Session 2 OUTCOMESBASED EDUCATION OBE Its Implications for

Session 2 OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION (OBE) Its Implications for Science Investigatory Projects Dr Max Walsh maxwalsh@hotmail. com Century: Outcomes Based Education and Designing Science Investigatory

OUTLINE • • Some definitions of Terms Learning Theories & Principles Outcomes-based Education Examples from K-12 Curriculum

TEACHING and LEARNING Teacher - Centered The teacher is focused more on what he or she is teaching, and on what he or she is doing (inputs-based) Student – Centered The teacher is focused more on what the students are learning. The teacher makes continuous diagnostic assessments that are assessment FOR learning instead of assessment OF learning

Learning Theories & Principles 1/5 Note that these following 6 learning theories are not distinct from each other but overlap and interchange with each other. You should not see them as distinct from each other but we can use them to discern the slight differences between how people learn different things.

Learning Theories & Principles 2/5 • • • Experiential Learning Reflective Learning Constructivism Cooperative Learning Discovery or Inquiry-based Learning Outcomes-based Learning (OBE)

Learning Theories & Principles 3/5 Experiential Learning by making sense of direct everyday experiences; using examples from students’ lives to assist them with understanding science. Example: Practicum (learning by doing) Reflective Learning When learners are able to think about their experiences and process these experiences allowing them the opportunity to make sense and meaning of them.

Learning Theories & Principles 4/5 • Constructivism - knowledge is constructed when the learner is able to draw ideas from his / her own experiences and connects them to new ideas that are encountered. Most successful in groups • Cooperative Learning - active learning achieved by working with fellow learners on a shared task.

Learning Theories & Principles 5/5 • Discovery and Inquiry-based Learning students learn when they make use of personal experiences to discover facts, relationships and concepts • Outcomes-based Learning – Students understand clearly WHAT content knowledge and skills that they are expected to learn

Outcomes-based Education • a set of standards that describes appropriate curriculum content knowledge and skills for all students to achieve • student progress and achievement is measured against a yardstick rather than against the performance of other students • Learning Achievement (Student Learning Outcomes) becomes a higher priority for both students and teachers than before

Some questions • What do I have to learn? • How will I know that I am learning what I should be learning? • How will I be assessed? (Think of the planning of a lesson or unit of work as a road trip)

Science Key Standards 4 -6 • At the end of Grade 6, the learners should have developed the essential skills of scientific inquiry – designing simple investigations, using appropriate procedure, materials and tools to gather evidence, observing patterns, determining relationships, drawing conclusions based on evidence, and communicating ideas in varied ways to make meaning of the observations and/or changes that occur in the environment. …. .

Grade level standards Year 6 At the end of Grade 6, • learners recognize that …. . • learners understand how …. • learners can classify plants …. • learners can infer that …. • learners can describe what happens during earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and demonstrate what to do when they occur.

These standards are written in broad general terms for teachers. Note that many of them still do not yet represent specific learning outcomes with action verbs that allows a teacher to assess progress and that also allows a student to know clearly what is expected of him/her in terms of performance.

(Y 6) Earth & Space - Motions of the Earth Rotations and Revolutions • Content Standard Learners demonstrate understanding of the earth’s rotation and revolution • Learning Competency Learners (should be able to) demonstrate rotation and revolution of the Earth using a globe to explain day and night and the sequence of seasons;

How will you enrich this learning standard? Let’s think of an outcomes-based lesson By the end of this lesson, students will • explain the differences between rotation & revolution; demonstrate it using a globe and a light source • state the duration of one rotation of the earth • state the duration of one revolution of the earth • state the duration of one rotation of the moon • state the duration of one revolution of the moon • Explain why we only ever see one side of the Moon

Where is the Moon? • Describe where the moon is over the course of a month • Draw its shape. • Plot its position Students will discover the following (no matter where they are in the world) the following information:

This can best be demonstrated in a darkened room using a strong light source like a projector, a globe of the earth or a basket ball to represent Earth and a smaller ball to represent the moon

Examples where we can focus on the Outcome • • Product-based Learning Process-based Learning Project-based Learning Problem-based Learning

Building a Tall Tower 1 (Product) Materials allowed: 5 sheets of newspaper One meter of Sellotape Scissors Outcome: Build the tallest tower possible using only these materials. The tower must stand by itself and should not be attached at the top

Building a Tall Tower 2 (Process) (Must be in groups of 4 or 5 – plan the design before starting construction) Materials allowed: 5 sheets of newspaper One meter of Sellotape Scissors Outcome: Build the tallest tower possible using only these materials. The tower must stand by itself and should not be attached at the top

Building a Tall Tower 3 Open-ended learning Materials allowed: Any materials available (including newspaper, scissors, sellotape, string, drinking straws etc Outcome: Build the tallest lightest tower possible within a single period. The tower must stand by itself and should not be attached at the top One period planning One period building

PBL(as a form of OBE) • Problem-based learning is usually much more useful because students collaborate on solving a problem • Project-based learning is often sidetracked by students being more focused on how they will present their project rather than the content of the project

Teachers as Models If you want your students to ask more questions and be more active learners in class, then you have to model that approach in your own teaching. You have to set up a classroom environment and provide activities that encourages that.

National Competency-based Teaching Standards (NCBTS) (1/2) These standards relate quite closely to an Outcomes-based Approach to Education. Note that they are TEACHING standards and not LEARNING standards

NCBTS outcomes (2/2) Teachers must • create a positive learning environment • help students understand what they need to learn • use a variety of methods and strategies • provide students with opportunities to practice using new knowledge & skills • help students close each learning episode so that they know what they learned and how it will help them progress.

Max Walsh maxwalsh@hotmail. com https: //maxwalshblog. wordpress. com/ THANK YOU