CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF OUTCOME-BASED

EDUCATION (OBE)
SABARUDIN ZAKARIA
INTI International Univesity College
Bandar Baru Nilai,Negeri Sembilan
Email: sabarudin@intimal.edu.my
Keywords: Learning Outcome, Assessment, Students, Curriculum
ABSTRACT
Outcome-based education or OBE means a process that focus and organizing everything in an
educational system around what is essential for all students to be able to do successfully in class
but more importantly at the end of their learning encounter. OBE, a performance based
approach recognize as the cutting age of curriculum development which offers a powerful and
appealing way of reforming and managing business courses. This paper examines the issues
important to understanding and challenges in implementing OBE. It addresses a range of issues
related to the meaning of the term outcome-based education. It defines key terms, concepts
and principles which founded the genuine outcome based models. The paper will also examines
some important issues surrounding the meaning of outcomes and how they are derived. The bulk
of the discussion will explore what are the challenges facing in the implementation of OBE in the
local scene.
Introduction
The education system of modern society can be understood as an institution whose functions
include its capacity to reproduce its host society, both economically an culturally (Barnett, 1990).
Higher institution of learning is no more seen as a place of mass production of graduates
willingly believes that they are now ready to perform their duties. The newly developing higher
education system has expanded to prepare a new workforce which can assist in the economic
growth of the nation (Martin,1999). Not just filling the vacancy and comply to the recruitment
plan of any organization. What we want students to show that they have entered into what they
have learned. The learning has to be transcended (Barnett,1990).
The OBE Perspective
Traditional educational practices centers on inputs (Mcneir, 1993). Generally the system
exposed students to a segment of curriculum over a time frame. At the end of the module, an
examination is usually given, and grades are assigned regardless of whether all students have
achieved mastery of the material learned. This perspective needs to be change where the
outputs is not just getting good results but what importance they can meets the needs of the
potential employers in demonstrating their competencies. Over the last decade, outcome based
education (OBE) has emerged as a major direction for educational reform in the US. (Furman,
1995). The newly expanded generation of university student does not, on the whole come to
university to question and to develop theoretical idea. They increasingly seek an education where
the emphasis is on future employment (Martin, 1999)

This trend had slowly won many supporters from other countries. In South Africa the OBE
model was chosen, accepted and introduced because the emphasis in Curriculum 2005 is
specially on aspects such as problem-solving, creativity, and the acquisition of skills and
attitudes that will aim at producing thinking, component future citizens(Botha,2002). While in
Malaysia the shift from traditional teaching to focus on learning outcomes is gradually becoming
a feature that cannot be ignored. The main reason is simple while providing the necessary
academics knowledge, this move should also being attuned to industrys needs(The Star,2007).
For the past years, the issues of graduate not fully meeting the industrys needs have become a
public debate.
Whats OBE
By defining learning outcomes it is now correctly to understand and the implementation of
outcome based education. The decade of the 80s brought numerous education reforms, but few
of them were a dramatic shift from what has gone on before (Closson,1993). Outcome-based
education (OBE) is one of those that is new, even revolutionary, and is now being promoted as
the panacea for Americans educational woes.
OBE is a method of curriculum design and teaching that focuses on what students can actually
do after they are taught (Acharya, 2003). OBE is a student-centred approach where the emphasis
is not on what the teacher or lecturer wants to achieve, but more importantly what the learner
should know, understand, demonstrate and become. These become more important in the contact
of todays which place on real life needs to ensure knowledge be integrated, more competence
and thinking oriented and becoming a responsible citizen. Michael Lorenzen said OBE is a
method of teaching that focuses on what students can actually do after they are taught (Lorenzen,
2004).
There are four points to the OBE system that are necessary work (Acharya, 2003)
a) What the student is to learn must be clearly identified.
b) The students progress is based on demonstrated achievement,
c) Multiple instructional and assessment strategies need to be available to meet the needs of
each student.
d) Adequate time and assistance need to be provided so that each student can reach the
maximum potential.
The needs for OBE (The Findings)
A preliminary survey has been conducted on final year students at one local institution and the
responds shows that there is a needs to explore OBE. This are some of the respond based on a
number question related towards the concept of OBE:
1. 95% give a response from averagely important to very important that the learning materials
and experiences should focus on knowledge, concepts, skills and values which can be learn
in the real world.
2. About 56% believe that the subject they have learned in the university prepare them to face
the reality of employment.

