OBACIS IV: THE CLOSED-LOOP TEACHING AND LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Abstract

OBACIS is a tri-platform outcome-based assessment and continues improvement system. The system is composed of three integrated platforms/applications: a Win app, an Excel app, and a Web-app. In this paper, a Closed-Loop Teaching and Learning Framework (CTLF) is presented. The framework is composed of two layers: A program layer and a course layer. At the heart of the program layer lies the program-level closed-loop teaching and learning process (P-CTLP) with an overarching process concerned with the analytics and the continuous improvement activities located in the feedback loop. P-CTLP has several inputs or constituents that affect its quality outcomes, namely the successful engineering graduates and the continuously improving program outcomes, a.k.a. Graduate Attributes. At the course layer, there is a simplified course-level closed-loop teaching and learning process (C-CTLP) with its simplified feedback loop, inputs and outputs. P-CTLP and C-CTLP are a sort of master-detail closed-loop continuous improvement system. C-CTLP is managed and controlled by individual faculty members, while higher administrative and executive staff manages P-CTLP and the overall CTLF. Since the outcome-based accreditation is still locked in the data collection phase, the framework presented will be the foundation for creating a data-driven analytics engine and a continued improvement system at the program and faculty levels. The proposed framework should be instrumental in justifying the effort and the investment spent on the new outcome-based accreditation process.