Implementation of OBE in the School of Nursing: A Seminar for SN Staff

1. Implementation of OBE [Outcomes-Based Education]in the School of Nursing A Seminarfor SN Staff KP Kwan  2766 6320  etkpkwan@inet.polyu.edu.hk

2. Focus of today’s presentation • Part I:What is PolyU’s expectations regarding OBE, and how it relates to Programme LOAP and UGC’s quality audit of PolyU? • Part II:How to develop your Programme LOAP? • What is it? • How to do it?

3. Part IOBE, Programme LOAP and UGC’s quality audit

4. OBE@PolyU • Not just a fad • PolyU’s continual commitment to OBE • 2004 Academic Development Plan to UGC • 2005 Curriculum Revision Exercise • Report to UGC on progress in 4-year undergraduate degree structure • PolyU Strategic Plan 2008-12 • Genuine effort to improve learning, not a “paper exercise”

5. PolyU Strategic Plan 2008-12 • Strategic Area 1 [Education]Objectives: • To further enhance the academic strength of all our programmes and co-curricular activities, and to provide a holistic education that is outcome-based, work-integrated, professionally and globally-oriented, and student-centred…

6. UGC’s position • Promotes the adoption of outcomes-based approaches to student learning by all HK universities • Will focus on OBE in the current round of quality audit of HK universities • Quality audit for PolyU scheduled in Oct 2010

7. What OBE means to PolyU • A philosophy as well as a strategy • Putting student learning at the centre of our activities • Focusing on what students are able to do/perform as a result of their learning experience • Improving and demonstrating student learning through the collection and use of outcomes evidence

8. From ‘teaching’ to ‘learning’ Source: King Features Syndicate

9. OBE: 4 essential elements • Articulation of intended learning outcomes (ILOs) • Alignment of educational provisions [curriculum, teaching, assessment, as well as co- and extra-curricular activities and other learning facilities] with the intended learning outcomes • Assessment of students’ attainment of the intended learning outcomes • Taking actions to improve programme quality and student learning based on outcomes evidence

10. What have we achieved to date… and what more need to be done • Step 1 [Articulation of desired learning outcomes]: • Done for all Ug programmes in 2005 as a paper exercise • “But it is wrong to conclude that we have done everything there is to be done about OBE; we have just completed the first step out of 4.” [Adapted from VPAD’s presentation on OBE to departments] • Will extend to cover all programmes, including HD, CyberU, TPg and RPg programmes

11. What have we achieved to date… and what more need to be done • Step 2 [Aligning educational provision with ILOs]: • Area of continual focus • Effort made by departments, programme teams and individual teachers to align “teaching activities”, with different degrees of commitment and success

12. In OBE, the focus should be shifting from Adapted from VPAD’s presentation on OBE to departments

13. What have we achieved to date… and what more need to be done • Step 3 [Assessment of student learning outcomes]: • Not something extra to, but an integral part of implementing OBE at PolyU • Schools/Departments are now in the process to develop a Programme LOAP for all their Ug programmes • A simple and practical guide developed by Working Group on OBE on how to do it

14. What have we achieved to date… and what more need to be done • Step 4 [Evidence-based improvement]: • PolyU is in the process of integrating outcomes assessment activities and results into the generic QA system and the programme development and review process, to ensure that the outcomes assessment results will be properly reported and utilised for making informed decisions about improvement actions needed

15. Relationship between OBE and UGC’s quality audit

16. Schedule and tasks

17. A self-assessment check-list onOBE implementation • See handout

18. Questions or comments?

19. Part II:Developing your Programme Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan

20. Outcomes assessment • “the process of assembling broader evidence of programme or institutional effectiveness that goes beyond the performance of individual students” [Peter Ewell, UGC Consultant on Student Learning Outcomes, 2006] • Three levels: • Subject-level • Programme-level • Institutional level

21. Fit for purpose • Departments and programme teams should decide for themselves • the desired learning outcomes of their programme, and • how to assess them • Not to develop a “perfect’ plan, but one that is appropriate, adequate and practicable

22. Guidelines from Working Group on OBE Available at:http://www.polyu.edu.hk/obe/08_4.php

23. The 7-step approach

24. Suggested template for P-LOAP Source: Developing a Programme Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan: A Simple & Practical Guide for PolyU Staff [Appendix 2] Available at: http://www.polyu.edu.hk/obe/08_4.php

25. Possible strategies forcollecting directevidence of learning outcomes • Course-embedded assessments [e.g. OSCA, term paper, assignment or presentations, etc.] • Senior or final year project • Assessment of clinical performance [by Clinical Educators] • Standardised tests or exams [e.g. Graduating Students’ Language Proficiency Assessment (GSLPA), CCTDI, etc.] • External examiner or expert panel review(of student work samples)

26. Possible strategies forcollecting indirectevidence of learning outcomes • Students’ self-assessment of learning gainse.g.SAARD administered by SAO • Surveys and interviewse.g. Graduate Employment Survey administered by SAO Alumni survey conducted by EDC Your own departmental alumni or employer surveys • Students’ engagement in curricular & extra-curricular activities e.g. LTC survey on student engagement (developing) Your own exit survey • Institutional datae.g. completion/progression rate, employment statistics, etc.

27. Assessment for improvement The main focus of a P-LOAP is on evidence-based improvement, not measurement “ We can’t fatten a cow by weighing it more often or vigorously. ”

28. Questions or comments?

29. Thank you