Strategies for Conducting Curriculum Review Jen – Welcome and Patti Dyjur , PhD Jennifer Lock, PhD University of Calgary OEB 2015 December 3, 2015

Identify recommendations to help guide the process Goals of the Session Examine three different strategies for conducting a collaborative curriculum mapping process online Discuss strategies and techniques to conduct the process and engage instructors in collaborative mapping activities Identify recommendations to help guide the process Jennifer

Curriculum mapping essentials Agenda Curriculum mapping essentials Example #1: Online survey tool demo, trial and discussion Example #2: Word template demo, trial and discussion Example #3: Online curriculum mapping tool demo and discussion Strategies for success: Brainstorming and presentation Patti

What is a Curriculum Review? “academic staff-led critical examination of each undergraduate and course-based master’s program for the purpose of optimizing the learning outcomes of that program. Curriculum reviews are a formative component of the overall quality assurance strategy and are focused on the continuing development of students’ learning experiences” (University of Calgary, 2013, p. 2). Jennifer

Focus of a Curriculum Review There are two foci for a curriculum review: 1) Enhancing the student learning experience 2) Addressing quality assurance concerns Jennifer

Curriculum Development Goals Program features: Thoughtful, intentional emphasis Focus on what is important Current and relevant to students Patti

Guiding Principles for Curric Dev – UCalgary Collaboration Contributions & collaboration among instructors Faculty-led investigation Evidence-informed Several data sources used to inform discussion Focus on Student Learning Frame the discussion to put the focus on enhancing the student learning experience Program-level Perspective Students take a program of study Consider courses within the broader context of a program Continuous Improvement Iterative process to be done every 5 years Action Plan to make improvements over time Patti This collaborative, evidence-based process helps to inform an instructor team of the intricacy of the courses in terms of the program as a whole, as well as fosters curriculum renewal. Create opportunities to foster collaboration among instructor teams Moves the teaching of courses from being isolated units to that of a coherent program. Discuss teaching and the course content helps to inform their instructional practice Collaborative effort that increase the potential to enrich the quality of the learning experience for students and instructors.

From Questions to Answers Questions to guide the curriculum review: General questions: strengths of the program, gaps and overlap, alignment, scope and sequence Accreditation questions Faculty or institutional priorities, strategic planning Aspects of the program that are problematic for students Things you are curious about Other Jennifer

Examples of Guiding Questions To what extent are we addressing program-level learning outcomes (PLOs)? Are there any gaps or lack of alignment? To what extent do student assessment strategies across the program support and capture student learning? Is there a need for more diversity? To what extent does the program facilitate student learning of writing skills (critical thinking, professionalism, innovation, research skills, etc.)? Jennifer

Data Sources for Curriculum Review Demographic data Previous reviews Curriculum mapping data Student and/or alumni data Instructor data Literature review Potential employer data Other CR Jennifer

What is Curriculum Mapping? The process of associating course outcomes with program-level learning outcomes and aligning elements of courses within a program, to ensure that it is structured in a strategic, thoughtful way that enhances student learning. (Adapted from Harden, 2001) PATTI

CM is the process of making associations or connections PLOs must be written before a department/ faculty can do CM Course outcomes must be written before an individual can map his/ her course Mapping can be done in various ways Patti

Learning Outcomes “An intended effect of the educational experience that has been stated in terms of specific, observable, and measurable student performance” (Veltri, Webb, Matveev & Zapatero, 2011) The knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students should be able to attain by the end of a unit of study Patti

Examples of Learning Outcomes Program-level learning outcome: Students will be able to use research within the field to make evidence-based decisions in different contexts.   Course Outcomes: Students should be able to critique the findings of a peer-reviewed academic article. Lesson Objective: Students should be able to state what information can be found within the sections of a peer-reviewed academic article. Patti

What are Program-level Learning Outcomes? Program-level learning outcome (PLO): The knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students should be able to attain by the end of a program of study, often stated more broadly than a course outcome. Patti

Program-level Learning Outcomes Communicate what is critical, intentional, and special about a program Articulate what is valued Are reflected in course work and student learning Guide decision-making about courses and how students will be assessed PLOs Patti