3. 61% believe that their performance and success in their future undertaking after graduate is
determine by what they learned in the university.
4. 82% believe research is important and to be included as an element of the program/module.
5. 63% agree that case study method as the best mode of learning which encourage problem
solving experience learning.
6. About 53% only said that their study has developed them as an innovative and creative
person.
7. 30% of the students believe examination is not important while 21% said it is important. On
the other hand 30% thought examination is averagely important in determining skills for the
betterment of your future jobs.
8. To those students who believe examination is still relevant, most agreed only 50% should
emphasis on examination as overall assessment of student.
9. 85% who response agree that lecturer should ensure that every student understand and
develop the same standard in their performance for every subjects before moving to the next
level.
10. Majority i.e. 97% said students should be responsible and accountable on their performance
and progress in their study.
From the response it can be deduce that a review to teaching needs to be consider in tandem with
outcome-based education concepts.
Challenges in Implementation of OBE
As a comprehensive system for new and dynamic approach in education, there are a few
important questions have been raised. The main trust of OBE which is a major controversy
focuses on the notion of content versus process (Eric: 1993). The focus on specific subject
content in favor of broader outcomes, leaving educators with the difficult question of what
content should remain in the curriculum.
As faced by country like South Africa which in the initial stage of introducing OBE see the
commitment of both learner and provider is very important(Botha,2002). These are key players
which have to work hard to make it possible. Learners will have to take greater responsibility for
their learning. Teachers will have to take full responsibility for careful planning and management
of their learners learning environment. In addition parents will have to be more involved in
motivating and facilitating their children to learn.
Since one of the many principles of OBE is for students to be responsible for their learning this
will pose a great challenge to know whether the student are learning. It might be easy for them to
see that they are making mistakes or that they are answering questions incorrectly, but this does
not necessarily mean that they are conscious that they are not learning(Killen,1994). This will
create greater responsibility to the lecturer to assist students to be aware of what they are learning
and judge their understanding along the way.
One problem that outcome-based education causes for educators is assessment. By its very
nature, outcome-based education eliminates traditional assessment tools such as tests or grades
(Lorenzen,2004). Traditionally and what been widely practiced by most universities and colleges
is the bulk of measurement and assessment of students achievement is by way of examination.

Even though many have lessened the dependence on examination but the transition is still small.
On the other hand, OBE are difficult to measure using standardized tests and traditional grading
practices; therefore new assessment techniques must be developed to measure specific outcomes
(Eric:1993).
On the implementation issues, there are some major problems to be overcome. The feeling of
contentment by most lecturer or teachers in the present system, the process of designing new
curriculum may involve training for teaching outcome-based education. This not taking into
consideration the financial resources require for this transition. However, according to Botha,
this can be solve by developing an indigenous rather than imported curriculum which will be
easy to train teachers or lecturers (Botha, 2002).
However in local contact, many or more still not really understand the concept and the practice
of outcome-based education in the real sense. Of course mention the words learning outcomes
most educationist know it very well as a statement incorporated in the course structure or
module. To those believers of OBE in order to facilitate it to be practical and make sense bear in
mind of the following guidelines initiated by Spady (1993).

Know your learners and know yourself

Identify learning outcomes

Set appropriate assessment criteria to assess the learning experience to realize the
identified learning outcomes

Choose learning matter (skills and knowledge) to attain the identified learning outcomes.

Choose the appropriate teaching and learning methods to suit the learner learning styles
and to attain the identified learning outcomes.

Choose the appropriate teaching and learning media to aid the teaching and learning
methods to the identified learning outcomes.

Use appropriate assessment tools to apply the assessment criteria to assess attainment of
the identified learning outcomes.

Become a facilitator and not a knowledge transferor

Teach, dont lecture

Summary
The problem of employability and the standard of graduate not up to the standard of would be
employer, OBE may be the alternative solution to create and produce competence graduates not
only on academics achievement but more importantly to perform any tasks assigned. One of the
benefits of outcomes-based education is that it helps students to become aware of what they
should be learning, aware of what they are actually learning, and aware of the control that they
have over their own learning(Killen,1994). But this need hard work and full effort has to be put

on the line. OBE must involve administrators, educators, parents, teachers and students for
successful implementation (Acharya, 2003). From a broader perspective, the focus on outcomebased education as in the case of Malaysia serves national goals because of the links with
national higher education strategies.
References
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