In any professional education students' Competency is Evaluated and used as the measurement of Outcome of the teaching-learning process.
Then how these two are differentiated in curriculum development?
Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is a pedagogical approach that seeks to improve instructional efficiency by focusing on achieving defined outcomes through aligning instructional practices. Furthermore, OBE helps develop essential skills like critical thinking and problem-solving and promotes active participation. On the other hand, Competence-Based Education emphasizes on the complex outcomes of a learning process, thus, focuses not on the improvement of instruction but improvement of learning. In CBE, learning is based on the needs and potential of individual learners with a flexible framework, adaptive to learner demands.
Thanks Eunifer Chiremba for clarifying.
But can the Competency as the Expected Outcome of the teaching-learning process! Competency can be operationally defined as having appropriate attitude to gain knowledge, Knowledge-based skill is developed through application of Critical Thinking. Then the learning outcome is Competency, which is measurable
Please tell me what you think of this idea.
The are very different indeed according to my understanding.
CBE is enabling learners to acquire skills and knowledge for a specific role such as ,manufacturing, cooking, embroidery, farming etc. geared to problem solving.
OBE is where the learners are trained to be critical thinkers geared to coming up with solutions like software, tools, equipment, gadgets, in various fields which will help in improving various competences.
Thanks Eunifer Chiremba and Anne Ndirangu,
both of your explanations have clarified the difference. It is of great help.
both CBE and OBE aim to ensure students achieve certain levels of proficiency, CBE is more focused on the individual acquisition and demonstration of specific competencies, often allowing for flexible pacing, whereas OBE is broader, defining and aiming to achieve comprehensive educational outcomes within a more structured timeframe.
Competency-Based Education (CBE)
Focus: Skills and Competencies
Definition: CBE emphasizes the mastery of specific skills or competencies. It ensures that students can demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for their area of study or future careers.
Assessment: Students progress by demonstrating their competence through assessments and practical applications rather than spending a predetermined amount of time on a subject.
Learning Pace: Flexible and personalized; students can move through material at their own pace, advancing upon mastery.
Examples:
Programs that focus on specific job-related skills, like vocational training or professional certifications.
More examples
Healthcare and Nursing
Example: Western Governors University (WGU)
Description: WGU offers a competency-based nursing program where students demonstrate their skills through clinical practice and assessments. Students can progress quickly if they master the required competencies, which are aligned with industry standards.
Information Technology
Example: Microsoft Certified Professional Program
Description: This program requires IT professionals to pass exams that validate their skills in specific technologies. Advancement is based on demonstrating technical competencies through rigorous testing.
Engineering
Example: University of Michigan’s Master of Engineering in Manufacturing
Description: This program allows engineers to progress by demonstrating mastery of competencies in areas such as systems engineering, manufacturing processes, and supply chain management, rather than completing a set number of credit hours.
Adult Education and Professional Development
Example: Capella University’s FlexPath Programs
Description: Capella offers FlexPath, a self-paced, competency-based learning format for various degrees, including business, healthcare, and IT. Students advance by showing they have mastered specific competencies through assessments and projects.
Corporate Training
Example: AT&T’s Workforce Development Program
Description: AT&T provides a competency-based training program for its employees to develop skills relevant to their roles. Employees progress by demonstrating proficiency in key areas, leading to career advancement within the company.
K-12 Education
Example: New Hampshire’s Competency-Based Learning Model
Description: New Hampshire has implemented a competency-based education system in some K-12 schools where students advance upon demonstrating mastery of specific competencies, rather than merely completing coursework. This approach allows for personalized learning paths.
Technical and Vocational Education
Example: Coding Bootcamps (e.g., General Assembly, Flatiron School)
Description: Coding bootcamps offer intensive, short-term training programs where students progress by mastering specific programming skills and completing real-world projects. These programs are designed to prepare students for immediate employment in tech roles.
