jisc webinar: curriculum design: changing the paradigm
TRANSCRIPT
Curriculum Design: Changing the Paradigm JISC Webinar November 2nd 2011 2-3pm
Today’s Speakers
Helen Beetham e-Learning Consultant
Marianne Sheppard Researcher/Analyst
JISC infoNet
Curriculum Design: Changing the Paradigm
What you will take away?......
A greater understanding of how a strategic
approach to curriculum design and course
information can lead to better outcomes for
learners and for other stakeholders in the
curriculum.
Session overview
14:00 Welcome and introduction to the JISC Curriculum Design
programme (Marianne Sheppard)
14:10 Overview of the key challenges (Helen Beetham)
14:20 Introduction to 3 areas of transformation: learning, curriculum and
institutional (Helen Beetham)
14:50 Actions for institutions
14:55 Further information and the Design Studio
15:00 Close
Interaction
Text Chat Polls Talk
JISC e-Learning Programme
The aim of the JISC e-Learning
programme is to enable UK
further and higher education to
create a better learning
environment for all learners,
wherever and however they
study, in order to realise the
vision…
…The vision is of a world where
learners, teachers, researchers and
wider institutional stakeholders use
technology to enhance the overall
educational experience by
improving flexibility and creativity
and by encouraging comprehensive
and diverse personal, high quality
learning, teaching and research.
www.jisc.ac.uk/elearningprogramme
Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design
Aims
The 12 projects are exploring how technology can help address particular
challenges in designing flexible and responsive curricula and so provide
benefits for institutions, learners, employers, professional bodies and wider
the sector.
Birmingham City University
Cardiff University
City University London
Leeds Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Staffordshire University
The Open University
University of Bolton
University of Greenwich
University of Cambridge
University of Ulster
University of Strathclyde
www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdesign
Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design
Timescales
4 year programme: completing July 2012
Outcomes and outputs
Changing practices and developing cultures of innovation in curriculum
design
New or improved processes to support holistic curriculum management
(e.g. review and approval, single source of data)
Staff development approaches and resources
Guidelines on effective curriculum design
New design tools and environments
Curriculum Challenges
Who are you?
Please use the voting buttons to indicate which best describes your institutional role.
a) senior manager
b) educational/academic developer (general)
c) e-learning professional
d) tutor/lecturer
e) researcher/consultant
Curriculum is central to who we are...
Curriculum is central to who we are...
Defines unique offer
Distinguishes HE from other sectors
Is what students sign up for and defines student experience
Expresses identities of academic staff and departments
Occupies major resources of institutions (teaching, assessing, reviewing, developing, approving...)
Huge professional investment in quality processes around the curriculum ('academic standards')
Challenges funded institutions were facing
Curriculum information and its representation to users lack of coherent management | different stakeholder requirements
diverse systems | document-based systems | low user confidence
Quality/approval processes mistrust of 'non-standard' approaches e.g.inquiry-based, work-based
not transparent or inclusive | educational rationale not captured document driven | content focus | cumbersome
Stakeholder involvement different requirements and priorities | no common terminology
long term vs short term focus
Meeting the needs of new students work-based learners | fee-paying students | diversification of sector
international students | franchise colleges | online/distance learners
Embedding innovation and continuous improvement set-piece, committee-based processes | up to 7-yr-long cycle
lack of trust embodied in systems?
Challenges funded institutions were facing
‘The critical requirement of satisfying the approval process means that documentation is written with that committee in mind, and the utility of this information for other users is compromised. Many potential users, including design teams and students, would value visual and multimedia representations of the curriculum in addition to text.’
‘the majority believed the prevalence of e-learning technologies is making the process of creating courses more complex, with around half believing that new pedagogic approaches were required, and more than half indicating a need for support, confidence building and better tools for integrating technology effectively into the curriculum.’
Challenges funded institutions were facing
‘the aspirations expressed in institutional learning and teaching (and other) strategies are not always effectively articulated through the design and approval process.’
‘There is considerable duplication of effort in the production of course-related documentation, and much of the information captured is not re-used efficiently to support other operational processes, e.g. those involved in delivery and learning support.’
What are your curriculum challenges?
Please use the voting buttons to indicate which curriculum issue is the priority for reform at your institution
a) joined-up management of information
b) efficient quality/approval processes
c) stakeholder involvement in the curriculum
d) diversifying into new student markets
e) responsive development/continuous innovation
Programme approach: overview
Learning (personal transformation)
Curriculum transformation
Institutional transformation
Programme approach: overview
Learning (personal transformation)
Curriculum transformation
Institutional transformation
Learning (personal transformation)
Meeting the needs of new students
Rethinking the curriculum
Choice over mode and timing of participation (e.g. changes to academic calendars)
Support for remote learning: placements, workplaces, field
Practice of authentic tasks in authentic contexts
Interdisciplinary learning where appropriate
Recording and making visible learning activities and achievements
A more open, negotiated, inquiry-based curriculum responsive to individual aspirations
Example: IDIBL or Coaching – any good assets??
