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Outcome based or competency based education (OBE) is so firmly established in undergraduate medical education that it might not seem necessary to ask why it was included in recommendations for the future, like the Flexner centenary report. Uncritical acceptance may not, however, deliver its greatest benefits. Our aim was to explore the underpinnings of OBE: its historical origins, theoretical basis, and empirical evidence of its effects in order to answer the question: How can predetermined learning outcomes influence undergraduate medical education? This literature review had three components: A review of historical landmarks in the evolution of OBE; a review of conceptual frameworks and theories; and a systematic review of empirical publications from 1999 to 2010 that reported data concerning the effects of learning outcomes on undergraduate medical education. OBE had its origins in behaviourist theories of learning. It is tightly linked to the assessment and regulation of proficiency, but less clearly linked to teaching and learning activities. Over time, there have been cycles of advocacy for, then criticism of, OBE. A recurring critique concerns the place of complex personal and professional attributes as “competencies”. OBE has been adopted by consensus in the face of weak empirical evidence. OBE, which has been advocated for over 50 years, can contribute usefully to defining requisite knowledge and skills, and blueprinting assessments. Its applicability to more complex aspects of clinical performance is not clear. OBE, we conclude, provides a valuable approach to some, but not all, important aspects of undergraduate medical education.

In this paper, we strive to provide a primer for students on how to thrive and learn effectively in engineering education in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) times following the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has disrupted the educational enterprise massively with universities physically closing in many parts of the world and students and faculty transitioning to remote learning. Although the immediate audience assumed in this paper comprises engineering students (such as those enrolled in electrical, electronics, or computer engineering programs) studying in an outcome-based education (OBE) environment—the global educational paradigm mandated by the Washington Accord that aims to standardize engineering competencies in terms of the attained student learning outcomes—the presented ideas are more general and broadly useful for learners of all types. We will describe seven evidence-based steps that the students can adopt to thrive in OBE settings in these challenging times. The main contribution of this paper is practical: we present a synthesis of the vast research literature on effective student learning in normal, online, and disrupted settings to present practical insights that students can leverage to substantially improve their learning. At the end of the paper, we also present a discussion of important issues related to remote teaching and online education such as ensuring equity and the handling of lab work for engineers in such settings (e.g., through simulators and virtual labs).

This case study of large-class teaching at a UK university focuses on the place of large-scale lectures in academics’ approaches to teaching, their use by students in their studies, and their relationship to institutional quality assurance policies. The case is a second-year module comprised of 180 students, and it includes two-hour lectures as the primary mode of teaching. The data is drawn from a range of sources including observations, interviews, focus groups, institutional documentation, and a student survey. Observations revealed largely transmissive lectures with little student interaction. The analytic framework of constructive alignment and outcome-based education is used to examine the promoted educational values and the practice experienced by students. The results are further explored in relation to two texts celebrating 50 years since publication: Donald Bligh’s What’s the Use of Lectures and Benson Snyder’s The Hidden Curriculum, Both highlight the dissonance of espoused approaches to teaching, and the realities of large-class environments. While the institutional literature foregrounds student-centred, ‘active learning’ approaches, the teacher-centred practice observed would have been very familiar to Bligh and Snyder; the principles of constructive alignment were visible only at the policy level. The implicit reward mechanisms of the hidden curriculum ensure that the majority of students succeed and are satisfied with the educational offering. The students who attended the lectures appeared to enjoy them and indicated that the primary benefits are the structure offered by live lectures and the support of the peer networks which develop as a result of attendance.

