Curriculum/Program Plans, What are They?

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Learning Outcomes: 

At the completion of this module, the student should be able to:

1. Discuss concepts of curriculum and curriculum/program planning. 
2. Identify what is meant by a learner focused curriculum.
3. Describe faculty & staff development roles in program planning and curriculum development process
4. Develop beginning strategies for curriculum/program critique.

Module Topics:

Curriculum provides structure to our programs and helps us get to organize the "must know" concepts/competencies that we need to make available to our students. If we don’t get concepts/student outcomes right, what is the point? (hint-a lot of work with little benefit).  Topics you will be addressing for this module include: 

• Curriculum, What is it? 
• Definitions/Approaches to curriculum 
• Curriculum as process versus product
• How do the courses we teach fit within the context of the larger curriculum?
• Factors impacting health professions curriculum/program plans
• Program planning, what does it mean? how is it similar/different to curriculum?
• Curriculum/program discussions-Why?
  

Readings:

The following readings begin our discussion of course, project, and curriculum development. 

Diamond Text: Chapters 1-2

Billings and Halstead, Chapter 5

McKeachie, Chapter 3

Additional Recommended Readings:

Prideaux, D. ( 2003) ABCs of learning and teaching in medicine, Curriculum design by BMJ 2003;326:268-270 http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/326/7383/268 

Preparing or Revising a Course  http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/prepare.html

Recommended Readings on Principles of Andragogy: 

• Guidelines for Working with Adult Learners. ERIC Digest No. 154 http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-929/working.htm

• Teaching Adults: Is It Different? ERIC Digest No. 82 http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9211/teaching.htm

Learning Activities:

1. Write your own definition for the term "curriculum." Then review a variety of text definitions for the term (Curriculum definitions).  What are the major differences in these definitions? Which definition (or combinations of definitions) did you like best?  Which do you find most useful?  Which definitions do you think are most appropriate for your work?  How does your written definition compare?  

2.  Do you have a good understanding of the curriculum from your own undergraduate program or a program you are currently working in?  For example, are you familiar with the terminal objectives (expected competencies students have when you graduating from a program) in your own educational programs (whether a student or teacher in these programs).  The Terminal Objectives for the SON Graduate Program, for example, are at:  http://www.kumc.edu/studenthandbook/pdf/sonappg.pdf   How will you learn more about curriculum in the program you participate in?  

Assignments:

1. Individual Assignment.  What would happen if we didn't have a good curriculum or program plan?  What is your current knowledge/ experience with course planning/curriculum planning?   Provide a one paragraph summary to your instructor and add a copy to your portfolio.   Include the definition of curriculum you wrote above in Activity 1 (Form to Answer Questions Online)

2. Group Assignment  Within your group, each share your own written definition and your preferred curriculum definition from the provided list of definitions.  What do you see as the major differences in these definitions?  (Group membership will be posted at the webBoard first week of class)

   Think about a variety of educational programs.  If, for example, you are planning to teach nursing students you might consider the  following list: LPN program, Nursing Diploma program, Associate Degree Nursing program, Series of Continuing Education Classes, Nurse Aide Training Course, Masters nursing program. 

   If you are a physician, you might consider physician assistant programs, medical school, residency, and fellowships. 

   Would your definitions of curriculum be useful for each of these programs  as well?  Why or why not?  

   What do you like best/ find most useful about your definition of curriculum?   As a group select the one definition you like best and provide your rationale for that choice.   Ask your group leader to share this definition at the webBoard with the group's rationale. 

    

 Discussion Question:

Education/Curriculum Impressions 

Individuals: How is health professions education different now, from the past 5, 10, 20, or more years? How has it stayed the same? At the web board share at least one story from your early experiences with health professions' education that made an impression (either positive or negative). Did this experience relate at all to the curriculum of your program? Indicate whether you would expect current education practices to be similar or different from those you describe. 

Group Curriculum Definition -Ask your group leader to share the one definition you like best and provide your rationale for that choice from Assignment Number 2 above.