Just a quick heads-up, this article will take 15 minutes to read, but it is worth it.

Last two weeks, we mentioned that COREN requires Universities to adopt Outcome-based Education for the engineering degree programmes. Last week, we explained that outcome-based education involves setting and assessing learning outcomes, and the major challenge is the assessment of these outcomes.

Our platform solves this challenge and this week article explains how.

Creating learning outcomes
You have designed the learning outcomes of the courses and the different topics, coursework, test and examination. You can add these outcomes, which can have parent and child outcomes as one file called ‘competency‘ on our platform.

The image illustrates how to add competency. Note, The table at the bottom of the image shows the number of modules (course materials) and assessments (coursework, test and examination) associated with these learning outcomes.

Linking course materials with competency
Added competencies are then linked to the different modules (course materials) and assessments (coursework, test and examination) for assessment. Below are images of how competencies are linked with modules and assessments.

Assessing learning outcomes
Once the learning outcomes are linked with course materials and assessments, the completion of the course materials in terms of attendance and the scores gained by students from assessments form the way the students’ competencies are assessed. Due to confidentiality, we cannot share how we calculate the total score of the student competency on a particular skill. However, below is an overview of assessed students’ competencies.

Our dream is for Nigerian graduates to confidently defend themselves before employers on their abilities backed by competency reports from Universities. Universities hold troves of data about students, which could be used to ensure they are at an advantage of getting employment or starting a business in the first six months of their graduation.

An example of how we envisage this dream is: two graduates of Accounting have applied to join your company for an Accountant (focus is taxation) position. One of the graduates has 2:1 and is competent in taxation. The other got First Class and is not competent in taxation but auditing. You have their certificates and the breakdown of their skillsets. You trust the data because our system allows you to verify their skillsets. Who would you employ?

This example shows the need to complement our Honour degree system with competency reports, empowering our students to be confident of their place in the future of work and industry.

We seek advice from professors keen on working on this area of competency and outcome-based education. If you want to work with us, feel free to contact us.