A Word About Curriculum

Curriculum development is among the more difficult and potentially rewarding activities a faculty member can undertake. According to "the guy who wrote the book" on curriculum, Robert Diamond (1998), curriculum design work is the faculty service that has the greatest potential impact on student learning.

According to Champlain's Faculty Senate Bylaws Links to an external site. and as a matter of shared governance, faculty are responsible for curricular matters. Curriculum development is indeed a rigorous scholarly and professional practice and is valued at Champlain College as an activity that (Diamond, 1998):

• requires discipline-related expertise
• requires pedagogical expertise
• breaks new ground, is integrative, creative and innovative
• can be peer reviewed
• has significance and impact

 

Definition

Pinning down a definition of "curriculum" can be a slippery undertaking. Curriculum should be shaped by and attentive to its institutional context, and as such, it is "an artifact produced by a particular faculty for students at a particular institution" (Toombs & Tierney, 2003). According to Toombs and Tierney (2003),

the curriculum is an intentional design for learning negotiated by faculty in light of their specialized knowledge and in the context of social expectations and students' needs.

Similarly, Hubball and Gold (2007) define curriculum as

a coherent program of study that is responsive to the needs and circumstances of the pedagogical context and is carefully designed to develop students' knowledge, abilities and skills through multiple integrated and progressively challenging course learning experiences.

In this framework, learning-centered programs are defined by cohesion, progression and integration so as to avoid placing the burden on students to "make sense of the whole." The foundation of the curriculum rests on clearly defined and contextually bound program learning outcomes. Curricula are flexible (allowing for diverse pedagogies), responsive (to changing internal and external drivers), cohesive, progressive, and integrated.

The essential qualities of curriculum, then, are: faculty responsibility; specialized knowledge; intended outcomes; institutional contexts; a coherent, integrated learning plan for students; progressive and developmental implementation; integrated components (courses); flexible and responsive to student needs.

Essential considerations in curriculum design are: context, content and form (Toombs & Tierney, 2003, and see below).

Content should include not simply the transmittal of accepted knowledge and skills, but also (and importantly) the methods of inquiry and knowledge verification (evidence) upon which the field is based.

 

Process

The curriculum process guidelines outlined here in this Canvas course are designed to provide a model for moving from concept to actuality, from theory to practice. The model is meant to promote faculty ownership of curriculum through systems of support (rather than a system of hoops through which faculty must jump in order to get on with their teaching). Steps in the process are as follows:

(1) The curriculum design process starts with an assessment of need and a statement of goals.

(2) The design process should be iterative, integrative and collaborative.

(3) The approval process is meant to ensure resource availability, high standards for learning design, contextual alignment (market needs, existing programs, program and division learning outcomes, College Competencies and College mission), data integrity, historical awareness, and curricular alignment (prerequisites, credits, pedagogies).

(4) Following implementation, curricula should be assessed and revised when appropriate.

 

These are the essential conditions for curriculum development (Diamond, 1998):

• Faculty must have ownership of the process, retaining responsibility for teaching and academic content.
• Academic administration must support these activities and provide the resources necessary for success.
• Priorities must be established, projects selected and resources allocated (at the discretion of the Deans and Provost).
• Assessment must be integral to the process, with valid (preferably natural) measurements of student learning and performance.
• Instructional design support, information resources, materials, technology and assessment support must be made available as needed for student learning.
• The process must allow us to provide the most effective program we can given the time and resources available.

 

The role of the Curriculum Committee is to maintain the quality and high standards of curriculum at the college. To maintain the integrity of the Committee in its oversight of curriculum, proposal originators must follow the prescribed timeline, adhere to proposal guidelines, seek guidance from Curriculum Committee representatives and the Admin Team, and work collaboratively and iteratively.

According to the Faculty Senate Bylaws, individual voting members of the Curriculum Committee are expected to fulfill the following duties:

• Attend all Curriculum Committee meetings (or send a proxy).
• Demonstrate mastery of curriculum procedures, policies, resources, forms, and deadlines.
• Provide first-line curriculum support for faculty in their respective Division/School during curriculum development by answering questions and providing information on curriculum policies and procedures.
• Review all curriculum materials provided via agenda prior to meetings and be prepared to vote on proposals after the Committee’s discussion.
• Keep their respective Division/School apprised of curriculum issues and work of the Curriculum Committee.

 

The role of the Curriculum Administration Team is to build, maintain and improve the systems of support for the curriculum process. 

The Curriculum Support Team, a cross-functional group of faculty and staff from a wide range of departments across campus, supports early development and feasibility studies of new, and especially innovative or cross-disciplinary, ideas for courses, minors, micro-credentials and degree programs.

 

References

Robert M. Diamond, Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide, Josey-Bass, San Francisco, 1998

Harry Hubball and Neil Gold, The Scholarship of Curriculum Practice and Undergraduate Program Reform: Integrating Theory into Practice, in Curriculum Development in Higher Education: Faculty-Driven Processes and Practices, Peter Wolf and Julia Christensen Hughes, eds, New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Number 112, Winter 2007.

William E. Toombs and William G. Tierney, Curriculum Definitions and Reference Points Links to an external site., Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, Spring 1993, Volume 8, Number 3, Pages 175-195

 

More on Context, Content and Form

From Toombs & Tierney, 1993

Context includes:

Social and Cultural Influences such as generational characteristics (millennials and Generation Z), political and social movements (climate change, diversity, free speech), societal expectations of higher education's purpose (civic engagement, workforce development, individual fulfillment)

Environmental Factors such as demographics (drop in college-age population), labor and financial markets (recession), legislation and policy (financial aid, accreditation), emergence and value of knowledge domains and technologies (big data, humanities, health care)

Institutional and Community Cultural factors such as student subcultures (gamers, activists), faculty ethos, institutional mission and traditions, local supports and service opportunities

Prevalent Pedagogies and Portfolio of Existing Programs including, for Champlain, student-centered, hands-on, small class, career orientation, experiential, pragmatic, employable, relevant, inquiry-driven, integrated, developmental, etc.

Content comprises:

Nature of Significant Knowledge (Epistemology), including structure of organized knowledge; methods of establishing and verifying knowledge; principles, theories, laws, bodies of information; styles of inquiry, systems of proof, technique; prerequisite and conjunctive disciplines and fields; expected or potential roles

Nature of Learning, which learning strategies are most effective for apprehending the field at higher cognitive levels; which experiential capacities are needed to gain the requisite knowledge and skills

Affective Attributes, including values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors

Consequences of Knowledge Holding, meaning "habits of mind" and "habits of practice"; "certain" or accepted knowledge in the field; skills, techniques and competencies; sensitivities and appreciations; expected or possible behaviors

Form refers to how the curriculum is delivered, aspects including:

Learning Resources consider such factors as faculty work load; faculty expertise (matching talent to learning designs); student time distribution; weighting credits; budgetary system, allocation methods, priorities, adjustments; allocation of physical facilities, space, equipment, services, technology

Instructional Strategies and Prevailing Modes of Instruction consider calendar and scheduling system; class size, composition, and sorting processes; instructional strategies; alternatives to formal study; integrating learning experiences, applications of knowledge; experiential learning opportunities (study abroad, internships, studio); co-curricula (clubs, activities)