OBL Project
| Project Title: | Outcomes Based Assessment for New Learning: Piloting Human Development using OBL approach |
| Project Manager: | Prof Cheng Sheung-Tak |
| Teaching Team Members: | Dr. Chan Shing Kun |
| Dr. Chan Siu Mui | |
| Dr. Lai Po Yin | |
| Dr. Leung Chi Hung | |
| Dr. Wang Zhenlin | |
| Dr. Wong Kit Yi Angel | |
| Miss Wong Sau Ha | |
| Research Team Members: | Dr. Lai Po Yin |
| Dr. Leung Chi Hung | |
| Dr. Wang Zhenlin |
The HKIEd education outcomes and generic attributes have served as the guiding principles in our course design and engagement of teaching and learning experience. Human Development is a core course under the Professional Studies domain. The course provides opportunities for students to develop appropriate knowledge, attributes and various generic skills required of a professional teacher.
Human Development has been selected as a pilot course for PS Department's OBL implementation. It is a 3-credit unit core course for first year students of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme. The course aims at assisting students to understand the nature of developmental change and stability in the learner over time, so that they can reflect critically with regards to important pedagogical issues and teacher professional practices. In addition, the course also aims at providing a sound theory base for classroom practice and addressing the roles of societal institutions on the development of children and adolescents. The teaching and learning mode comprises mass lecture, tutorial, self-directed studies and on-line learning. For tutorial, the students are expected to participate in the online discussion as well as in-class discussion. Students are also required to conduct a Child Study and attend an examination at the end of the course.
The Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon completing the course, students are expected to have achieved the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- CILO1 - Identify the empirical characteristics of the sequence of developmental periods
- CILO2 - Identify and critique relevant theoretical explanations for developmental progress
- CILO3 - Identify and explain key factors influencing human development
- CILO4 - Analyze within child and contextual factors influencing the development of students’ individual differences
- CILO5 - Adapt and apply appropriate techniques to systematically collect information and translate assessment results into empirically-based decisions
- CILO6 - Reflect critically on educational practices in light of contextual factors and developmental theories and principles
The CILOs are intended to help students develop the following generic skills:
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Global perspectives
- Creativity
- Ethical decision-making
- Communication skills
- Social interaction skills
The CILOs are integrated into different course contents and teaching and learning activities. Their relationships are reflected in the table below:
Course Content |
CILOs |
Suggested Teaching & Learning Activities |
The nature of human development |
CILO1 |
Mass lecture |
Stages of development |
CILO1 |
Mass lecture |
Approaches to studying and |
CILO2, CILO3 |
Mass lecture |
Physical development |
CILO2, CILO3, CILO4, CILO5, CILO6 |
Mass lecture |
Cognitive |
CILO2, CILO3, CILO4, CILO5, CILO6 |
Mass lecture |
Personality and socio-emotional development |
CILO2, CILO3, CILO4, CILO5, CILO6 |
Mass lecture |
Language development |
CILO2, CILO3, CILO4, CILO5, CILO6 |
Mass lecture |
Moral development |
CILO2, CILO3, CILO4, CILO5, CILO6 |
Mass lecture |
- Clarity of Focus - Teacher must clearly define the course outcomes at the beginning and focus on them throughout the course. They have the responsibilities to tell students what the outcome is, to illustrate it, to focus the instruction on it, to teach to it and assess it clearly.
- Design Down - The curriculum design and the learning activities are all linked to the outcomes acquired at the end of the course.
- High Expectations - A fundamental aim of OBE is for all students to succeed, all students are expected to achieve significant outcomes to high standards.
- Expanded Opportunities - Increasing the number of ways and the number of times for students to learn by means of practical support for leaning successfully (Spady, 1993; Killen, 2007).
The major assessment task for the course is the Child Study. The Child Study provides an opportunity for students to study the cognitive development of a child and investigate its relationship to classroom learning. Through the Child Study, students are expected to connect the theory-based approach and practical issues related to the nature of learners together.
The students' achievement in the generic skills is also assessed through the Child Study assignment.
There are good reasons for the selection of Human Development as a pilot course for outcome based learning implementation. Firstly, a large number of staff is involved, altogether there are seven staff who are involved in the teaching of the course. With more staff's participation, it helps increase the awareness of outcome based learning among the staff. It also facilitates the development of an outcome based learning culture in the department. Secondly, the staff involved in the pilot implementation will also benefit from the gained experience which will be useful in their future course development and research in teaching and learning.
References
Killen, R. (2007). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Thomson Social Science Press.
Spady, W. G. (1993). Outcome based education. Belconnen, A.C.T.: Australian Curriculum Studies Association.