Here is a precise clarity on COs if you are still grappling with the OBE process:
Step-1 Use Blooms Taxonomy and convert Course Units into meaningful actionable statements, as applicable e.g. Remember (Recapitulate, Recall, Recite, Recognise), Understand (Distinguish, Elaborate, Estimate, Example), Analyse (facts, concepts, ideas, principles) Analyse (breaking down into components for understanding) Evaluate (Interpret, Judge, Justify, Measure) and Create (combining parts into new whole). Now, writing COs of your subject, using actionable statements would obviously be specific and relevant.
Step-2 Do mapping of (a) assessment tools like, Projects, labs, workshops, Presentations, Quiz etc. Set question papers to measure every specific course outcome. Marks of every question and assessment tool must be in sync with the relative importance of each course outcome.
(b) Map also the teaching tools with COs and POs to make these relevant to the delivery of sessions in classroom or through LMS.
Step: 3 Measure attainment level of each CO in relation to a set threshold (an average class marks of the past 3 years) which is bound to vary for every course, depending on the degree of difficulty of the course. Now calculate:-
(i) 60 % of class students scoring the set threshold..as Level-1.
(ii) 70% of class students scoring the set threshold Level-2
(iii) 80% of students scoring the set threshold would be Level-3.
Draw an average of all COs to arrive at one single figure of Course attainment.
Units Factor-in, the co-relation of your COs with POs/PSOs (co-relation to be established before beginning of an Assessment exercise). If a course you delivered had a co-relation of say, 3 with PO-1 and the final figure of attainment was also say, level 3, the resulting contribution of your Course towards PO-1 would be 100% i.e.3. PO-1 might have other courses too and their contributions shall also be measured in similar way. Ultimately, it is an average of all the courses of a specific PO family which would determine final PO attainment.
If you read above a few times over and discuss with your co-faculty friends, and then document it once, you shall be ‘Masters’ in this. I have designed a simple software on this. But I suggest, you do it with your hands to understand the nuisances, first. It is EASY 🙂
-Prof JR Sharma, addressed the World Summit (WOSA-3) on the invitation of the NBA attended by over 1200 delegates across various Washington Accord countries.
