FAQs on OBE System

Following Frequently Asked Questions aim to address majority of the issues/inquiries that arise
in teachers’ or students’ minds. Kindly go through them before being worried or overwhelmed
by the OBE system.
Q1. What is OBE System?
a. OBE stands for Outcome Based Education System. As its name suggest, the system
focuses on the outcome and evolves depending on the feedback collected from the
output of the system, i.e. students. Pakistan has become full signatory of Washington
Accord (WA), a highly rigorous global standard on engineering education and
accreditation system which grants substantial equivalence of degrees at international
level. According to WA standards the institution should follow OBE System.

Q3. What is the mission of our department (i.e. Mechatronics & Control Engineering)? a.
The department, through quality education and enabling environment, aims to foster
professional engineers capable of designing complex Mechatronic systems, serving
current industrial needs and developing innovative technologies.
Q4. What are the PEOs of our department (i.e. Mechatronics & Control Engineering)?
a. According to OBE System, institution must define its Program Educational Objectives
(PEOs). The institute must aim to achieve these objectives in a span of 4 to 6 years.
Mechatronics & Control Engineering department has following PEOs.
To nurture Mechatronics engineer who
1. Can skillfully design and implement integrated solutions to general Mechatronics
engineering problems
2. Is capable of developing professional skills, while adhering to high ethical values,
to excel in industry, research organizations and succeed in entrepreneurial
ventures
3. Can innovate and embark on new directions in advancing the Mechatronics
technologies which have direct national and international relevance.
Q5. What are the PLOs of our department (i.e. Mechatronics & Control Engineering)? a.
WA has issued a list of 12 Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), which are the minimum
attributes that should be demonstrated by the student upon graduation. Mechatronics
& Control Engineering department has adopted these PLOs. PLOs are as follows
[Reference: PEC OBA-Manual 2014 v1-1]:
1. Engineering Knowledge: An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science,
engineering fundamentals and an engineering specialization to the solution of
complex engineering problems.

1 Prepared by: Muhammad Rzi Abbas, Lecturer, Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET, Lahore
 2. Problem Analysis: An ability to identify, formulate, research literature, and
analyze complex engineering problems reaching substantiated conclusions using
first principles of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering sciences.
3. Design/Development of Solutions: An ability to design solutions for complex
engineering problems and design systems, components or processes that meet
specified needs with appropriate consideration for public health and safety,
cultural, societal, and environmental considerations.
4. Investigation: An ability to investigate complex engineering problems in a
methodical way including literature survey, design and conduct of experiments,
analysis and interpretation of experimental data, and synthesis of information to
derive valid conclusions.
5. Modern Tool Usage: An ability to create, select and apply appropriate
techniques, resources, and modern engineering and IT tools, including prediction
and modeling, to complex engineering activities, with an understanding of the
limitations.
6. The Engineer and Society: An ability to apply reasoning informed by contextual
knowledge to assess societal, health, safety, legal and cultural issues and the
consequent responsibilities relevant to professional engineering practice and
solution to complex engineering problems.
7. Environment and Sustainability: An ability to understand the impact of
professional engineering solutions in societal and environmental contexts and
demonstrate knowledge of and need for sustainable development.
8. Ethics: Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics and
responsibilities and norms of engineering practice.
9. Individual and Team Work: An ability to work effectively, as an individual or in a
team, on multifaceted and /or multidisciplinary settings.
10. Communication: An ability to communicate effectively, orally as well as in
writing, on complex engineering activities with the engineering community and
with society at large, such as being able to comprehend and write effective
reports and design documentation, make effective presentations, and give and
receive clear instructions.
11. Project Management: An ability to demonstrate management skills and apply
engineering principles to one’s own work, as a member and/or leader in a team,
to manage projects in a multidisciplinary environment.
12. Lifelong Learning: An ability to recognize importance of, and pursue lifelong
learning in the broader context of innovation and technological developments.
Q7. What are CLOs?
a. CLO stands for Course Learning Objectives. Every subject has certain defined CLOs and
the teacher shall aim to deliver the course in a way that each student shall achieve

