MOVING TOWARDS AN OUTCOME BASED EDUCATION IN ENGINEERING

Education field is facing new numerous challenges to cope with the dynamic demands of the industry. In this direction teaching and learning process framework has undergone rigorous rethink. The development of a new way of learning strategy called outcome based education (OBE) is the rapid transformation made in the modern field today. The need for reformation was identified and the opportunities are highly stretched with huge expectations. The paper discusses the reasons and results for transformations of outcome based education and describe the process of using blooms taxonomy as a tool for educator in assessing and enhancing the one’s ability to learn with respect to the set learning objectives.


INTRODUCTION
The traditional teaching and learning methods in engineering education are facing greater challenges and failing to fulfill the dynamic industry requirements. This has necessitated frequent curriculum revision has to be performed in order to meet ever-changing requirements of the industry. There are enormous ways of teaching learning process. The OBE is an approach to education in which decisions about the curriculum are driven by the learning outcomes that the students should display at the end of course (subject). Outcome-based learning is learner driven and aimed at achieving outcomes and teacher is facilitator [1]. The development of OBE system provides a new framework for mastery over the learning process [2]. The curriculum stage is the latest phenomenon for the progression and regression by the traditionalists which is acknowledged by administrators and teachers [3]. The common method of assessing the knowledge gained by the students is by the written examination in higher education institutions [4]. Learning outcomes are statements specifying what learners will know or be able to do as a result of a learning activity. Describe a desired conditionthe knowledge, skills or attitudes required to fulfill a need. Widely accepted Blooms taxonomy gives guidelines in designing reasonable examination questions belonging to various cognitive levels of students. This has emphasized the application of Bloom's taxonomy for preparation of question papers to assess student's performance. The structure of the paper is organized as follows. Section II discusses the related work on challenges and issues in curriculum design when moving towards OBE. Section III describes blooms taxonomy for educational objectives and learning outcomes. Section IV concludes.

RELATED WORK
It is evident from most of the study and practices that, whentraditional education technique when transformed into OBE technique, students have become confident significantly.An important framework was designed and developed by Dr. Benjamin S Bloom and Published in 1956, for teachers to focus more on higher order thinking. Bloom's Taxonomy has provided a basis for ideas which have been used and developed around the world by academicians for the preparation of learning evaluation materials [5]. Blooms taxonomy has set learning objectives for education based outcomes. Different cognitive levels are used for analyzing the student assessment. Automatic analysis system can be used to determine the exact classification in blooms taxonomy [4]. A learning evaluation model for lean training and deployment success is used for lean deployment. The lean learning methods are prepared along with the case studies is presented for learning outcomes [6]. Emphasis can be given on Bloom's taxonomy for preparation of question papers to assess student's performance. Dynamic cognitive process applications of blooms taxonomy for complex software design in cognitive domain are specified [7]. Most of the teachers have their own methodology to describe any concept with the help of illustrations, demonstrable examples etc.. They may follow their own way of teaching delivery method to reach considerably to the students. Due to varying competencies of students new techniques in teaching learning process has to be incorporated such as collaborative learning, forming pairs of senior-junior, group discussions, etc. Following are the challenges faced and requirements found while moving towards outcome based education.
 Fine tuning of the academic curriculum to meet the ever dynamic requirements of the industry.  Need of move from curriculum based education approach to outcome based education approach.  Need of transition from teacher centered approach to student centered approach  It is important to keep in mind how to deliver the topics rather than making chapters while framing syllabus.  In order to develop models, the usefulness of the course to student is to be rigorously analyzed and if necessary changes are to be incorporated.  Life long learner and self learner: As the syllabus what the student learn, may become obsolete within 2-3 years.  Emphasis has to be given on Process oriented approach rather than Person oriented approach.

Blooms taxonomy can be considered as basis for Learning
Outcomes. The figure 1 shows the three learning domains identified by Blooms et.al are overlapped with each other covers all human aspects. Each of the three domains of Bloom's Taxonomy is divided into levels of learning developments and these categories are ordered in degree of difficulty. Lowest levels contribute foundational skills and knowledge that are required for learning at higher level. An important premise of Bloom's Taxonomy is that each level must be mastered before progressing to the next [8].

Figure 1. Learning Domains
• Cognitive domain Blooms et.al has shown that the thought process can be categorized into six classes of competencies that student display. The blooms taxonomy is shown in figure 2 where the lower levels become foundation for the higher levels.The Bloom's taxonomy process is ordered in such a way that the lowest level is the simplest form of recognition, while the highest level built on lower levels involves more complex form of cognitive skill [3]. By providing a hierarchy of levels, this taxonomy can assist teachers in designing assessment framework to measure the students learning ability and making teaching method, innovative and adaptive to students competencies and enhancing the same.. outcomes. The blooms taxonomy for educational objectives for teaching learning, and assessing is shown in figure 3 showing the classification of cognitive domain skills that a student should possess or exhibit. Compare and discriminate between ideas, assess value of theories, presentations, make choices based on reasoned argument, verify value of evidence, recognize subjectivity assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarize, award, choose, conclude, criticize, decide, defend, determine, dispute, evaluate, judge, justify, measure, compare, mark, rate, recommend, rule on, select, agree, appraise, prioritize, opinion, interpret, explain, support importance, criteria, prove, disprove, assess, influence, perceive, value, estimate, deduct.   The psychomotor domain is related with manual and physical skills in to effect, ie., skills, or 'do'. This category of blooms taxonomy is the learning at the higher level which is dependent for attaining knowledge and skills at the lower levels. The psychomotor domain taxonomy is shown in figure  5.

CONCLUSION
The outcome based education is a new path in higher education institutions which starts the teaching learning methodology by keeping end product in mind. The learning outcomes are first assessed and learning objectives are set. Educational taxonomy such as one developed by bloom's et.al can be used as a fundamental developing tool for performance assessment and helps in enhancing capability and confidence in learner.