Certainly! Activity 3: Critique & Improve is a highly effective workshop activity that enhances participants' ability to evaluate, revise, and justify improvements to poorly written Course Outcomes (COs), reinforcing the principles of Outcome-Based Education (OBE).
🎯 Activity Objective
To help participants:
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Recognize common mistakes in writing Course Outcomes (COs).
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Critically evaluate flawed COs using Bloom’s Taxonomy and SMART principles.
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Rewrite COs to be clearer, measurable, and aligned with OBE standards.
🧑🏫 Facilitator Instructions
Step 1: Review Key Principles (5–10 min)
Remind participants that a well-written CO:
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Starts with a clear action verb (Bloom's Taxonomy)
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Is measurable and assessable
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Is specific to what the student will achieve
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Focuses on one learning outcome per statement
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Is written from the student’s perspective
✍️ Participant Instructions
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You’ll be provided with a list of poorly written Course Outcomes.
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Your task is to:
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Identify the issues in each CO (vagueness, multiple verbs, unmeasurable verbs, etc.).
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Rewrite the CO to be OBE-compliant.
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Provide a brief justification for your corrections.
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🧪 Sample Flawed COs for the Activity
| Original Flawed CO | Likely Error(s) |
|---|---|
| Understand software engineering principles and apply them in projects. | Multiple verbs, "understand" is vague/unmeasurable |
| Learn about thermodynamics and its industrial use. | "Learn" is vague; not student-action focused |
| Students will know and appreciate circuit design. | "Know" and "appreciate" are vague, not measurable |
| To explore cloud computing. | Not in student outcome form; lacks action verb |
| Write, debug, and test and deploy web apps and also learn database. | Too broad; multiple verbs; hard to assess |
📝 Activity Worksheet Template
| CO No. | Flawed CO Statement | Error(s) Identified | Improved Version | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO1 | ||||
| CO2 | ||||
| CO3 |
✅ You can provide this worksheet as a printable PDF, Word, or Google Sheet.
🧩 Example Solution
| CO No. | Flawed CO Statement | Error(s) | Improved Version | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO1 | Understand software engineering principles and apply them in projects. | Two verbs; "understand" is vague | Apply software engineering principles to develop functional software modules. | Uses measurable verb "apply"; narrowed to one outcome |
| CO2 | Learn about thermodynamics and its industrial use. | "Learn" is vague | Explain thermodynamics concepts and illustrate their applications in industry. | Uses Bloom’s verb; scope is assessable |
💬 Facilitator Debrief (10–15 min)
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What were the most common types of errors?
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How did rewriting help clarify course intent?
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How would these COs guide assessment or teaching activities?
🔁 Optional Extensions
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Convert this into a peer-review activity: one group writes flawed COs, another group corrects.
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Use colored cards or sticky notes: red = error, green = correction.
Would you like a downloadable version of the:
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Answer key/rubric
Here's a detailed Answer Key and Rubric for the Activity 3: Critique & Improve – Course Outcome Evaluation, which can be used by facilitators to assess and provide feedback on participants' work.
✅ Answer Key for Sample Flawed COs
| Flawed CO | Errors Identified | Improved Version | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understand software engineering principles and apply them in projects. | - Contains multiple verbs- "Understand" is vague/unmeasurable | Apply software engineering principles to develop functional software modules. | Uses measurable verb "apply"; focused on a single outcome; aligned with Bloom’s level 3 |
| Learn about thermodynamics and its industrial use. | - "Learn" is vague and not an observable action | Explain thermodynamic concepts and illustrate their applications in industry. | Verbs "explain" and "illustrate" are observable and align with Bloom’s level 2 and 3 |
| Students will know and appreciate circuit design. | - "Know" and "appreciate" are vague and subjective- Not assessable | Analyze and design basic electronic circuits. | Verbs are specific, assessable, and focus on cognitive skill development |
| To explore cloud computing. | - Not in student-centered format- Verb is unclear and unmeasurable | Describe the architecture of cloud computing systems and evaluate their use in real-world scenarios. | Includes specific actions aligned with Bloom’s levels 2 and 5; student-centered |
| Write, debug, and test and deploy web apps and also learn database. | - Too many verbs- Unstructured and unclear- "Learn" is unmeasurable | Develop, test, and deploy a web application with integrated database functionality. | Clear, specific, measurable; combines related actions under one outcome with purpose |
🧪 Rubric for CO Critique & Improvement
| Criteria | Excellent (3) | Good (2) | Needs Improvement (1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Error Identification | Accurately identifies all major issues (vagueness, multiple verbs, non-measurable, etc.) | Identifies most errors but may miss minor issues | Misses key issues or misclassifies them |
| Improved CO Statement | Clear, measurable, Bloom-aligned, focused on a single outcome | Mostly clear and measurable, with minor alignment issues | Vague or still unmeasurable; needs revision |
| Justification | Thorough, well-reasoned, and references Bloom's levels | Provides general justification with some references | Justification is weak or missing |
| Language & Structure | Proper grammar, structure, and student-centered phrasing | Mostly correct structure with few language issues | Poorly structured or grammatically incorrect |
Scoring Range (Per CO):
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9–10 = Excellent
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6–8 = Good
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Below 6 = Needs Improvement
✅ Total Score Sheet Template (for 3 COs)
| Group | CO1 Score | CO2 Score | CO3 Score | Total (Max 30) | Feedback Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | 9 | 8 | 10 | 27 | Excellent improvement and understanding |
| Group B | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 | Good effort, watch for vague verbs |
| … | … | … | … | … | … |
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