Outcomes Based Technique for Measuring Critical Thinking Ability on Computer Science and Engineering Students
Bruce Mathew1, T. Gnana Sambanthan2
1Bruce Mathew*, Research Scholar, NITTTR Chennai, University of Madras.
2Dr. T Gnana Sambanthan, Retd Professor, NITTTR Chennai.
Manuscript received on July 20, 2019. | Revised Manuscript received on August 10, 2019. | Manuscript published on August 30, 2019. | PP: 4673-4678 | Volume-8 Issue-6, August 2019. | Retrieval Number: F9152088619/2019©BEIESP | DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.F9752.088619
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Literature clearly indicates that it is possible to develop quantifiable outcomes, such as critical thinking abilities, measure them and communicate student learning achievement of the outcomes, if the instructional and assessment approaches are organized in an effective way. Critical thinking ability of the Computer Science and Engineering students is an active process of skilfully conceptualizing the domain concept, analyzing and evaluating the information. This paper attempts to measure learning outcomes of ‘critical thinking ability’ which might be obtained by the students of Computer Science and Engineering, through two different instructional perspectives namely, i. the traditional linear time-bound instructions and ii. Outcomes Based instructions. The objective of this exercise is to determine whether Outcomes Based Education (OBE) in its instructional principles would be more suitable over the traditional methods in imbibing ‘Critical thinking ability’ as a learning outcome? Is it possible to classify students who prefer OBE methods of instructions? The paper elaborates an experimental study to compare and correlate the results obtained by these two selected instructional principles. The conclusions drawn out of the experimental studies as well as from the survey results will be of immense use to educational researchers of Computer Science and Engineering.
Keywords: Assessing learning outcomes; Critical thinking ability; Holistic rubric; Outcomes Based Education.