Example: UG Flex
'Snakes and ladders' approach to rethinking undergraduate programmes
Review impact of university calendar on student experience
Consultations followed by review of regulatory and quality frameworks to 'increase efficient and effective flexible and part-time learning provision'
Example: UG Flex
Example: IDIBL framework, CoEducate
What would it look like in your context if...?
The curriculum was flexibly designed to meet the needs of a wider range of students?
AND/OR
The curriculum was designed to develop adaptable, resilient students able to cope with uncertainty and change?
Curriculum transformation
Engaging stakeholders
Changing the conversation
Reforming design processes
Capture & sharing of curriculum representations to support:
stakeholder engagement
transparency of process and informed choices
enhanced conversations with focus on learning
Mapping of competences to support:
personal learning pathways and goals
focus on graduate outcomes
Enhanced teaching staff capability to support:
use of curriculum information for planning, review
focus on designing relevant activities/experiences
Educational advice and guidance integrated with formal
processes, shared design tools and models to support:
better-informed design process
http://youtu.be/rV_DE_0fPJ0
Example: Viewpoints
Example: PREDICT
• Implemented Student Voice Awards – student-led nominations for academic staff, managed by SU Provides us with information on what students regard as good curricula
and teaching
• Introduced new curriculum design module for staff on Masters in Academic Practice
Enables staff to explore what “curriculum” means and how to design effective curricula
• Produced guidelines for staff on how to write student facing
documents based on talking to staff and students Supports gap between curriculum design and delivery
Example: PREDICT
• Staff started to think about curriculum more holistically and what the programme philosophy was
• They considered what students needed to be able to do
• They thought about how they could assess and help students develop so leading to the learning and teaching
What would it look like in your context if...
Conversations around the curriculum could be participated in
by all stakeholders equally?
AND/OR
Shared design tools and resources were available to staff
throughout the development process?
Learning (personal transformation)
Curriculum transformation
Institutional transformation
Learning (personal transformation)
Curriculum transformation
Institutional transformation
Transforming the curriculum conversation
enables transformed learning opportunities
Institutional transformation
joined up information systems
efficient approval and quality processes
Acknowledgement: Alfred Lerner Hall © Getty Images.
Re-engineering the institution
Better management of course related information to support e.g. documentation, planning, portfolio analysis
Joined-up information systems and system architectures,
to support efficiencies in workflows
Lightweight approval and monitoring processes, supporting
innovation, viability, relevance, iterative QE
Faster development and tighter coupling between
curriculum development and strategic priorities
Course related information used to support planning,
'market research' and portfolio management
Example: SRC (Manchester Met)
New curriculum framework (new standard credit size)
New admin systems and business processes
Seamless access (new VLE and enhanced portal)
Streamlined quality processes
Outcomes
Every UG course and module being re-written
Entirely new first year went live September 2011
Data-based, not document-based
Example: SRC (Manchester Met)
Example: SRC (Manchester Met)
More stakeholder involvement in the curriculum and the
processes which surround it.
(Potentially) one trusted source of the truth
Efficient production of course documentation: glossy
brochures, websites, handbooks, VLE’s, all
describing the same course
Clearer story on learning outcomes and links to what
employers are looking for.
Example: OULDI
Example: OULDI
Example: CoEducate 'Business Model Canvas'
Example: OULDI ‘At a glance’ Course Map Learning Outcomes
View
Pedagogy Profile
Finance View
Course Performance
Task sequence/
‘Swimlane’
What would it look like in your context if...
There was a single, trusted source of course related
information available to all
AND/OR
Processes of review and approval were so agile that a
course could be developed from concept to recruitment in
six months or less?
Learning (personal transformation)
Curriculum transformation
Institutional transformation
Learning (personal transformation)
Curriculum transformation
Institutional transformation
Institutional change is embedded,
enabling long-term curriculum transformation
Over to you...
Today’s Speakers
Helen Beetham e-Learning Consultant
Marianne Sheppard Researcher/Analyst, JISC infoNet
Further Resources
http://bit.ly/jiscds
JISC Online Conference
www.jisc.ac.uk/elpconference11 #jiscel10
Activity week sessions – 15th – 21st Nov:
Alan Masson (University of Ulster) and Simon Cross (OU)
Identifying and changing key curriculum design practices
Examining the process of how institutions identify and then seek to change the curriculum design processes and
practices. (This session complements the main conference session on curriculum design1
Paul Bartholomew (Birmingham City University ) and Jim Everett (University of Strathclyde )
Socio-technical ramifications of a new technology-supported approach to course design
and approval
Demonstrating new technology-supported approaches to designing and approving courses. (This session
complements the main conference session on curriculum design1)
Conference week: Thursday 24th Nov 11:30 am:
What needs to change in Curriculum Design?
http://bit.ly/tqE482