Business and Management
Example: Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) College for America
Description: SNHU’s competency-based programs for business and management allow students to earn degrees by demonstrating competencies in areas such as leadership, project management, and financial analysis through practical assessments and projects.
These examples illustrate the diverse applications of CBE across different fields and educational levels, highlighting the flexibility and practical orientation of this educational approches
Outcome-Based Education (OBE)
Focus: Learning Outcomes
Definition: OBE is centered on achieving specific learning outcomes. It defines what students should know, be able to do, and value at the end of an educational experience.
Assessment: Success is measured by whether students have achieved these pre-defined outcomes. Assessment can be varied and may include projects, exams, and other forms of evaluation.
Learning Pace: More structured; while it is flexible in terms of methods used to achieve the outcomes, it often follows a more traditional time-based curriculum.
Examples:
Standardized curricula where educational goals are set at various levels (e.g., course, program, or institutional). And more examples about the higher education
Higher Education
Example: Washington State University’s Engineering Programs
Description: The engineering programs at Washington State University are designed around specific learning outcomes such as problem-solving skills, ethical responsibility, and teamwork. Students are assessed through projects, exams, and practical applications to ensure they meet these outcomes.
Medical Education
Example: Harvard Medical School’s New Pathway Curriculum
Description: Harvard Medical School’s curriculum is structured around clearly defined learning outcomes that include clinical skills, medical knowledge, and professional attitudes. Assessments include practical exams, patient simulations, and reflective portfolios.
K-12 Education
Example: Singapore’s National Curriculum
Description: Singapore’s education system is highly outcome-focused, with clear goals for what students should achieve at each grade level. Assessments include standardized tests, project work, and teacher assessments to ensure students meet the desired outcomes.
Business and Management
Example: University of Melbourne’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program
Description: The MBA program is structured around outcomes such as strategic thinking, leadership, and financial acumen. Students are assessed through case studies, group projects, and presentations.
Teacher Education
Example: Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)
Description: AITSL sets professional standards for teachers that are outcome-based. Teacher education programs align their curriculum to ensure graduates meet these standards through various assessments, including classroom observations and teaching portfolios.
Technical and Vocational Education
Example: Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
Description: The AQF provides a comprehensive, national framework for learning outcomes in vocational education and training. Students are assessed through practical demonstrations, exams, and workplace assessments to ensure they achieve the specified competencies.
Online Education
Example: Coursera’s Guided Projects
Description: Coursera offers guided projects that are designed with specific learning outcomes in mind, such as mastering a particular software or skill. Success is measured by the completion of practical tasks and projects within the course.
Public Health Education
Example: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Description: The Master of Public Health (MPH) program focuses on outcomes such as analytical skills, policy understanding, and community health strategies. Assessments include research projects, policy analysis, and fieldwork evaluations.
Secondary Education
Example: International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
Description: The IB program is outcome-based, emphasizing critical thinking, global awareness, and research skills. Students are assessed through a combination of internal assessments, extended essays, and final exams.
Law Education
Example: University of New South Wales (UNSW) Law School
Description: UNSW’s law program is designed around specific outcomes like legal analysis, ethical practice, and advocacy skills. Assessments include moot courts, research papers, and practical legal assignments.
These examples highlight the diverse implementation of OBE across different educational contexts, emphasizing the importance of achieving specific educational goals and the varied methods of assessment used to measure success.
So we can see the key differences between them in
CBE: Emphasizes acquiring specific competencies or skills relevant to the job market or professional requirements.
OBE: Emphasizes achieving broad educational outcomes, which could include knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Assessment and Progression:
CBE: Students advance upon proving competency, which can happen at any time.
OBE: Students progress through the curriculum in a more traditional, structured manner, though they must achieve the predefined outcomes
Pacing:
CBE: Student-centered, allowing individual pacing.
OBE: More curriculum-centered, often with set time frames for completing educational levels or courses.
Implementation:
CBE: Often used in adult education, professional training, and environments where specific skills are crucial.
OBE: Widely used in primary, secondary, and higher education systems aiming to provide a holistic education.
