- 05 August, 2025
Bangalore, August 5, 2025 — In a significant stride towards educational reform, St. Joseph’s University, Bengaluru, organised a multi-phase workshop series on Outcome-Based Education (OBE) throughout July 2025. The workshops, held on 11–12, 18–19, and 25–26 July at Xavier Hall, PG & Research Centre, brought together faculty across disciplines to equip them with tools and strategies to implement OBE in alignment with contemporary academic demands and global workforce expectations.
Spearheaded by Prof. Dr. Ronald J. Mascarenhas, Pro-Vice Chancellor, and coordinated by Dr. W. Jothy, NAAC Coordinator, the workshops drew from the expertise of eminent educationists including Dr. N. Jayasankaran (Former Vice-Chancellor, Kanchi University), Dr. Suresh Mony (Former Director, NMIMS Bengaluru), and Dr. Meena Chintamaneni (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, NMIMS Mumbai). The event was documented by Dr. Pooja Kalbalia from the School of Communication and Media Studies.
OBE Workshops for Faculty Across Schools
Recognising the unique pedagogical needs of different disciplines, the workshop series was divided into three thematic clusters. The first session (11–12 July) catered to the Schools of Languages and Literatures, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Social Work. The second (18–19 July) engaged faculty from the Schools of Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. The final workshop (25–26 July) included faculty from Business, Communication and Media Studies, Information Technology, and the Department of Statistics.
Each two-day session featured lectures, hands-on activities, departmental presentations, and implementation ideation, ensuring a comprehensive orientation for building competency-driven and outcome-oriented academic ecosystems.
Vice Chancellor’s Call to ‘Teach for Tomorrow’
Rev. Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo SJ, Vice Chancellor, inaugurated the workshop series by urging faculty to embrace a paradigm shift. He advocated for holistic education that engages the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains — the head, heart, and hands — preparing students to not just absorb knowledge but to apply, analyse, and innovate. His call to “teach for tomorrow” set a transformative tone for the entire series.
Laying the Groundwork for OBE in India
Dr. N. Jayasankaran presented a foundational overview of OBE, tracing its roots back to the 1948 Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Committee and identifying persistent implementation gaps in Indian education. He stressed the shift from instruction-centric to outcome-centric models, wherein student achievements shape curriculum and assessment. He identified key institutional challenges such as curriculum stagnation and student disengagement and proposed OBE as a strategic intervention to counter them.
Four-Tier Model of Student Development
Dr. Meena Chintamaneni delved into OBE’s conceptual evolution, referencing Carroll’s Model and Bloom’s Mastery Learning. She proposed a four-tier student development model—Academic Mastery, Applied Performance, Life Engagement, and Self-Empowerment—emphasising relevance, demonstrability, and sustainability of learning. Her emphasis on diagnostic tools, inclusive assessments, and policy alignment laid a strong foundation for integrating OBE into institutional frameworks.
Analysing Institutional Needs
Dr. Suresh Mony focused on institutional need assessment using the SWOC and KSA models. Highlighting the necessity for curriculum to reflect real-world demands, he advocated for regular industry feedback, alumni engagement, and job-role mapping. He likened Graduate Attributes (GAs) to industry product specifications, stressing measurability and continuous refinement.
Defining Graduate Attributes for Each Discipline
Departments collaborated to articulate GAs aligned with academic goals and stakeholder expectations. These included subject knowledge, ethical and societal awareness, digital literacy, critical thinking, research aptitude, interdisciplinary integration, global outlook, entrepreneurial spirit, and employability readiness. Emphasis was placed on measurability, discipline-appropriateness, and consistency in defining these attributes.
Designing Learning Outcomes with Bloom’s Taxonomy
The workshops trained faculty to develop learning outcomes based on Bloom’s traditional, revised, and digital taxonomy. Participants worked on aligning outcomes within the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains using action verbs suited for Course Outcomes (COs), Program Outcomes (POs), and Enabling Outcomes (EOs). Pedagogical innovations such as flipped classrooms, simulations, and case-based learning were encouraged to reinforce taxonomy-based planning.
Mapping Curriculum to Industry Needs
Departments engaged in interactive exercises to develop outcome matrices, starting from industry job roles and mapping backward to POs and COs. Noteworthy contributions came from departments like Chemistry, Biotechnology, Food Science and Technology, and Communication & Media Studies. These sessions received detailed feedback from the resource experts, who stressed consistency in terminology, logical sequencing, and maintaining cognitive level alignment throughout mappings.
Ensuring Long-Term OBE Implementation
In the final sessions, experts reinforced the need for periodic reviews, student awareness programmes, and faculty training. Dr. Jayasankaran and Dr. Mony urged the institutionalisation of reflective and iterative curriculum design. The workshops concluded with a valedictory address by Rev. Fr. Dr. Victor Lobo SJ, who commended the faculty's commitment and emphasised that curriculum should be seen as a dynamic roadmap influenced by graduate aspirations, societal needs, and global trends.
The workshop series marked a critical step in reshaping academic delivery at St. Joseph’s University
, fostering a culture of intentional teaching, measurable learning, and meaningful student outcomes.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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