BPUT, CV Raman to organize Workshop in Bhubaneswar on July 17

With an aim to bring reformation in technical education Odisha’s tech university Biju Pattnaik University of Technology (BPUT) in association with C V Raman Collegeg of Engineering is going to organize a workshop on ‘Outcome Based Education and Accreditation’ at C. V. Raman College of Engineering on 17th July 2015. Addressing a Press Meet at Bhubaneswar the Vice Chancellor of BPUT Prof. Shyam Sundar Pattnaik enlightened the concept of Outcome Based Education and Accreditation and also informed the media about the core objective of the workshop.

It should be noted, this workshop is the first activity of the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), which is formed with an aim to bring necessary changes in the patterns of various tech universities. Around 300 professors are going to attend the training session. Dr. A K Nassa, Member Secretary NBA, New Delhi is going to participate in the workshop.

About Outcome based Education and Accreditation:

Outcomes based education 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. Thus the primary aim of outcomes based education is to facilitate desired changes within the learners, by increasing knowledge, developing skills and/or positively influencing attitudes, values and judgment. Outcomes based education embodies the idea that the best way to learn is to first determine what needs to be achieved. Once the end goal (product or outcome) has been determined the strategies, processes, techniques, and other ways and means can be put into place to achieve the goal.

Outcomes are clear learning results that learners have to demonstrate at the end of significant learning experiences: what learners can actually do with what they know and have learned. Outcomes are actions/ performances that embody and reflect learner competence in using content, information, ideas and tools successfully. When learners do important things with what they know they have taken a significant step beyond knowing itself. This reminds us of the importance of accountability mechanisms that directly reflect student performance and help learners “know what they know”. Thus outcomes describe the results of learning over a period of time – the results of what is learned versus what is taught.

With this background lie an approach to planning, delivering and evaluating instruction that requires administrators, teachers and learners to focus their respective attention and effort on the desired results of education and to be accountable for what transpires. The shift toward outcome based education is similar to the total quality movement as it reflects the best way for individuals and organizations to get where they are going is first to determine where they want to be then plan backward to determine the best way to get from here to there.

Fundamental issues important when developing & planning of instructions and/or organizational evaluation. It is believed objectives were essential for systematic planning and identifying the required learner behavior post instruction as well as the content and context to apply it within. Other characteristics of mastery learning include:

Ascertaining prerequisite knowledge or skills to attain goals/outcomes,

• A flexible time-frame to attain goals,
• Using different media and materials to create enriched teaching/learning contexts,
• Formative evaluation to provide feedback for both teaching and learning improvement
• Explicit learning outcomes with respect to the required skills and concomitant proficiency,
• Criteria on referenced testing of the required outcomes,
• Industrial training with the quality enhancement programs,
• Adaptable programs to ensure optimum learner guidance,
• Support for the notion the learner is accountable for his or her own achievement.

If all these steps are followed well, accreditation will be smoother for better development of the educational scenario of society.