Outcome-based education: principles and practice

Abstract

Outcome-based education is a recent development in modern curriculum planning. The attributes of a good trainee are defined first and the ways to achieve them are suggested next. Outcome-based educational models have been used successfully. This paper deals with the application of 12 learning outcomes to a very relevant educational intervention from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG): the Labour Ward Advanced Training Skills Module (ATSM, relating to advanced labour ward practice) and assessing their suitability for the same. The second part of the paper deals with principles and methods of assessment. Assessment is important in an outcome-based model, as it allows us to decide whether trainees have learnt what was expected to be learnt. The assessment tools in the labour ward ATSM have been critically appraised. It has been stressed that a good doctor's practice is a congruous blend of knowledge, skills and attitudes, rather than executing these domains in isolation.