Dear Haifa Hussein
Thank you from heart for this detailed illustrations.
Somewhere deep I have a desire to integrate these two concepts as a goal to make nursing education relevant to present health care needs of our people.
Let's all of us think ... will you?
In my mind 'outcome based' is an attempt to standardize a certain practice for a certain end. For example the creation of a product or the result of a procedure. If I am 'outcome based' then the product or procedure will have some basic identifiable function. 'Competency based' works from the theoretical and is in a reflective process of improvement, experimentation, failure, and outcome. To illustrate in building a boat, it needs to pass the outcome of floating, a degree of navigation and propulsion. This is outcome based. If I build a boat for a specific purpose, let's say for speed, then I build, test, reflect, adjust, and retry my assumptions in the attempt to go faster. This is competency based, i.e. there is a greater appreciation not only of the outcome, but in understanding the underlying systems, theories, principles and actions to achieve a result.
In a nutshell, outcome is the achievement of a specific standard. Competency is a potentially greater appreciation of why, how, and exploration of new possibilities or when needed how to overcome challenges to achieve outcomes.
Does this help?
Competency-based education is the applied skill to gain knowledge whereas outcome-based education describe exactly what students will be able to do.
Competency based is focus on the knowledge and skill while outcomes based is concern on how these knowledge and skills can be used in a real life problems and situations.
As far as I think Competency based education prepare us to be compatible to compete in variety of areas within this unstoppable world but on the other hand outcome based education provide us with the required outcomes(such as; eligibility of becoming teacher after completing B.Ed course) may be an example of outcome based education.
The main difference between Competency-Based Education (CBE) and Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is the focus. CBE centers around students demonstrating measurable skills and abilities, with progress determined by mastery rather than seat time. The emphasis is on what students can do. In contrast, OBE focuses on defining clear learning outcomes that students are expected to achieve by the end of an educational program or course. The assessment in OBE is based on whether students have met these predetermined outcomes, rather than just accumulating knowledge. While the two approaches overlap, CBE is more individualized and performance-oriented, while OBE is more focused on standardized learning goals.
Focus:
CBE: Concentrates on students' mastery of specific skills or competencies.
OBE: Emphasizes achieving predefined outcomes, including knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Measurement:
CBE: Assessment is based on whether students can demonstrate specific competencies.
OBE: Assessment focuses on achieving the intended learning outcomes, which are often broader.
Instruction:
CBE: Learning is personalised and progresses at the student’s pace until mastery is achieved.
OBE: Instruction ensures that all students achieve the desired outcomes, often within a fixed timeframe.
The outcome - Based eduction is the one that prepares for future jobs. Both are of great importance.
Dear friends in learning,
Thank you all for this active discussion on OBE & CBE. I understand the concepts more clearly from all of your answers, especially that of Jim Egolf's explanation. Now I will develop a structured tool to evaluate students' learning outcome (OBE), which gives concrete evidence of learning. Students' subjective attributes in their professional Competency will be included in the tool for CBE, along with other components. Please correct me if any one of you think that I am wrong in my understanding. The ultimate intention is the best learning of my students.
CBE is more effective than OBE. CBE makes one more competent to perform anywhere. OBE is product of CBE. In some institutions, It is observed that the result is marvelous, but they are not competent. At any rate they are showing the outcomes. For example, all A grade acredetated institutions are not competent enough. Hence, the combination of both approaches is more meaningful and need of the hour.
Thank you Pravat kumar Dhal.
In fact I had started this discussion seeking some guidance and directions on - how to combine CBE & OBE for the best effective educational evaluation system. Please let all of us think of a solution.
This is the most excellent, most effective, most efficient, most innovative, most perfect model of " Competency based education ". This is YUniversity. The ultimate solution you are looking for. This is the savior of unemployment youth from the horrible education system present in today's world.
CBE is flexible,skill based,pace based and affordable unlike the traditional method which is expensive and learners are expected to learn within certain conditions
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