Developing and Implementing Learningcentred Undergraduate Programs: The Scholarship of Curriculum Pr

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Developing and Implementing Learning-centred
Undergraduate Programs The Scholarship of
Curriculum Practice and Undergraduate Program
ReformUniversity of Windsor, 2007

• Dr. Harry Hubball,
• Department of Curriculum Studies
• University of British Columbia
• Canada

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• The scholarship of curriculum practice and
  undergraduate reform Issues for consideration
  (E.G.,)
• What is the purpose of a university and how do
  undergraduate curricula serve
  this purpose?
• Who are the stakeholders and who is responsible
  for undergraduate curricula?
• What is the relationship between the state of
  undergraduate curricula and student learning
  experiences?
• What issues need to be considered around program
  development/implementation/evaluation,
  accreditation requirements, quality and quantity
  of program-level learning outcomes, innovative
  and diverse programming experiences, quality
  assurance/accountability issues for undergraduate
  curricula?
• ...and many more!

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Outline

• Context for Curricula Reform in Higher
  Education Global and Local Factors
• Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating
  Learning-centred CurriculaTheory-Practice
  Integration
• Critical Challenges and Curriculum/Faculty
  Support Initiatives
• The Scholarship of Curriculum Practice and
  Undergraduate Program Reform

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• Points to consider
• Identify 1-2 key learning outcomes for your
  undergraduate program
• E.g., On completion of this 2-4 year degree
  program students will be able to .?
• To what extent do these learning outcomes
  connect with individual courses (1st-4th year)
  within this program?

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• CONTEXT FOR CURRICULUM RE-DESIGN Factors
  Influencing Change
• Global, National, Regional Initiatives
• Social and Economic Challenges
• Significant Curricular Pedagogical Shifts
• Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), Learning
  Outcomes, Interdisciplinarity, Internationalisatio
  n, Learning Technologies
• Triggering Opportunities External and
  Internal Accreditation, Retirements,
  Faculty/Student Satisfaction levels,
  Collaboration with Outside Units (e.g.,
  Professional/Industrial)
• (Barab Duffy, 2000 Bresciani, 2006 Gold,
  1997 Kupperschmidt Burns, 1997 Hubball
  Burt, 2004 Schneider Schoenberg, 1999).

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Broader / Provincial Contexts
Institutional Contexts
College/Curricular Contexts
Course Design Contexts
Teaching Learning Contexts
Hierarchical Model of Learning Outcomes and
Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations 2-Way
Macro-Meso-Micro Impacts Implications for
Research, Development Implementation
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• Underlying Assumptions about Learning-centred
  Curricula
• Representative students, faculty, and
  stakeholders in the broader
  context should be active participants in the
  curricular reform process (Learning Communities)
• Academic units will implement curricula in
  diverse ways and are at different/complex stages
  of curricular reform, and they progress at
  different rates (Individual and Social Contextual
  Process)
• Learning-centred curricula focus on
  contextually-bound
• learning outcomes and integration of diverse
  pedagogies
• (Diversity and Integration)
• Learning outcomes focus on higher order and
  integrated abilities (KAS) in the context of a
  field of study, and are designed to be
  assessable, transferable, and relevant to
  learners lives as workers and citizens in a
  diverse world (Relevance)
• (Barr Tag, 1995 Brescani. 2006 Cox, 2004
  Hubball Burt, 2004 Hubball Poole, 2003
  Shulman, 1999).

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Organisational Structure
Needs Assessment
Resources
LEARNING CONTEXT
SOCIAL CONTEXT

PLANNING
AR Process - Impact -
Follow-up
PROGRAMMING
ASSESSMENT
(Hubball Burt, 2004)
A Learning-centred Framework for Curriculum
Development and Evaluation
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The Attributes of a University of Windsor
Graduate The ability to demonstrate the
acquisition, application and integration of
knowledge research skills, including the
ability to define problems and access,
retrieve and evaluate information critical
thinking and problem-solving skills
literacy and numeracy skills responsible
behaviour to self, others and society
interpersonal and communications skills
teamwork, and personal and group leadership
skills creativity and aesthetic
appreciation a desire for continuous
learning
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OCAV Guidelines Learning Outcomes and
Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations Students
will be able to demonstrate
1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge 2. Knowledge
of Methodologies 3. Application of Knowledge 4.
Communication Skills 5. Awareness of Limits of
Knowledge 6. Autonomy and Professional Capacity
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DIVERSE PEDAGOGIES (E.G.,) Classroom and
distributed learning experiences Individual,
small and large group collaborative learning
Student Presentations / Interviews / Poster
Displays Course and Community-based
Surveys/Projects/Reports Case Study
Development/Analyses Student/Graduation E-
Portfolios / Reflective Assignments
Mini-Quizzes / Essays / Exams Multiple
assessment methods - Self, Peer, Group,
Instructor, External Review OTHERS? .


(Angelo Cross, 1995 Shavelson, 2003)
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GRADUATION
Yr 4 Courses
External Clerkships
CAPS
Integrated Case-based Courses
Yr 3 Courses
CAPS
Program Sub-Disciplines
Yr 2 Courses
CAPS
Pre-requisite courses from Arts and Sciences
Yr 1 Courses
CAPS
Ability-based Outcomes Assessment Strategies
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(PAIMAP) Stages of Curricular Reform

Practice Stage
Action Plan Stage


Mobilisation Stage
Initiative Stage
Awareness Stage
Pre-Awareness Stage
Hubball Burt, 2004
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Points to consider Identify the stage of
curriculum reform within your Facultys
Undergraduate Curriculum? What are critical
challenges to implementing learning outcomes in
your Facultys Undergraduate Curriculum? What
sorts of institutional/Faculty-level support
strategies are required to enhance the
implementation of learning outcomes in your
Facultys Undergraduate Curriculum?
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• Research Outcomes Key Lessons Learned
• SoCP and Implementation Analysis
• Accreditation was the single biggest factor to
  influence the
• implementation of program-level learning
  outcomes
• Strong (and adequately supported) curriculum
  leadership and the
• ability to engage the WHOLE learning community
  (including a
• critical mass within the sub-disciplines),
  through open dialogue and
• various communications
• Bottom-up learning outcomes v top-down learning
  outcomes
• Guest speakers and external consultants
• Time and effort, therefore Pro D support/FCP for
  SoTL SoCP
• Time and effort, therefore workload/TP
  recognition support
• Additional support required to target, champion
  and show-case best

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• SUPPORTING CURRICULAR TEACHING CONTRIBUTIONS IN
  ORDER TO REALISE INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
• INSTITUTIONAL AND FACULTY LEVELS
• Tenure and Promotion Process
• Curriculum Leadership Awards
• Innovative Course Design Awards
• Scholarship of University Teaching and
• Teaching Excellence Awards
• Faculty Certificate Program The Scholarship of
  
• University Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
• Curriculum Development and Pedagogy Support
  Service

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Some Concluding Remarks Provincial,
institutional, external and/or Faculty-wide
learning outcomes have wide-spread implications
for curricula, course design, teaching and
learning, SoTL research and faculty development.
Ultimately, successful implementation, is
contingent on the attention that is paid to
integrating appropriate stage-specific learning
context, planning, evaluation and programming
strategies. Thank you.DISCUSSION - Welcome!
Questions? Challenges / Alternative
Strategies? Comments/reflections?