Good Practice
Curriculum Development
Curriculum Planning

1.
Developing a curriculum proposal:
*
What is the current situation?
o What are you doing right, what could be improved in terms of
+ cohesiveness of program?
+ recruitment and retention of students?
+ efficiency of teaching / learning process?
+ communication, collaboration among course instructors?
+ student learning outcomes?
+ the learning environment?
+ assessment procedures?
+ responding to diversity among students?
+ use of resources?
+ etc......
o Look at data, collect some data.
o Reflect on experiences

*
What are the alternatives?
o Open yourself to new ideas, explore possibilities for innovations
+ self-directed learning
+ cooperative learning / teamwork
+ problem-based learning
+ education for critical thinking
+ resource-based learning
+ interdisciplinary study
+ outcomes-based education
+ experiential learning
o Attend workshops, read widely, talk to others doing different things (why?)
o Might choose to have departmental workshop on a topic that seems particularly relevant to departmental concerns -- how do people respond?

(Note: We don't believe in focusing narrowly on what is already being done in your discipline. Real innovations are basic principles used appropriately in a specific situation. Many really good ideas haven't yet been used in your discipline--it's up to you to figure out how to do it. At this stage, become familiar with alternatives, and consider whether might suit needs identified above.)
*
What is meant by a systematic approach to curriculum development?
Become familiar with key steps in instructional design/planning.
o borrow a book, attend a workshop, read flyer

GOAL: To identify a clear rationale for change, some notion of what you want to change to, an idea of the procedure you will use to implement the change, and achieve some "buy-in" in the department.

Keep it focused, purposeful. Any educational change will automatically affect many other aspects of the educational system. Small is manageable, more likely to lead to real, sustained change, change that can be built upon. Later, you can start the process over again: what are we doing well, what can we do better...etc.
2.
Implementing a curricular change

Must go through the curriculum development and implementation process
1. Systematically (instructional design)
2. Specifically (teaching methods and materials, assessment procedures)
3. Collectively (communication among all parties as you go)

CTL can help by facilitating this process.
* Can keep you on track (devise simple, straightforward exercises to go through to ensure that you address all the key things), as outside person not in the middle of departmental politics.
* Can provide details about specific teaching methods (eg. how to teach diverse student body).
* Can share case studies (in library, or put you in touch with persons) of others who have done similar things: help you avoid or prepare for likely obstacles.

CTL Role: to get you through it step-by-step (keeping track of design procedures), and get you the information you need when you ask for it, if possible. You make all the decisions, of course.
3.
Monitoring the change/assessing the impact
* Assess ripple effect of change: is re-training of faculty or TAs necessary? must other parts of curriculum be changed?
* Assess student response to change
* Assess faculty and TA response to change
* (Write it up so others can learn from your experience??)

CTL can help devise assessment procedures for evaluating the impact of the change, and can do some of the assessment ourselves e.g. speak with students, faculty (Example: attending departmental TA orientations), and can help plan training sessions for instructors.

We are happy to help you keep records so can write it up: tell us beforehand.