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Guide · Step 4 of 10

Outcomes

The promise your program makes, made measurable.

Program outcomes (POs) state the capabilities every graduate of a program should be able to demonstrate at graduation.

Definition and structure

The promise a program makes about its graduates

Program outcomes sit between the institution’s mission and the individual course. They translate the graduate attributes an institution commits to into capabilities specific enough to assess.

Most programs keep a short, stable list of POs, often drawn from their policies, standards and guidelines (PSG) or accreditation criteria, and review it on a planned cycle rather than every term.

Program outcomes screen listing PO-1 to PO-5, such as engineering knowledge and problem analysis, each linked to a graduate attribute.
Program outcomes in OBE Studio, each linked to a graduate attribute such as disciplinary knowledge or critical thinking.

In the CHED framework

Program outcomes sit at the heart of the chain.

Above them, the institution’s vision and mission and the program educational objectives. Below them, every course outcome and assessment.
Institution
  1. Vision
  2. Mission
Program
  1. PEO 1, PEO 2, PEO 3
  2. PO 1, PO 2 … PO nalso called PLOs
Course
  1. Course A: CLO 1, CLO 2 … CLO n
  2. Course A: Assessment 1, Assessment 2 … Assessment nEvery assessment is tagged with COs and cognitive levels

Vision → PEOs → PLOs → CLOs → Assessment: every assessment maps to outcomes.

Adapted from the OBE workshop deck. Reference: CHED OBE framework. Labels vary slightly between program PSGs.

PEOs, POs and PSOs

Three program-level statements, three time frames

Comparison of PEOs, POs and PSOs
StatementDescribes achievement…Illustrative example
Program educational objectives (PEOs)A few years after graduation“Graduates advance into analyst or supervisory roles in local enterprises.”
Program outcomes (POs)At graduation“Analyze complex problems using appropriate data and methods.”
Program-specific outcomes (PSOs)At graduation, discipline-specific“Build data dashboards that support small-business decisions.”

PEOs relate to later graduate achievements, distinct from outcomes at graduation. Not every PSG uses PSOs.

Courses and assessment

How courses provide evidence for POs

A program outcome is not taught in one place. A curriculum map shows which courses develop it, and how strongly.

PO attainment is then built up from the course outcomes mapped to it, typically a weighted average of CO attainment levels, using mapping strength as the weight.

See the calculation step by step

Illustrative curriculum map: business analytics program

  • Business statistics

    • PO1 · 3 High
    • PO2 · 2 Medium
    • PO5 · 1 Low

  • Data analytics

    • PO1 · 2 Medium
    • PO2 · 3 High
    • PO3 · 1 Low
    • PO4 · 2 Medium
    • PO5 · 3 High

  • Business communication

    • PO3 · 3 High
    • PO4 · 1 Low

  • Capstone project

    • PO1 · 2 Medium
    • PO2 · 3 High
    • PO3 · 3 High
    • PO4 · 2 Medium
    • PO5 · 2 Medium

Sample data. Scale: 1 low, 2 medium, 3 high, – no mapping. Note that each course maps only where it genuinely contributes.

Continue the guide

Turn this into practice today.

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