Moving from content-based to outcomes-based curricula: Implications for assessment, teaching, learning and throughput

The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg chose to migrate from the National Accredited Technical Diploma (NATED) based assessment to the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) Exit Level Outcome (ELO) based assessment model. When ECSA visited the faculty for the 2011 accreditation visit, the Department had not yet started the migration to the eleven ELOs to be met for the National Diploma (NDip). The 2015 NDip cohort was the first that were assessed through in terms of ELOs. The lecturers had to integrate this assessment methodology into the twenty-six modules comprising the NDip program. This paper will shed light on the challenges faced by lecturers and students during the migration. By considering the curriculum design process, we describe the changed assessment process to understand how teaching and learning was influenced. We also discuss the impact of ELO assessment on the pass rate in the relevant modules and the throughput in the course. Finally, the paper contributes to an understanding of how implementing ELO assessments for the future Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) can be developed from previous accreditation standards. The research approach will be qualitative, based on a case study methodology. Data will be collected from discussion documents, learner guides, class marks, and interviews with lecturers and students who have been involved in this process.