2 Prepared by: Muhammad Rzi Abbas, Lecturer, Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET, Lahore
 these objectives. Every CLO is mapped on to some GA/PLO, hence achieving a CLO
adds a little towards achieving a GA/PLO. Cumulative achievement of GA/PLO from
all subjects of 8 semesters shall define whether a student has that attribute in
him/her or not.
Q8. What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?
a. Bloom’s Taxonomy define the domains of learning. Three domains of learning are
Cognitive, Psychomotor and Affective domain. These three domains focus on certain
aspects of learning, for example, Cognitive domain is related to the aspect of
graining knowledge and improving mental skills, while Psychomotor domain is
concerned with the development of our motor skills and their coordination, and
Affective domain involves our emotions, feelings and attitudes. OBE System wants an
institute to follow this taxonomy while enabling students to learn. This is done
precisely by assigning each CLO a level of learning. For any particular subject, a
certain CLO may be related to Cognitive domain while another may focus on
Psychomotor domain.
For each domain, there are levels of learning defined as follows [Reference:
https://explorable.com/domains-of-learning]:
I. Cognitive Domain
1. Knowledge: the ability to recall data and/or information. Example: A child
recites the English alphabet.
2. Comprehension: the ability to understand the meaning of what is known.
Example: A teacher explains a theory in his own words.
3. Application: the ability to utilize an abstraction or to use knowledge in a new
situation. Example: A nurse intern applies what she learned in her Psychology
class when she talks to patients.
4. Analysis: the ability to differentiate facts and opinions. Example: A lawyer was
able to win over a case after recognizing logical fallacies in the reasoning of
the offender.
5. Synthesis: the ability to integrate different elements or concepts in order to
form a sound pattern or structure so a new meaning can be established.
Examples: A therapist combines yoga, biofeedback and support group therapy
in creating a care plan for his patient.
6. Evaluation: the ability to come up with judgments about the importance of
concepts. Examples: A businessman selects the most efficient way of selling
products.
II. Psychomotor Domain

3 Prepared by: Muhammad Rzi Abbas, Lecturer, Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET, Lahore
 1. Perception: the ability to apply sensory information to motor activity.
Example: A cook adjusts the heat of stove to achieve the right temperature of
the dish.
2. Set: the readiness to act. Example: An obese person displays motivation in
performing planned exercise.
3. Guided Response: the ability to imitate a displayed behavior or to utilize trial
and error. Example: A person follows the manual in operating a machine.
4. Mechanism: the ability to convert learned responses into habitual actions
with proficiency and confidence. Example: A mother was able to cook a
delicious meal after practicing how to cook it
5. Complex Overt Response: the ability to skillfully perform complex patterns
of actions. Example: Typing a report on a computer without looking at the
keyboard.
6. Adaptation: the ability to modify learned skills to meet special events.
Example: A designer uses plastic bottles to create a dress.
7. Origination: creating new movement patterns for a specific situation.
Example: A choreographer creates a new dance routine.
III. Affective Domain
1. Receiving Phenomena: the awareness of feelings and emotions as well as
the ability to utilize selected attention. Example: Listening attentively to a
friend.
2. Responding to Phenomena: active participation of the learner. Example:
Participating in a group discussion.
3. Valuing: the ability to see the worth of something and express it. Example:
An activist shares his ideas on the increase in salary of laborers.
4. Organization: ability to prioritize a value over another and create a unique
value system. Example: A teenager spends more time in her studies than in
leisure activities.
5. Characterization: the ability to internalize values and let them control the
person`s behaviour. Example: A man marries a woman not for her looks but
for what she is.
Q15. What is KPI?
a. KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. In order to achieve any objective, there are
always some associated performance indicators. Each student shall achieve all
GA/PLO at his/her graduation, and measure of achievement of GA/PLO is defined by
KPI. For example, if KPI for PLO achievement is set to 50%, then a student must
achieve cumulative score of greater than 50% in each PLO to successfully graduate.
KPI may vary at different levels, for example, at the end of each semester PLO

4 Prepared by: Muhammad Rzi Abbas, Lecturer, Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET, Lahore
 achievement KPI may be different than the KPI at the time of graduation. (GA->
graduate attributes)

Q22. What is a Rubric?

a. Rubric is a form defining the evaluation criterions for psychomotor assessments. A
teacher shall assess psychomotor evaluations of each student using a rubric designed
specifically for that evaluation. Please refer to ‘Guidelines for Psychomotor
Assessment’ document for details of designing the said form.
Q26. What is CEP?
a. CEP stands for Complex Engineering Problem. Problems having following attributes
may be regarded as CEPs
i no. fixed solution (multiple solutions)
ii conflicting requirements
iii deep analysis
iv open ended

5 Prepared by: Muhammad Rzi Abbas, Lecturer, Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET, Lahore