Report on

Workshop on “CO-PO Mapping & Attainment: Best Practices”

Organised by: Maharishi University of Information Technology

(in association with IQAC)

Resource Person: Prof. Naimur Rahman Kidwai, Professor, Integral University, Lucknow

Objective: Maharishi University of Information Technology (MUIT), Lucknow in association with IQAC, organized a workshop on the topic “CO-PO Mapping & Attainment: Best Practices” on 22nd July 2025. The resource person for this insightful session was Prof. Naimur Rahman Kidwai, a senior academician and Deputy Director of IQAC at Integral University, Lucknow. The primary objective of the workshop was to guide faculty members through the concepts, tools, and strategies required for effective implementation of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Participants: All faculties from various schools of Maharishi University of Information Technology (MUIT), Lucknow.

Event Details: Prof. Kidwai began the session by highlighting the shift in education from traditional content-based teaching to a more structured, learner-centric outcome-based approach, as envisioned by NEP 2020. He emphasized that NEP promotes critical thinking, creativity, character development, and experiential learning. Outcome-Based Education (OBE), as explained by the speaker, starts with the end in mind—clearly defining what students are expected to achieve upon completing a course or program.

The workshop stressed the importance of formulating well-defined learning outcomes: Course Outcomes (COs), Program Outcomes (POs), Program Specific Outcomes (PSOs), and Program Educational Objectives (PEOs). COs describe the knowledge and skills students should acquire after each course, POs represent graduate attributes aligned with industry and accreditation standards like NBA or NAAC, PSOs focus on discipline-specific capabilities, and PEOs outline long-term professional and societal goals of graduates.

The CO-PO mapping process was discussed in detail, emphasizing the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy to align each CO with appropriate cognitive levels such as Remember, Apply, Analyze, and Evaluate. A 3-2-1 scoring system was introduced to quantify the strength of each mapping: 3 for strong, 2 for moderate, and 1 for low contribution.

Prof. Kidwai elaborated on assessment and attainment practices used to measure the achievement of defined outcomes. Direct assessments include exams, assignments, and practicals, while indirect assessments rely on feedback from students, alumni, faculty, and employers. An 80% weightage for direct and 20% for indirect assessments was recommended. Institutions set benchmarks for attainment levels—for example, if 70% of students score above a certain threshold, it signifies moderate attainment (Level 2). The use of rubrics was strongly encouraged to ensure transparency, objectivity, and standardization in evaluation.

An innovative and engaging segment of the workshop used storytelling to demonstrate the real-life relevance of OBE principles. The story of “The Disciple and the Mad Elephant” was used to illustrate how theoretical understanding without practical application can lead to poor decisions. It highlighted the importance of ethical judgment, critical thinking, and context-aware reasoning—key aspects of OBE. Rubrics were applied to evaluate student responses based on these dimensions. Another story, “The Clever Monkey and the Parrot,” reinforced the idea that memorization alone is inadequate; true learning requires the ability to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Practical Activities and Tools: Hands-on activities included CO writing exercises using proper action verbs, mapping question papers with COs and Bloom’s levels, and computing course attainment from student performance data. Participants were trained on how to evaluate the contribution of each CO to specific POs and how to compute the final attainment scores.

The importance of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) was underlined, with encouragement for faculty to use data-driven approaches to refine curriculum, teaching methods, and assessment strategies. Tools like rubrics, LMS integration, Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), and feedback loops were recommended for robust OBE implementation.

The workshop was an enlightening experience for all attendees, providing theoretical clarity and practical tools to enhance curriculum delivery through outcome-based education. Prof. Kidwai's interactive and narrative-driven approach made the complex topic of CO-PO mapping accessible and engaging. The session not only aligned with accreditation requirements but also empowered faculty to focus on student-centric, measurable, and meaningful learning. It concluded with an open discussion and appreciation of the importance of faculty development in shaping future-ready graduates.

Feedback: The faculty members found the workshop to be highly informative and practically enriching. They appreciated the clear explanation of CO-PO mapping and the hands-on approach adopted by Prof. Kidwai, which helped demystify the complexities of Outcome-Based Education. Many expressed that the use of storytelling and real-life analogies made the session engaging and relatable. The practical exercises on writing COs, aligning them with Bloom’s Taxonomy, and computing attainment levels provided valuable takeaways that can be directly applied in their teaching and assessment practices. Overall, the session was seen as a timely and impactful initiative that will significantly aid in aligning academic delivery with NEP 2020 goals.

Acknowledgements: Gratitude to Prof. Naimur Rahman Kidwai, a senior academician and Deputy Director of IQAC at Integral University, Lucknow., Hon’ble Vice Chancellor (Prof. Bhanu Pratap Singh), Registrar (Dr. Girish Chhimwal), Dean Academics (Dr. Neeraj Jain, Lucknow Campus), Dean MSOET (Dr. Kalyan Acharjya)  and Sr. AO (Dr. Rajesh Singh) for their active support and encouragement.