The Agony of Curricular Change

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The Agony of Curricular Change

• Robert A. Koch
• BiologyCal State Fullerton

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How do you accomplish change?

• Leadership
• Team work
• Commitment
• Help from outside experts
• Perseverance
• Trial-and-error learning about the change process
• Pain endurance

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The Change Process
Early Majority
Late Majority
Faculty
Early Adopters
Laggards
Resisters
Innovators
1995
1996
1997
1998
retirement
99-10
Geoffrey A. Moore (1991) Crossing the Chasm
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Stages of Systemic Change

• Maintenance of the old system
• Awareness
• Exploration
• Transition
• Emergence of new infrastructure
• Predominance of the new system

Beverly L. Anderson (1993) Educational Leadership
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Stages of Individual Concern
Stage 6 Refocusing Concerns
Stage 0 Awareness Concerns
Stage 5 Collaboration Concerns
Stage 1 Informational Concerns
Stage 4 Consequence Concerns
Stage 2 Personal Concerns
Stage 3 Management Concerns
Jeannette H. Gass (1993) Arithmetic Teacher
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Key Elements to Curriculum Change

• Vision
• External support
• Networking
• Teaching and learning changes
• Administrative support and responsibility
• Policy alignment

Beverly L. Anderson (1993) Educational Leadership
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Drivers of Change in Biology Department

• Escalating amount of information in biology
• Limited student retention of information
• Awareness of the value of active engagement of
  students in learning
• Recognition of need to equip students with
  learning skills
• Interest in meeting the needs of the growing
  number and diversity of our students
• Concerns with retention of students and the
  extended time to graduation.

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Project Vision

• We will
• Make fundamental changes in our educational
  philosophy
• Transform to an active learning, inquiry-centered
  curriculum
• Incorporate a final integrative capstone
  experience
• Involve the entire Department
• Impact all of our majors
• Include our feeder community colleges.

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Final advice

• Go for it!