🚀 go-pugleaf

From Monday 2 to Friday 6 December 1996, RMIT is celebrating its 
R&D excellence with a program of events and lectures entitled:

Innovation @ work (http://www.rmit.edu.au/innovation.10.html)

Dr Patricia Smith will present a postdoctoral lecture entitled: 
'Outcome based learning'.

Speaker:  Dr Patricia Smith 
Date:  Tuesday 3 December 1996
Time:  10.00 - 11.00 am
Location:  RMIT City campus, Storey Hall, seminar room 3 & 4

Abstract:

In school systems around the world, there has been a move towards 
the definition of learning outcomes and an emphasis on monitoring 
learning towards these outcomes.  However emphasis on assessment 
is misplaced unless an overview of outcomes based education 
incorporates curriculum and instruction.  National Profiles, or their 
state equivalent such as the Curriculum Standards Framework in 
Victoria, if implemented completely, would changes the appearance 
and nature of teaching and learning in the shift towards true 
outcomes based education.  So it is important to know how profiles 
have impacted on teachers' activities.

Generally there is a basic misconception about the purpose of 
profiles.  Subject profiles are not assessment instruments.  Griffin 
(1995) describes profiles as a vehicle for interpretation of learning 
but not a vehicle for reporting.  The Outcomes Based Learning 
Project surveyed sixty-five schools across Australia and carried out 
more detailed case studies in 6 schools in 3 states in order to 
document what is happening.  Most schools are attempting to use 
profiles as assessment instruments and/or reporting frameworks.  
The single most serious failure of profiles to date has been their 
inability to provide an adequate approach to reporting student 
achievement.  Moreover this practice has been supported by 
implementation measures which have suggested the use of detailed 
checklist models of recording software which has substantially 
increased workloads.

The project aimed to discover how schools have embraced outcomes 
based learning.  Questions were asked and extensive observations 
made of the roles played by the principal and curriculum specialists; 
the impact of implementation strategies including professional 
development; the impact on assessment and reporting procedures; 
changes in classroom organisation and delivery which allowed for 
success for all.  The study has resulted in some critical findings 
about how educational change may best be implemented.  These 
findings will inform future directions for professional development at 
the national level.

Dr Patricia Smith

Dr Patricia G Smith became a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Assessment 
Research Centre in the Faculty of Education and Training in 1995 to 
focus on profiles and outcomes based education research consistent 
with the Centre's national and international activities in the area.  She 
has co-ordinated the Centre's program area 'Assessment and Teacher 
Judgement' with responsibility for project development, proposal 
preparation, and project scheduling outputs.  Procedures and results 
developed under the leadership of Professor Patrick Griffin have 
captured national and international attention through publications and 
conference addresses.