Outcome-based teaching & learning : implementation of backward design in an MA translation course

Abstract

Applications of Outcome-based Teaching and Learning (OBTL) in local higher education have been advocated by the University Grants Committee (UGC) of Hong Kong since 2005. A majority of universities and tertiary institutions, in their strategic plans, have formulated desired outcomes for their graduates and undertaken steps to maximize the extent to which those outcomes can be achieved. Two universities I have served over the past decade employ the Constructive Alignment (CA) model (Biggs & Tang 2007), and have their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and courses' syllabuses present the alignment between programme intended learning outcomes (PILOs), course intended learning outcomes (CILOs), teaching and learning activities (TLAs) and assessment tasks (ATs). The direction is: ILOs determine TLAs and ATs. I have been impressed by the Backward Design process (Wiggins & McTighe 2005), a variation of Constructive Alignment: ILOs determine ATs, and ATs decide on TLAs. In Academic Year 2016-17, I adopted the Backward Design and revised an MA translation course, with course materials almost the same as the ones used in the course in Academic Year 2015-16. In this presentation, two examples are to be given to demonstrate the difference in course delivery between the two academic years, and a brief comparison conducted between the two cohorts’ feedback on teaching and learning.