This paper critically examines outcomes-based education
(OBE), focusing on the two widely differing jurisdictions of the Province of
Alberta in Western Canada and the Republic of South Africa. The paper begins
by explaining the nature of OBE, including the topics: principles and origin
of OBE; research findings; resistance to OBE in the United States; levels of
OBE; and a non-OBE test question from South Africa's "Matric" Examination.
The paper continues with a description of Alberta's OBE curricula, describing
its workplace-inspired plan, and stating that Alberta has a program of
studies that exists on paper only. The paper closes with a description of
South African OBE, concluding that South Africa has developed a sophisticated
curriculum framework, but so far it lacks detail and is far from universal
implementation. This portion of the paper also concludes that the
administrative structures to be put in place for curriculum development are
"breathtakingly ambitious" for a large and diverse country.