Here is the detailed content for Module 3 of the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) training series:
"Bloom’s Taxonomy and Course Outcome (CO) Framing" – a foundational module for writing meaningful, measurable course outcomes.
🎓
🎯 Session Objectives
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
-
Understand the structure and levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
-
Use appropriate action verbs to define measurable Course Outcomes (COs).
-
Frame effective COs aligned to program outcomes (POs).
-
Avoid common mistakes in CO writing.
🕘 Duration
1.5 Hours (Extended version: 2 hours with full workshop mode)
📚 Content Outline
1. Introduction to Course Outcomes (COs)
🔹 What are COs?
-
Statements that describe what students are expected to know, do, or value by the end of a course.
🔹 Importance of COs
-
COs define the foundation of OBE.
-
They form the basis for:
-
Curriculum delivery
-
Assessment design
-
Mapping to POs and PSOs
-
Attainment calculations
-
2. Bloom’s Taxonomy – Cognitive Domain
Developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956, revised by Anderson & Krathwohl in 2001.
🔹 Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised Version – Cognitive Domain)
| Level | Category | Description | Example Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remember | Recall basic facts or information | define, list, name, recall |
| 2 | Understand | Explain ideas or concepts | explain, describe, discuss |
| 3 | Apply | Use information in new situations | use, demonstrate, implement |
| 4 | Analyze | Draw connections among ideas | differentiate, compare |
| 5 | Evaluate | Justify a decision or course of action | judge, criticize, assess |
| 6 | Create | Produce original work or solutions | design, construct, develop |
✅ Higher-level COs are preferred in final-year or advanced courses.
3. Framing Course Outcomes (COs)
🔹 Structure of a Good CO
[Action Verb] + [Learning Content] + [Context/Condition (optional)] + [Standard (optional)]
Example:
“Apply Newton’s laws to solve engineering mechanics problems.”
→ Action verb: Apply
→ Content: Newton’s laws
→ Context: Engineering mechanics problems
🔹 Guidelines for Writing Effective COs
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Specific | Focus on a clear learning goal |
| Measurable | Use observable action verbs |
| Achievable | Realistic within course duration |
| Relevant | Aligned with course and program objectives |
| Time-bound | Implied within the semester/course |
🔹 Sample COs with Bloom’s Level
| CO Example | Bloom’s Level |
|---|---|
| Define basic concepts of thermodynamics | Remember |
| Explain the laws of thermodynamics | Understand |
| Apply the first law to closed and open systems | Apply |
| Analyze energy transfer in thermodynamic cycles | Analyze |
| Evaluate the performance of thermal systems | Evaluate |
| Design a basic Rankine cycle for a thermal power plant | Create |
4. Common Mistakes in CO Writing
❌ Using vague verbs like “understand” without assessment
❌ Writing multiple learning outcomes in one CO
❌ COs that are not aligned with assessments
❌ Overuse of low-level verbs in advanced courses
❌ Misalignment with POs and PSOs
5. COs vs POs: Understanding the Linkage
-
Each CO should contribute to at least one PO
-
Each PO should be addressed by multiple COs across courses
-
Mapping is done using a CO-PO matrix (covered in Module 4)
6. Sample Course Outcome Writing Template
| Course Title: ________ |
|---|
| CO1: … |
| CO2: … |
| CO3: … |
| Bloom’s Level: … |
| Mapped POs: … |
🧩 Interactive Activities
🟢 Activity 1: Verb Sorting
-
Provide participants with a list of action verbs.
-
Task: Classify each into Bloom’s levels.
🔵 Activity 2: CO Writing Practice
-
Select a course (e.g., “Data Structures”, “Thermodynamics”).
-
Participants write 3–4 COs using action verbs from Bloom’s Taxonomy.
🟡 Activity 3: Critique & Improve
-
Provide flawed COs.
-
Participants identify errors and rewrite them correctly.
Example Flawed CO:
“Students will understand software testing.”
Improved CO:
“Apply different software testing techniques to validate program functionality.”
📝 Summary Points
-
Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a structured way to classify learning outcomes.
-
Use action verbs to make COs measurable and aligned to learning levels.
-
Avoid vague, redundant, or non-assessable COs.
-
COs are the foundation of curriculum design and outcome assessment.
📤 Trainer Resources
-
Bloom’s Taxonomy verb chart handout
-
Sample CO writing worksheet
-
List of good and bad COs
-
CO framing checklist
-
PowerPoint slides (on request)
🧠 Post-Session Reflection Questions
-
What Bloom’s level do most of your current COs fall under?
-
How can you push your students to higher-order thinking skills through your COs?
Would you like me to now create a CO framing worksheet, customized action verb bank, or PowerPoint slides for this module? I can generate those next based on your delivery format.
No comments:
Post a Comment