Curriculum design

Kieran Walsh,

Editor,

BMJ Learning.

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

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

Curriculum - three levels

Planned curriculum

Delivered curriculum

Experienced curriculum

Curriculum - planned curriculum

We will run 5 case based interactive tutorials on respiratory medicine

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

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

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

Curriculum design

Curriculum --- health services

Curriculum four elements

Content

Teaching and learning strategies

Assessment processes

Evaluation processes.

Curriculum design models

Prescriptive

What curriculum designers should do

How to create a curriculum

Descriptive

What curriculum designers actually do

What a curriculum covers

Curriculum design prescriptive model

Objectives based

Educational purposes?

Educational experiences to reach purposes?

Organise educational experiences?

Evaluate if purposes being reached?

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

Curriculum design prescriptive model

Outcomes based

Starts with the outcomes you want students to obtain

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 dont be too restrictive/reductionist

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

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.

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

Curriculum reform why it can fail

Stakeholder management

Stakeholders mismanaged or forgotten

Staff

Students

Patients

Public

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

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

Curriculum design maps

No gaps

No overlapping

Holistic approach to care by showing links between different learning outcomes

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

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

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

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 whats going on

External inspections passed

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

References

Prideaux D. ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Curriculum design. BMJ

2003;326:268-270

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.

References / Bibliography

Walsh K (ed). Cost effectiveness in medical education. Radcliffe: Abingdon, 2010.

Walsh K. Interprofessional education online: The BMJ Learning experience. Journal of

Interprofessional Care, Volume 21, Issue 6 December 2007, pages 691 - 693

Schroter S, Jenkins D, Playle R, Walsh K, Probert C, Kellner T, Arnhofer G, Owens D. Evaluation of

an online Diabetes Needs Assessment Tool (DNAT) for health professionals: a randomised

controlled trial. Trials 2009, 10:63

Walsh K, Rutherford A, Richardson J, Moore P. NICE medical education modules: an analysis of

cost-effectiveness. Educ Prim Care. 2010 Nov;21(6):396-398.