Outcomes-based assessment – Nova Science Publishers

What is outcomes-based assessment?

Outcomes-based assessment is a process of gathering evidence on learning based on the number of learning outcomes achieved rather than the sum of marks on different assessment tasks (James, 2019).

Why outcomes-based assessment?

Students know exactly what they are going to learn.
Once students are clear about what they would learn, they are more likely to take responsibility for learning what they agreed on.
Students would learn more deeply as they have to show evidence that they have achieved each learning outcome (LO) not just getting a pass score or adding up scores.
Instructors would mark fewer assessment tasks as students would keep experimenting with unmarked and ungraded assignments until they feel they can achieve target LOs before taking marked attempts.
Both instructors and students clearly monitor performance and improvement over time on each LO.
Instructors can adjust their courses in light of early feedback on LOs.
Students can adjust study plans and learning strategies in light of early feedback on LOs.
Instructors and students’ focus is on achieving LOs not on the assessments, which improves learning and allows for deep understanding and learning transfer.
Outcomes-based assessments are transparent, congruent with LOs and improve learning.
Outcomes-based assessments ensure quality, accountability and flexibility.
Outcomes-based assessment ensures that all graduates have achieved the minimal standards of competencies to make them successful in the workplace (James, 2019).

Impact on curriculum/ course content

Outcomes-based assessment requires curriculum/ course content to be outcomes-driven in terms of scope, balance (weight), sequence and continuity. Each unit is developed to address a particular learning outcome or a set of learning outcomes (James, 2019; Wiggins & McTighe, 1999).

Impact on course delivery

Outcomes-based assessment requires curriculum/ instructional activities to be outcomes-driven in terms of lesson planning and development. This means each lesson or set of lessons is planned and delivered to achieve a particular learning outcome. This is different from writing learning outcomes to address the lesson content (James, 2019; Wiggins & McTighe, 1999).

How different is outcomes-based assessment from traditional assessment?

Course/ curriculum design

Determine the LOs you want to develop (end result).
Determine acceptable level of performance (instead of marks) as evidence of achieving LOs.

Identify the performance indicators for achieving each LO.
Define the knowledge students must achieve as evidence of competent or successful performance.
Define the skills students must achieve as evidence of competent or successful performance.

Plan the assessments to measure the set level of performance.
Plan the instructional content suitable to achieve LOs.
Plan the instructional activities suitable to achieve LOs (James, 2019; Wiggins & McTighe, 1999).

Assessment Design

Plan for multiple formative and ungraded assessments of each LO.
Give as many formative assessment attempts as possible.
Provide early feedback on the progress toward achieving each LO.
Do not take average of attempts as evidence of performance, as attempts (assessment results) that do not provide evidence on achieving target LOs are not counted.
Only the attempt (the most recent evidence) that shows the outcome has been achieved is counted.
James (2019) gives an excellent analogy with a driver’s test. “You don’t average in the first time you practiced with your final road test. Even if you fail your road test once, you get the score from your second attempt, not the combined score from your first and second, because the goal is to measure how competent you’ve become, rather than average in all attempts.”

Calculating grades

Counting toward the final grade is based on LOs achievement rather than cumulating scores of the assessment tasks.
For example, although a student’s performance on some assessment tasks improves, it is not counted in the final grade because the student did not achieve the target LO.
We are not adding up scores on assessment tasks. We are adding up achieved LOs.
For example, achievement of learning outcome 1 is assigned 5% in the final grade, outcome 2 is assigned 7 % in the final grade and so on. An individual test might have 50% of its marks assigned for outcome 1 and another 50% for outcome 2. While the test overall score is 100 and the student has got the full mark, the actual count in the final grade is 12 % not 100% or 100 points! We are weighting by outcome, not by how much assignments and tests are worth.

The outcomes-based assessment cycle

According to Western University (2021), program evaluation and development is best achieved through an outcomes-based assessment cycle of four iterative stages:

Stage 1: Planning (develop evaluation research plan)

Determine programs to be evaluated.
Determine and breakdown program LOs.
Determine assessment approach (an outcomes-based here), tools (e.g., surveys, interviews, performance, authentic, tests etc.) and techniques (multiple choice, multiple response, essay, numeric etc.).
Determine research strategy, sampling strategy, data analysis techniques, research population.
Design or acquire your data collection instruments.
Acquire research Ethics Board approval if necessary.

Stage 2: Implementation (implement evaluation plan).

Develop research schedule.
Develop communication plan and procedures.
Collect and analyze data.
Write evaluation results and conclusions.
Write a summary of results report.

Stage 3: Reflection and communication (of evaluation results)

What implications do results have for the program?
Have the results addressed all concerns or do we need further information?
Communicate the results to concerned stakeholders.
Collect their feedback on the evaluation results.
List action items for program improvement/ development.

