The National Qualifications Framework in 1996 and Beyond: A Call for Reflection on the Nature of Outcomes-Based Education

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of outcomes-based education, identified in the 1996 Report of the Tertiary Action Group, and underpinning the joint Ministry of Education and NZQA announcement that all provider qualifications be specified in terms of learning outcomes. It argues that the interpretation of an outcome cannot be separated from the educational processes that generate it. Furthermore, the point is made that students are likely to find information about the content and processes of a course just as useful for giving them a sense of direction for their learning as a statement of intended outcomes. Universities are cautioned that the outcomes-based model of education being promoted by the Ministry and NZQA might simply be a competency model in another guise.