Outcomes based engineering education. I. Theory and practice in the derivation of "outcomes". A European historical perspective

Abstract

A brief account of the origins of the "outcomes" movement in education is given. It is concluded that there is no real difference between the objectives movement of yesterday and the "outcomes" movement of today. Differences between the approaches of Mager and the authors of The Taxonomy of Eductional Objectives are outlined. Some limitations of The Taxonomy from an engineering perspective are illustrated. An alternative approach to the derivation of "outcomes", which is based on task analyses of the work engineers do, is described. One of the problems with the The Taxonomy is its semantic structure which many teachers find difficult to internalize. A method enabling teachers to develop their own semantic structure and at the same time acquire ownership is given in this paper it is further argued noted that just as teachers need to "own" their "outcomes" so to do students. There are many sources of "outcomes". Apart from surveys of alumni and task analyses there are valuable sources to be found in learning theory (e.g. how concepts and principles are learnt, cognitive development and higher order thinking). The principle lessons of the past are that curriculum designers tend to generate too many "outcomes" which constrain both teachers and students. These cause surface approaches to learning. In order to obtain study in depth it is essential to allow time for assimilation.