Background Since 2021, the prevention and control of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic has been normalized. However, considering the high density of students and the potential for epidemic relapse, our medical morphological teaching team established a novel blended learning mode with mainly offline teaching in the general sections and blend learning in systematic sections. Specifically, this study sought to improve the teaching quality of the two courses of “Histology and Embryology” and “Pathology”, and lay a solid foundation for clinical medical undergraduates to learn medical courses well in the future. Methods In the Spring 2021 semester, two classes from the Class of 2019 and two classes from the Class of 2020 were randomly selected as the intervention groups, to carry out blended learning of “Histology and Embryology”, and “Pathology”, respectively. Meanwhile, four parallel classes were randomly selected as control groups to carry out completely traditional offline teaching. The blended learning was based on outcome-based education concepts and used small private online courses from the “Xuexi Tong” (Century Superstar Information Technology Development Co., Ltd., Beijing) platform. In the theory class, case-based learning following a self-designed P-C-P-E-S-E (Pre-class-Case-Problem-Expansion-Summary-Expansion) teaching sequence was implemented. In the experimental class, a virtual digital platform with flipped classroom learning was integrated. Results Both teaching satisfaction and students’ scores were found to be significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group. Furthermore, the intervention group also effectively surpassed the control group in terms of students’ comprehensive abilities such as drawing, scientific research, participating in competitions, forensic case analysis, and so on. Conclusion Our novel blended learning approach strengthened the communication between teachers and students, obviously improved students’ self-directed learning abilities, and finally achieved the purpose of improving the comprehensive abilities of students. This mode is suited for the post-epidemic era and future variable environments. It also has substantial promotional instructive modeling value. Clinical trial registration Not applicable.

Background Medical education has predominantly adhered to a process-based education model. Recently, outcome-based education (OBE) has emerged as a dominant pedagogical framework, facilitating simultaneous acquisition of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and clinical experience. In 2020, our medical school implemented a new curriculum designed to integrate clinical skills training and experiential learning with foundational knowledge from the first year. Herein, we evaluated whether the clinical competencies of New Curriculum Students (NCS) are superior to the clinical competencies of Traditional Curriculum Students (TCS). Specifically, we clarified how self-assessment scores related to competencies in “Professional practice skills” evolved over time, and analyzed the longitudinal trends in self-assessment scores. Methods We included TCS enrolled between 2016 and 2019, and NCS enrolled between 2020 and 2023. Self-assessment of students’ competencies in “Professional practice skills,” a core component of our institution’s competency framework, was conducted by online survey. Competency levels were categorized into Levels A, B, and C. Results The self-assessment scores of NCS were significantly higher than those of TCS across most competency domains of “Professional practice skills.” The “Medical interview and physical examination” competency revealed that first-year NCS achieved scores equivalent to those of fourth-year TCS. These scores were either maintained or improved as students progressed in years. In the “Clinical skills” competency, NCS outperformed TCS at all levels from the first to the third year, and at Level A in the fourth year. In the “Medical record charting” competency, NCS achieved significantly higher scores than TCS across all levels during the first and second years. Discussion The early acquisition of clinical skills and exposure to clinical practice enabled students to consistently maintain high self-assessment scores. A curriculum design aligned with OBE appears to foster a heightened sense of self-efficacy among students. This approach is anticipated to facilitate a seamless transition into clinical responsibilities as future physicians.

Background Despite the widespread use of portfolios in medical education, their outcomes remain variable. This study evaluated students’ perceptions of portfolios at an institution that recently adopted an outcome-based curriculum. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 4th, 5th, and 6th -year medical students ( n  = 94; response rate = 64.8%) at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, during the 2023–2024 academic year. A 13-item Likert-type questionnaire assessed students’ portfolio perceptions across five domains: design, feedback and reflection, benefits in assessment, openness to their broader use in the college, and usefulness. Students’ Grade Point Average (GPA) was also recorded as an index of academic performance. Data were analyzed quantitatively; results were expressed as frequencies, means, medians, and percentages. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between overall portfolio perception and other measured domains. Results Ninety four students participated in this study. Only 48.9% of students found portfolios useful, with neutral average score of 3.3 ± 1.4 on the Likert scale and 5.66 ± 2.7 on the visual scale. Fewer than half reported positive perceptions across the five assessed domains. Differences in perceptions across academic levels were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test which revealed statistically significant differences ( p  < 0.05). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons using the Mann-Whitney U test showed that fourth-year students had significantly higher perception scores than both fifth- and sixth-year students ( p  < 0.05). Although perceptions improved slightly in the sixth year, these differences were not statistically significant. Strong positive correlations were observed among the survey variables ( p  < 0.001), but no significant correlations were found between portfolio perceptions and academic performance ( p  > 0.05). Conclusion The transition to outcome-based education may be associated with poor portfolio perceptions. Adjusting workload, enhancing feedback, and integrating portfolios into the curriculum may improve portfolio acceptability.

