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OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION (OBE)
Outcome-Based Education (OBE) had been implemented in the Faculty of Engineering
since 2004, in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Higher Education and the
Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM). This is also one of the requirements for Malaysia to
become a full member of the Washington Accord, an international agreement to mutually
recognize Bachelor degrees in engineering. The implementation of OBE, as outlined below,
is based on guidelines prescribed by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) of
Malaysia.
Unlike the traditional teacher-centered method, OBE is an educational approach that is
more concerned about the outcome (what students can do) rather than the process (what
instructors did). This is believed to enhance learning, and hence, produce better graduates.
For OBE to be successful, it is critical to prescribe the expected outcomes, to measure them
objectively, and to take corrective actions where required.
The outcomes are prescribed at two levels:
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) ---what students should be able to perform at the
end of each course
Programme Learning Outcomes (PLO) --- a composite set of abilities after students
finished all courses
All CLOs will contribute to some of the PLOs. This is to ensure that upon completion of the
courses, all PLOs are sufficiently covered.
To guide the formation and fine-tuning of these outcomes, the Department has formulated
the Programme Educational Objectives (PEO). These are aspirations for graduates to attain
3 to 5 years upon graduation. The PLOs are designed to produce graduates who are well-
prepared to achieve these PEOs.
The PEOs and PLOs had been formulated in consultation with all major stakeholders
(employers, alumni and students), to meet the demands of a challenging and globalized
workplace. Any material changes will also require their views.
A critical component of OBE is the objective measurement of the outcomes. This is done
via multiple channels and methods. At the course level, there is formative assessment via
discussion, assignment, quizzes etc., in addition to the summative assessment in the final
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