Curriculum Design and Implementation (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the history, nature and types of curriculum used in educational institutions. They will consider curriculum theory and the politics of the curriculum. Participants will examine the management and processes involved in curriculum design before applying these to a curriculum implementation. They will contemplate new trends in curriculum design and the embedding of core skills into a curriculum. The participants will also consider the core skills required by contemporary learners.

After completing the course, the participants will be able to:

- recognize and discuss the broad history and types of curriculum
- analyze and discuss curriculum theory and the political frame of the curriculum
- utilize curriculum processes and management tools to design a curriculum implementation for their own context
- reflect on and discuss new trends in curriculum design
- design and implement the embedding of core skills into a curriculum appropriate to their context.

Content (course unit)

Types of curriculum (recommended, written, supported, tested, hidden).
Curriculum leader as change agent.
Learning communities and curriculum.
Curriculum theories (structure oriented, values oriented, process oriented)
The curriculum as change, the emergent curriculum.
Motivation of staff for implementation and role of continuing professional development.
Strategy, implementation and evaluation of curriculum change.
Common and core skills in the curriculum.

Location and time

Time and place: The intensive week is September 4-8, The remainder online from the beginning of November until the end of semester.

Exam schedules

Assessment for this course is not in the form of exams.

Assessment methods and criteria

A portfolio of evidence of learning that includes individual and group projects, learning journal, blog posts and comments, reflective writing, multimedia narrative, and participatory engagement in the course.
Evaluation of learning will include assessment by self, peer and teacher. Grading criteria rubrics will be provided for all assessed tasks and will be based on the principles of authentic learning and assessment and use the SOLO framework – “Structural Observation of Learning Outcomes” (Biggs and Collis, 1982, Biggs 1999). See generic criteria guide provided below.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Students will be working individually, in pairs and in small groups creating an online learning community.
One intensive week face to face, otherwise online.
Teaching strategies will include readings, discussion, facilitation, group and individual work, synchronous and asynchronous. Active participation and collaboration will be essential. Students will be expected to demonstrate their learning by presenting work in writing, visually, orally and in presentations.

Learning materials

Learning materials and recommended literature:
Materials will be provided online in the Tabula LMS and are expected to be supplemented by the student’s own research and inquiry based learning.

Student workload

Student's use of time and work load:
5 ECTS credits = 133 hours of student work. Out of that approximately 20 h of synchronous contact with the facilitator and 113 hours of independent study in small groups.

Completion alternatives

Alternative ways of completing the module:
No any other way.

Practical training and working life cooperation

Practice and cooperation with working life:
All tasks will be related to the participants' working environments incorporating authentic assessment and applying theory to practice.

International connections

International connections:
Participants are drawn from diverse cultural and national backgrounds and their experiences will feed into the learning of the whole cohort.

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

0= Failure to complete tasks or submit work by agreed deadlines. No demonstration of appropriate concept or relevant processing of information. Students’ works under this category have poor structure, irrelevant detail and some misinterpretation of the question, showing little logical relationship to the topic and poor use of examples.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

(1) = Preliminary processing but task is not approached appropriately. Students’ works under this category have poor structure. Dogmatic presentation of a single solution to the set task. This idea may be restated in different ways. Little support from the literature.
(2) = Some aspects of task addressed but no connection or causation of relationship of facts or concepts. Students’ works under this category are poorly structured. A range of material has been selected and most of the material selected is appropriate.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

(3) = Several concepts are integrated so that the coherent whole has meaning. Students’ works under this category are fairly well structured. Some issues identified. Attempt at a limited framework. Most of the material selected is appropriate.
(4) = Work is well structured with a clear introduction and conclusion. Framework exists which is well developed. Appropriate material with concepts integrated and connected. Content has logical flow, with ideas clearly expressed and application of knowledge or ideas. Clearly identifiable structure to the argument with discussion of differing views.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

(5) = Students’ works under this category are well structured with clear introduction and conclusion. Issues clearly identified; clear framework for organizing discussion or stages of problem solving; appropriate material selected. Evidence of wide reading from many sources, including those researched by the student. Clear evidence of sophisticated analysis or innovative thinking. Ideas and concepts are connected, work provided evidence of higher order skills including analytical thinking, critique, critical thinking and creativity.