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Programme Educational
Objectives (Peo)
The PEO is a set of objectives that the academic programme aspires
that the graduates would achieve in their career and professional life a
few years after graduation
.
INTRODUCTION OF
OUTCOME-BASED
EDUCATION (OBE)
Outcome-Based Education (OBE) had been
implemented in the Faculty of Engineering
since 2004, in accordance with the directives
of the Ministry of Higher Education and the
Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM). This is
also one of the requirements for Malaysia to
become a full member of the Washington
Accord, an international agreement to
mutually recognize Bachelor degrees in
engineering. The implementation of OBE, as
outlined below, is based on guidelines
prescribed by the Engineering Accreditation
Council (EAC) of Malaysia.
Unlike
the
traditional
teacher-centred
method, OBE is an educational approach that
is more concerned about the outcome (what
students can do) rather than the process
(what instructors did). This is believed to
enhance learning, and hence produce better
graduates. For OBE to be successful, it is
critical to prescribe the expected outcomes, to
measure them objectively, and to take
corrective actions where required.
The outcomes are prescribed at two levels:
(a) Course Outcomes (CO) --- what students
should be able to perform at the end of
each course
(b) Programme outcomes (PO) --- a
composite set of abilities after students
finished all courses
All COs will contribute to some of the POs.
This is to ensure that upon completion of the
courses, all POs are sufficiently covered.
To guide the formation and fine-tuning of these outcomes, the
Department has formulated the Programme Educational Objectives
(PEO). These are aspirations for graduates to attain 3 to 5 years upon
graduation. The POs are designed to produce graduates who are well-
prepared to achieve these PEOs.
The PEOs and POs had been formulated in consultation with all major
stakeholders (employers, alumni and students), to meet the demands
of a challenging and globalized workplace. Any material changes will
also require their views.
A critical component of OBE is the objective measurement of the
outcomes. This is done via multiple channels and methods. At the
course level, there is formative assessment via discussion, assignment,
quizzes
etc
., in addition to the summative assessment in the final
examination. Students also have the opportunity to provide feedback
through course evaluation, meetings with their academic advisors,
annual surveys, and student-lecturer meetings. Opinions and
feedback from external parties,
e.g.
employers, alumni, Industrial
Advisory Panel, are also routinely sought to further calibrate the
outcome measurements.
Based on the input and trends received, the Department will take the
necessary corrective actions, and the results monitored. In short, OBE
is a dynamic, student-centred educational process which incorporates
continuous improvement.