Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | | Slide 1

Institutional approaches to curriculum design

Helen BeethamSynthesis Consultant, JISC

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 2

Context Curriculum knowledge is changing

– problem-focused, interdisciplinary, process-based (procedural over declarative), rapidly out of date

Curriculum 'business models' are changing– work-based learners, govt skills agenda, employability,

foundation degrees, post-graduate CPD

Learner demographics are changing– loss of 18-21 yr olds, adult returners, WP, international

learners

Open content / personal technologies give learners new ways of participating:

– 'we know, we tell you' doesn't work any more

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 3

Background JISC Design for Learning programme

HEA Benchmarking and Pathfinder

Learners' experiences of e-learning programme

Domain mapping and standards work by JISC, helping to join up institutional processes (CoVARM, XCRI)

Realisation of the organisational limits on 'embedding into the curriculum'

HEFCE's e-learning strategy statement 2009 repositions embedding as enhancement, and emphasises a systemic approach

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 4

Technology: the vision

Joined-up processes, single data entry for course related information Interoperability/exchange (where relevant) of course-related

information, learner information, time and location constraints... Support for flexible, modular curricula and credit transfer

Support for educational design and curriculum planning

Support for reflection on the learning process

Provide data on learners and cohorts to support responsive teaching

Capture relationships between e.g. courses, outcomes/competences and assignments

Enable effective sharing and repurposing of units of learning

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 5

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 6

Learning: the vision Meets diverse learner needs

Encourages learners to develop their own goals and pathways

Emphasises co-production of academic and professional knowledge

Fits into learners' whole lives and personal development pathways

Supports development and evidencing of competence/capability

Promotes critical awareness and creative self-expression

Supports lifelong learning capabilities

Acknowledges learners' existing skills and practices, including practices with technologies

Makes creative use of available technologies including learner-owned

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 7

Curriculum processes: the vision

Efficient in terms of time and other resources

Flexible, responsive to new demands

Integrated, and appropriately supported by technology

Involve lecturers, learners, employers and other stakeholders

Documentation that is supportive and enabling, not constraining

Academic quality assurance (light touch/agile where appropriate)

Elicit and act upon feedback from learners (embed learner voice)

Lessons learned across curriculum boundaries

Suited to institutional mission e.g. embedding strategic goals and initiatives into the curriculum

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 8

Institutional technologies: the vision

• Support information flows: course-related information, learner-related information, content information, environmental constraints

• Tools available to support learning design and curriculum planning

• Learning pathways intersect with curriculum pathways and learner support, to support responsive teaching

• Capturing data to feed back into curriculum design, e.g. learning outcomes, learner experiences, technologies, approaches

• Enable effective sharing of practice and repurposing of units of learning

• Support flexible, modular curricula and credit transfer

• Support learner reflection and PDP, transferable across contexts

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 9

What has been funded?

• 12 projects, 4-year timescale, wide range of institutions, technologies and challenges

• Cluster A: learners and employers as stakeholders; 'learner-led, employer-facing'; new curriculum outcomes

• Cluster B: process reform; interoperable info systems; quality; 'flexible, agile, responsive' processes

• Cluster C: learning design tools and processes; linking learner and course data; 'shared practice, effective design systems/processes'

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 10

Mapping the programme

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 11

Helping us to map the programme

• How does the curriculum need to change?

• How do organisations need to change?

• Technologies

• Processes

• Stakeholders

• Challenges

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 12

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 13

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 14

Joint Information Systems Committee 22/04/09 | slide 15

Helping us ensure outcomes are valuable

• What two questions do we most urgently need to answer?

• What kinds of curriculum tools/resources are most urgently needed by the sector?