Background Rubrics are frequently used to assess competencies in outcome-based medical education (OBE). The implementation of assessment systems using rubrics is usually realised through years of involvement in projects with various stakeholders. However, for countries or specialities new to OBE, faster and more simplified processes are required. In March 2019, Japan introduced nine competencies and generic rubrics of competencies for medical residents. We explored the local adaptation of these generic rubrics and its consequences for assessors. Methods The study followed three steps. First, we locally adapted the generic rubrics. This was followed by conducting mixed-method research to explore the effect of the local adaptation. In step two, we examined the correlations between the scores in the locally adapted assessment sheets for supervising doctors and generic rubrics. In step three, we conducted interviews with supervising doctors. The study was conducted in the General Internal Medicine Department of Nagoya University, Japan. In the first step, doctors in the Medical Education Center and other medical departments, clerks, and residents participated. Supervising doctors in the General Internal Medicine Department participated in the second and third steps. Results A locally adapted assessment system was developed and implemented in seven months. The scores of the generic rubrics and the adapted assessment tool completed by the supervising doctors showed good correlations in some items as opposed to others, assessed mainly with other tools. Participant interviews revealed that local adaptation decreased their cognitive load leading to consistent ratings, increased writing of comments, and promoting reflection on instruction. Conclusions This adaptation process is a feasible way to begin the implementation of OBE. Local adaptation has advantages over direct use of generic rubrics.

There is increasing interest in the use of learning outcomes in postsecondary education, and deliberations have surfaced with regard to their potential to serve as a tool for advancing credit transfer. This book assesses the conceptual foundations and implications of using learning outcomes.

The study investigates university instructors’ perceptions of their institution’s readiness to implement an outcome-based education (OBE) curriculum in Bangladesh. It employs a qualitative methodology and case study approach, gathering information from local universities via interviews and questionnaires. The findings paint a complicated picture of educators’ hope and fear, as they realize OBE’s potential to greatly improve student learning outcomes. However, they also see a considerable gap in their thorough grasp and practical application of OBE principles. The study finds five major difficulties in the proper deployment of OBE. These include limited professional development opportunities, insufficient resources, and a lack of institutional support. Teachers report feeling unprepared to design and evaluate OBE curricula, citing the need for more comprehensive training and clearer guidelines. Furthermore, the change from a traditional content-based curriculum to an outcome-based framework has logistical and pedagogical obstacles that necessitate significant adjustment. The study indicates that, with the proper assistance, implementing OBE in Bangladeshi institutions is both doable and potentially transformational. It highlights the necessity of educators’ ongoing professional growth, sufficient resource allocation, and strong institutional support systems. By tackling these difficulties and capitalizing on OBE’s potential benefits, Bangladeshi universities can improve higher education quality and better equip students for the modern workforce. The study emphasizes the significance of a collaborative effort between educational policymakers, institutional leaders, and instructors to ease the transition to OBE. This study contributes to the greater discourse on educational reform in developing nations by providing insights and recommendations that are relevant to similar contexts globally.

Foundation and Application of Microcontroller (FAoM), a theoretically and practically important specialized course for automation majors, is interdisciplinary and has a wide range of instructional content. Conventional teaching methods center on the needs of teachers but do not prioritize fostering practical skills and innovation capacity. This split focus tends to neglect the achievement of learning outcomes and causes deficiency in practice ability. Therefore, instructional reform oriented toward outcome-based education (OBE) was proposed in this study to promote endogenous motivation to learn and enhance effectiveness and flexibility in practical teaching by subdividing instructional objectives, rearranging instructional contents, conducting modularized teaching, and formulating typical tasks. To evaluate the performance of the instructional reform based on OBE, students were engaged to develop a temperature measurement system with knowledge they learned by using software Keil, Proteus, and Altium. Statistics show that the proposed methodology exceeds the traditional method of teaching in all six evaluation indexes, achieving the student-centered curriculum objective. The implementation of the reform on FAoM is of considerable importance for students. They benefit from immersive teaching, broadening their minds and cultivating their capacity to address practical engineering problems.