What exactly gets mapped? Course outcomes to program-level learning outcomes (PLOs) Teaching and learning activities (TLAs) Student assessments Other? Patti

Example #1: Word or Excel Template Patti http://curriculummapping.weebly.com/templates.html

Aligning Course Outcomes to PLOs: Template Knowledge of theories and concepts Problem solving Evaluate qualitative information Evaluate quantitative information Communication Apply knowledge and skills Design and implement research Ethical understanding Write an essay, analyzing complex issues using multiple sources of evidence to support their argument. D I PLOs Patti Word or Excel templates can be distributed electronically through email. Instructors fill one out for each of their courses and submit. Course outcome I = Introduced D = Developing A = Advanced

Mapping TLAs and Student Assessments Teaching & Learning Activities Knowledge of theories and concepts Problem solving Evaluate qualitative information Evaluate quantitative information Communication Apply knowledge and skills Design and implement research Ethical understanding Student Assessments Write an essay, analyzing complex issues using multiple sources of evidence to support their argument. Lecture Readings Critique Peer feedback D I Essay Patti

Try it! Using your own course outline or one of the samples, map a course to the PLOs listed on the template. Template can be found at: http://curriculummapping.weebly.com/templates.html Small table discussion: As you work through the process, what questions do you have? What would make the mapping process easier for you? What recommendations do you have for doing the mapping online? Please write on sticky notes Jennifer

Benefits Challenges Template Approach Chart format makes it easier to see the constructive alignment (or lack of it) in a course Data in word documents must be digitized Complete flexibility to structure the mapping process to suit the institution or faculty Someone has to manually aggregate the data; the higher the number of courses that are mapped, the higher the workload Data in Excel can be aggregated to produce helpful reports that guide curriculum review discussions Tech support should be available for those who are unfamiliar with the tool Jennifer

Example #2: Online Survey Patti https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/oeb2015

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/oeb2015 Patti

Small table discussion: Try it! Using your own course outline or one of the samples, map a course using the online survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/oeb2015 Small table discussion: What questions do you have as you map your course? What benefits and disadvantages do you see using this method over the previous one? What recommendations do you have for doing the mapping online? Please write on sticky notes Jennifer

Online Survey Approach Benefits Challenges Flexibility with the number and types of questions and response formats Aligning course outcomes to program-level learning outcomes is a bit cumbersome Better reporting than some of the other methods May be a cost if your institution or faculty does not have access to an online survey tool Many participants will be familiar with the tool Patti

Example #3: Web-based Curriculum Mapping Tool Patti curriculum.ucalgary.ca

Web-based CM Tool Patti Demo only: Our tool can be found at curriculum.ucalgary.ca, but a University of Calgary account is needed to access it. Other options: commercial products, custom-built software

Benefits Challenges Web-based CM Tool The tool is fairly ready out of the box Lack of flexibility Easy to use Some users require support, especially with login Instructors get brief reports on some screens, which promote reflection Standard aggregate reports may not be sufficient Patti

Based on your experience and observations today, what recommendations do you have for conducting curriculum review online? What role can leadership (formal and informal) play in promoting a successful curriculum review? Jennifer

Recommendations Good Practice Standardize formats and structures Distributed leadership Good Practice Jennifer Distributed leadership approach Empowerment of leaders at various levels to lead different components Standardize formats and structures Templates Exemplars Articulated communication plan From beginning to end Clear and concise Sustainability plan Action plan Identification of leads Follow-up Sustainability plan Communication plan

Questions/Comments and Evaluations Jennifer

Strategies for Conducting Curriculum Review Jen – Welcome and Patti Dyjur , PhD - pdyjur@ucalgary.ca Jennifer Lock, PhD- jvlock@ucalgary.ca University of Calgary OEB 2015 December 3, 2015

References Council of Ministers of Education. (2007). Ministerial statement on quality assurance of degree education in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/95/QA-Statement-2007.en.pdf Harden, R. M. (2001). AMEE guide no. 21: Curriculum mapping: A tool for transparent and authentic teaching and learning. Medical Teacher, 23(2), 123-137. University of Calgary. (2013). Academic quality assurance handbook curriculum reviews.