Problem-Based Learning and Authentic Assessment as an Implementation of Outcomes-Based Education in the Computer Engineering Program of Ateneo de Davao University

Abstract

The21stcenturyeducationchallengeseducatorstoexposestudentstoawidevariety ofcircumstancesandproblemsituationswheretheyarerequiredtoapplytheskills theyhave learned. Inengineeringeducation, thesearemostly limited to simulated scenarioswhicharedevoidofrealandactualinteractionswiththeproblemsinthe community. This article aims to describe how problem-based learning pedagogy andauthenticassessmentareusedintheComputerEngineeringprogramofAteneo de Davao University as an implementation of the outcomes-based education. This is a descriptive & qualitative research that utilizes focus group discussions as a methodology for achieving itsobjective.This studyuses the frameof experiential learning that is problem-driven, community-based, multi-disciplinary, integrative & collaborative. The computer engineering program uses a multi-disciplinary and integrativeapproachtoproblem-basedlearningthroughtheservice-learningprogram oftheinstitution.Thisprovidesthestudentswithanopportunitytointeractwitha community, identify its problems, analyze and create a concrete solution applying their acquired skills. Since the students are engaged with the community’s actual and real problems, they will be assessed using authentic assessment mechanisms. Experientiallearning,problem-basedpedagogywithauthenticassessmentopendoors ofopportunitiesforamoremeaningfulandrelevantcomputerengineeringprogram. KEywORDS Authentic Assessment, Experiential Learning, Outcomes-Based Education, Problem-Based Learning, Service-Learning