Integrating Activity Outcome into an Outcome Based Assessment framework and development of an excel computational tool: a SoTL approach

Abstract

Assessment of students with respect to the learning outcome is of vital importance for ensuring the level of attainment of learner in terms of Course level outcomes and Program level outcome in the context of Outcome Based Education. For an inclusive assessment of these outcomes, it is essential that the activity outcome related to various clubs, forums and other extension activities should be effectively integrated with the assessment process. These multifarious activities create a real platform for experiential learning. Hence combining all the activities related to Sports, Arts and Extension will be indispensable for an overall development of learner, enhancing student engagement and scaling the attainment of desired learning outcome.

Integration of the Activity Outcome with the Program level outcome pauses a lot of challenges due to the higher level of flexibility and autonomy of the learner in selecting the pathway of learning. In this paper we have attempted to suggest a framework where we could generate a program matrix based on students’ choice of options with respect to the curricular and extracurricular activities from a program level grid, and standardization of the assessments with respect to the predetermined threshold number of indicators to ensure the level of attainment of the outcomes. An excel based automated tool is also developed using the computation algorithm and its efficiency is tested using a Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) approach by validating its practicability and usability among the peer instructors.

The results of the analysis of the responses from the stakeholders / peer instructors seems to be very encouraging. Very high positive means with respect to effectiveness, usage and satisfaction level among the peer evaluators indicate stakeholders’ confirmation of the assessment strategy and effectiveness of the developed tool.