committee, 2008). It is envisaged that outcome based learning will exert great influence on the higher education in Hong Kong.- Outcome based learning means "clearly focusing and organizing everything in the education system around what is essential for all students to be able to do successfully at the end of their learning experiences. This means starting with a clear picture of what is important for students to be able to do, then organising the curriculum, instruction and assessment to make sure that learning ultimately happens” (Spady, 1994, p.1).
- Outcomes are “clear, observable demonstrations of student learning that occur after a significant set of learning experiences” (Spady & Marshall, 1994, p.20).
- Outcome based learning is “a process that involves the restructuring of curriculum, assessment and reporting practices in education to reflect the achievement of high order learning and mastery rather than the accumulation of course credits” (Tucker, 2004).
- Outcome based learning is “an educational process which is based on trying to achieve certain specified outcomes in terms of individual student learning. Thus, having decided what are the key things students should understand and be able to do or the qualities they should develop, both structures and curricula are designed to achieve those capabilities or qualities” (Willis & Kissane, 1995, p.1).
Under constructive alignment, the learning activity in the intended outcomes needs to be activated in the teaching and in the assessment task in order to verify that the outcomes have been achieved (Biggs & Tang, 2007).
References
Biggs, J. B., & Tang, C. S. (2007). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does (3rd ed.). Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
Spady, W. and Marshall, K. (1994). Light, not heat, on OBE. The American School Board Journal, 181(11), 29-33.
Spady, W. G. (1994). Outcome-based education: Critical issues and answers. Arlington, Va.: American Association of School Administrators.
Stone, M. V. (2005, Dec.). Opening remark. Paper presented at the Symposium on Outcome-based Approach to Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education: International Perspectives, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. December. Retrieved July 1, 2010, from http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/speech/2005/sp171205.htm.
Tucker, B. (2004). Literature review: Outcomes-focused education in universities. Retrieved October 19, 2004, from http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/outcomes/docs/LitReview.pdf.
University Grants Committee. (2008). Quality Assurance Council : audit manual. Hong Kong: Quality Assurance Council.
Willis, S. & Kissane, B. (1995). Outcome-based education: A review of the literature. Perth, WA: EDWA.