Cognitive learning alignment and assurance: A CART-based framework for data-driven OBE quality assurance in blended higher education

Marivic Mitschek; Rosanna Esquivel

doi:10.17509/curricula.v5i3.761

Authors

Marivic Mitschek De La Salle University-Dasmariñas
Rosanna Esquivel Angeles University Foundation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17509/curricula.v5i3.761

Keywords:

CART, cognitive learning alignment, constructive alignment, KDD, outcomes-based education

Abstract

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) requires higher education institutions to align assessments with desired learning outcomes at all cognitive levels of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. However, the manual validation of constructive alignment, especially in institutions managing hundreds of course syllabi simultaneously, remains labor-intensive, subjective, and inconsistent. This research introduces the Cognitive Learning Alignment and Assurance (CLAA) Framework, a socio-technical model that operationalizes constructive alignment as a measurable and data-driven construct. Empirical validation using archived LMS data from blended OBE courses at higher education institutions in the Philippines resulted in a CART classification, a Cohen's Kappa, and a Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC), indicating strong model reliability and suitability. Analysis of the mismatch patterns revealed that the cognitive levels of Apply, Understand, and Analyze were the most frequently misaligned. The TAM evaluation of the SMS prototype indicated high acceptance among faculty across all four dimensions of TAM. These results indicate that CLAA provides a viable, scalable, and empirically validated mechanism for automating compliance verification in OBE quality assurance, with particular relevance to blended higher education in developing countries.

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