Outcome-Based Education (OBE) at the
College of Engineering

I. Introduction

Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is an educational philosophy that is founded on the idea that educational assessment should recognize and reflect progress made by individual students.

OBE can be understood as a teaching and learning approach that are based upon a set of predetermined objectives and outcomes. The term outcomes in this matter would be a set of values or ‘wish list’ on what a student should acquire upon their educational programme completion. These attained values may be classified as values seen immediately upon graduation or a few years after graduation.

An OBE approach is a total dynamic approach to education where the course structure will evolve as the requirements of the syllabus and students changes. The approach aims towards effective Teaching, Learning (what the students learn) and Assessment (to check if the students have learnt it).

In brief, OBE answers the following questions:

What must the student learn?
What do the teachers want the student to learn?
How does what student learn affect the overall educational outcome?
How do the teachers make sure that the student learn what they are intended to learn?

An OBE educational framework consists of the following components:

II. UNITEN Vision, Mission and Philosophy

Vision

'To be a premier University in Engineering, IT and Business'

Mission

'We are committed to deliver a unique and enriching learning experience that fosters innovation and research’

Philosophy

Enhanced human values in tandem with the role of trustee of the Almighty, the Creator
Strive towards world class excellence
Revere knowledge
Advance intellectualism through enhancement of knowledge, spiritual attainment, physical condition and faith in the Almighty, and
Seek harmony amidst mankind from varied cultures and background

III. Programme Educational Objectives (PEO)

Programmes Educational Objectives are defined as qualities that are supposed to be acquired by the graduates after at least 5 years into employment.

The details of the PEO are usually not specific but broad goals describing expected achievements of graduates in their career and professional life after graduation. Apart from that, the PEO must be responsive to the expressed interest of various groups of the program stakeholders. These include the University, Industries and, in the case of UNITEN, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)

The following figure describes the four PEO for the UNITEN College of Engineering.

PEO No	Program Educational Objectives	(General Summary) UNITEN Engineering Graduate should be:
PEO No	UNITEN produces Engineering Graduates who:
PEO1	Have strong fundamental engineering knowledge and technically competent in their respective fields.	Able to comprehend and apply engineering knowledge depending upon their job specifications. They should be classified to be competent engineers
PEO2	Uphold professional attitudes and ethics necessary in fulfilling their responsibilities towards the Almighty, clients and the society.	Able to be professional, responsible and accountable in their daily work
PEO3	Are innovative and creative in conceiving, designing and executing broad range of engineering tasks locally and globally.	Flexible in terms of their abilities to adapt in different environment both locally and internationally. They should also be creative and innovative in their work
PEO4	Meet industry expectations with excellent communication and leadership skills and committed to life-long learning.	A valuable team player in their place of work. They should also be able to learn new skill technically and also socially in order to excel themselves in their respective fields

IV. Programme Outcome (PO) for the College of Engineering

Programme Outcome are a series of qualities that a graduate from an institution should acquire prior to graduation. The qualities in the PO are usually closely related to the training that the student has undergone throughout their academic programme.

In other words, the PO would consist of narrower program level statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to perform or attain by the time of graduation.

Listed below are the ten PO for all engineering programmes offered by the College of Engineering:

PO No	Program Outcomes (PO)	General Summary
PO No	Students graduating from the engineering programme must have the following outcomes:	General Summary
PO1	Ability to acquire and apply knowledge of mathematics, sciences and engineering fundamentals	The student is able to show that he/she should be knowledgeable enough in all the basic engineering fundamentals including mathematics and science
PO2	Acquiring in-depth technical competence in their respective engineering discipline	The student is able to demonstrate their technical knowledge in their respective fields
PO3	Ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering related problems	The student is able to think methodologically when it comes to solving engineering related problems. This methodological method would involve first identifying the problem. Secondly formulate possible solution to the problem and hence able to select the best solution. And finally apply the solution.
PO4	Ability to design a system, components or processes to meet desired needs within realistic constraints and evaluate operational performance	The student is able to design a system which may consist of components or processes which should be realistic in terms of its functions. The student should also be able to evaluate the performance of the system. An example of a system could be an electronics circuits, simulation models, product development and also physical models
PO5	Aware of professional and ethical responsibilities	The student is able to show their comprehension and should be able to appreciate the need of being professional and ethical engineers
PO6	Ability to communicate effectively	The student are able to convey technically and logically to an audience orally or in written form
PO7	Ability to function as an effective team player with the capability to lead	The student is able to work in groups and perhaps lead these groups when the time requires them.
PO8	Understand social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities of a professional engineer and recognize the need for sustainable development	The student must have acquired a broad range of education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
PO9	Ability to undertake life-long learning and attain knowledge of contemporary issues	The student must have the ability to find new information when the need arises. This would involve their ability to use the library and also other electronic and non electronic resources
PO10	Ability to function effectively in the industrial environment	The student is able to adapt in a practical industrial environment. He/She should have the confidence to learn new things as such to meet the companies’ expectation of a graduate engineer.

V. Course Outcome

The Course Outcome (CO) are elements of Technical or Soft skills that each student must acquire prior to completion of a specific course (i.e. a subject) taught. It is analogous to the more traditional course objectives. However, COs are more targeted on skills and knowledge that the students should be able to acquire rather than what the subjects would consist of.. It is also important to make sure that the CO must be designed such that it is measurable and ‘linkable’ to the PO and PEO.

Click here to see an example of Course Outcomes and how they are linked to the POs.

VI. OBE Mechanism for Continuous Quality Improvement at the College of Engineering, UNITEN.

PEO No

Program Educational Objectives

PEO1