OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO IMPLEMENTING AN OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION MODEL: TRADITIONAL VERSUS TRANSFORMATIONAL OBE

Abstract

Attempts to introduce a new outcome- based curriculum in the Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) Program at Simon Fraser University (SFU) have posed a range of challenges to teaching staff and students in terms of the most effective and efficient means for transitioning the program and achieving the expected improvements in educational outcomes. However, the mechanical process of pursuing outcomes without the deliberate revision of the pedagogy, attitudes and forms of assessments fails to attain the continuous improvement concept that OBE implies. This paper analyses MSE faculty interview responses to approaches they incorporate in their teaching practices and the effect these practices have on student learning. Class size, expectations of learner characteristics and reality, teaching practice and evaluation, and student motivation were the most commonly discussed challenges. Self-reported instructor characteristics and the perceived role of the instructor often contradicted the OBE model of learning. The results inform a critical discussion of the pedagogical aspects involved in reshaping existing curriculum to satisfy the needs of the 21st century learner. The process of transitioning from the content-driven to the outcome-based curriculum is revealing opportunities in terms of transformative teacher education as well as challenges that warrant further analysis.