Stage 4: Act (use evaluation results)

Adjust program (courses, course content, instructional delivery, assessment targets, approaches and tasks).
Collect data on improvements.
Decide on new evaluation arrangements.
References
James, W. (2019).Outcomes-based assessment. Retrieved on 29 July 2021 from Outcomes-based Assessment | Educatus (usask.ca).
Western University (2021).Outcomes-based assessment cycle. Retrieved on 29 July 2021 from Outcome-Based Assessment – Student Experience – Western University (uwo.ca).
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ASCD.
McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (1999). Understanding by Design professional development Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

What is outcomes-based assessment?

Outcomes-based assessment is a process of gathering evidence on learning based on the number of learning outcomes achieved rather than the sum of marks on different assessment tasks (James, 2019).

Why outcomes-based assessment?

Students know exactly what they are going to learn.

Once students are clear about what they would learn, they are more likely to take responsibility for learning what they agreed on.

Students would learn more deeply as they have to show evidence that they have achieved each learning outcome (LO) not just getting a pass score or adding up scores.

Instructors would mark fewer assessment tasks as students would keep experimenting with unmarked and ungraded assignments until they feel they can achieve target LOs before taking marked attempts.

Both instructors and students clearly monitor performance and improvement over time on each LO.

Instructors can adjust their courses in light of early feedback on LOs.

Students can adjust study plans and learning strategies in light of early feedback on LOs.

Instructors and students’ focus is on achieving LOs not on the assessments, which improves learning and allows for deep understanding and learning transfer.

Outcomes-based assessments are transparent, congruent with LOs and improve learning.

Outcomes-based assessments ensure quality, accountability and flexibility.

Outcomes-based assessment ensures that all graduates have achieved the minimal standards of competencies to make them successful in the workplace (James, 2019).

Impact on curriculum/ course content

Outcomes-based assessment requires curriculum/ course content to be outcomes-driven in terms of scope, balance (weight), sequence and continuity. Each unit is developed to address a particular learning outcome or a set of learning outcomes (James, 2019; Wiggins & McTighe, 1999).

Impact on course delivery

How different is outcomes-based assessment from traditional assessment?

Course/ curriculum design

Determine the LOs you want to develop (end result).

Determine acceptable level of performance (instead of marks) as evidence of achieving LOs.

Identify the performance indicators for achieving each LO.

Define the knowledge students must achieve as evidence of competent or successful performance.

Define the skills students must achieve as evidence of competent or successful performance.

Plan the assessments to measure the set level of performance.

Plan the instructional content suitable to achieve LOs.

Plan the instructional activities suitable to achieve LOs (James, 2019; Wiggins & McTighe, 1999).

Assessment Design

Plan for multiple formative and ungraded assessments of each LO.

Give as many formative assessment attempts as possible.

Provide early feedback on the progress toward achieving each LO.

Do not take average of attempts as evidence of performance, as attempts (assessment results) that do not provide evidence on achieving target LOs are not counted.

Only the attempt (the most recent evidence) that shows the outcome has been achieved is counted.

Calculating grades

Counting toward the final grade is based on LOs achievement rather than cumulating scores of the assessment tasks.

For example, although a student’s performance on some assessment tasks improves, it is not counted in the final grade because the student did not achieve the target LO.

We are not adding up scores on assessment tasks. We are adding up achieved LOs.

The outcomes-based assessment cycle

According to Western University (2021), program evaluation and development is best achieved through an outcomes-based assessment cycle of four iterative stages:

Stage 1: Planning (develop evaluation research plan)

Determine programs to be evaluated.

Determine and breakdown program LOs.

Determine assessment approach (an outcomes-based here), tools (e.g., surveys, interviews, performance, authentic, tests etc.) and techniques (multiple choice, multiple response, essay, numeric etc.).

Determine research strategy, sampling strategy, data analysis techniques, research population.

Design or acquire your data collection instruments.

Acquire research Ethics Board approval if necessary.

Stage 2: Implementation (implement evaluation plan).

Develop research schedule.

Develop communication plan and procedures.

Collect and analyze data.

Write evaluation results and conclusions.

Write a summary of results report.

Stage 3: Reflection and communication (of evaluation results)

What implications do results have for the program?

Have the results addressed all concerns or do we need further information?

Communicate the results to concerned stakeholders.

Collect their feedback on the evaluation results.

List action items for program improvement/ development.

Stage 4: Act (use evaluation results)

Adjust program (courses, course content, instructional delivery, assessment targets, approaches and tasks).

Collect data on improvements.

Decide on new evaluation arrangements.

References

James, W. (2019).Outcomes-based assessment. Retrieved on 29 July 2021 from Outcomes-based Assessment | Educatus (usask.ca).

Western University (2021).Outcomes-based assessment cycle. Retrieved on 29 July 2021 from Outcome-Based Assessment – Student Experience – Western University (uwo.ca).

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ASCD.

McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (1999). Understanding by Design professional development Alexandria, VA: ASCD.