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OUTCOME-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 Outcomes (CO) - what students should be able to perform at the
end of each course

 Programme Outcomes (PO) - a composite set of abilities after students
finished all courses
All COs will contribute to some of the POs. This is to ensure that upon completion

of the courses, all POs are sufficiently covered.

The PEO is a set of objectives that the academic programme aspires that the

graduates would achieve in their career and professional life a few years after
graduation. 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 PEOs and
POs 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.

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