2. Curriculum design
Dr. Kieran Walsh,
Editor,
BMJ Learning. 2

3. Curriculum design - OR how to avoid
“It has been realised for many years that an
undergraduate course such as this suffers
from the chronic disorder ‘curriculopathy’.”
Jean-Jacques Guilbert 3

4. Curriculum design “Seek not for any definition of curriculum.
There is no such elixir.” Hugh Sockett
BUT most agree a curriculum is ……
All planned and unplanned learning
experiences in a medical education institution 4

5. Curriculum - three levels
Planned curriculum
Delivered curriculum
Experienced curriculum 5

6. Curriculum - planned curriculum
We will run 5 case based interactive tutorials on respiratory medicine 6

7. Curriculum - delivered curriculum
4 tutorials happened and one was on cardiorespiratory medicine as the tutor did not understand exactly what he was supposed to do 7

8. Curriculum - experienced curriculum
Only half of the students came to one tutorial as there was confusion regarding the timetable. At another tutorial there was limited interaction as the tutor had more of a lecture style 8

9. Curriculum – hidden in there
The hidden curriculum
“what students learn as they experience the gap between what we say and what we actually do.” Jodi Skiles
Powerful
Transmits values through role modelling
Never stated but everyone understands 9

10. Curriculum design
Curriculum --- health services 10

11. Curriculum – four elements
Content
Teaching and learning strategies
Assessment processes
Evaluation processes. 11

12. Curriculum design – models
Prescriptive
What curriculum designers should do
How to create a curriculum
Descriptive
What curriculum designers actually do
What a curriculum covers 12

13. Curriculum design – prescriptive model
Objectives based
Educational purposes?
Educational experiences to reach purposes?
Organise educational experiences?
Evaluate if purposes being reached? 13

14. Curriculum design – prescriptive model
Objectives based
Educational purposes – defining these is the most important step
BUT objectives especially behavioural objectives can be restrictive
Objectives based model – fallen from favour 14

15. Curriculum design – prescriptive model
Outcomes based
Starts with the outcomes you want students to obtain 15

16. Curriculum design – prescriptive model
Outcomes based
Statement example: “students will competently assess and manage patients with asthma”
Popular
Focuses on what students do (rather than staff)
BUT don’t be too restrictive/reductionist 16

17. Curriculum design – descriptive model
Situational model
Situation/context
“Thoroughly and systematically analyse the situation in which they work for its effect on what they do in the curriculum.”
External and internal factors 17

18. Curriculum design – descriptive model
Situational model
1. Situational analysis
2. Statements of intent
3. Content
4. Assessment
5. Evaluation
6. Return to 1
All steps linked. None decided until all
decided. 18

19. Curriculum reform
“changing a curriculum more difficult than moving a graveyard.” August Swanson
Initial students through new curriculum – testing it
Controlled trials probably not the best way
Can be expensive, disruptive, harmful, time consuming 19

20. Curriculum reform – why it can fail
Stakeholder management
Stakeholders mismanaged or forgotten
Staff
Students
Patients
Public 20

21. Curriculum design – curriculum maps
Show links between the elements of the curriculum
Means of clear display
Structure for the organisation of the curriculum
Mapped to computer databases 21

22. Curriculum design – maps
More transparent to stakeholders
the teacher, the student, curriculum
developers, the profession, the public
Shows links between the different
elements of the curriculum
Content … assessment 22

23. Curriculum design – maps
No gaps
No overlapping
Holistic approach to care by showing links between different learning outcomes 23

24. Curriculum design – maps
‘The problem our faculty faces is how to reconceptualise the subject matter in a way that eliminates redundancy, creates a smooth transition between courses, and demonstrates the conceptual interrelationships the faculty hope students will develop as a result of integrated, meaningful learning’. Edmondson 1993 24

25. Curriculum design – windows on the map
The expected learning outcomes
Curriculum content or areas of expertise covered
Student assessment
Learning opportunities
Learning location
Learning resources
Timetable
Staff
Curriculum management
Students 25

26. Preparing a curriculum map
“Assess needs
Scope the task
Establish the links
Populate the windows
Decide the format for the map
Think of the past, present and future
Decide on access to the map
Familiarize staff and students with the map
Plan to evaluate and update the map as necessary
Allocate responsibility for the map”
Harden 2001 26

27. Curriculum design – cost benefit
Curriculum design is expensive
Planning
Organising
Running
Assessing
Evaluating
Good curriculum design has tangible benefits
Better reputation for your medical school
Better applicants to your medical school
Better and happier faculty
Better graduate doctors
Better and safer healthcare
No gaps, no overlaps in educational delivery
Everyone knows what’s going on
External inspections passed 27

28. Curriculum design – cost benefit
Curriculum design is expensive
Need to balance considerable costs with tangible
benefits
If balance done well, it will
Be cost effective
Deliver ROI to your institution 28

29. Curriculum design – references
Prideaux D. ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Curriculum design. BMJ
2003;326:
Tyler R. Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago: Chicago University
Press, 1949
EDMONDSON, K.M. (1993) Concept mapping for the development of medical curricula,
paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association,
Atlanta, Georgia.
R.M. HARDEN. AMEE Guide No. 21: Curriculum mapping: a tool for transparent and
authentic teaching and learning. Medical Teacher, Vol. 23, No. 2, 2001
Gale R, Grant J. Cost benefit analysis of curriculum design for medicine. In: Cost
effectiveness in medical education. Walsh K (ed). Radcliff 2010. 29