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Structuring Curriculum Reform
College of Physical
Sciences
Gordon WalkdenDirector of Teaching and Learning
This online powerpoint summarises and extends the contents of my paper “Structuring Curricular Review and Curriculum Reform”
Colleagues are welcome to extract and adapt any part of this.
My submission examines our approach to Curriculum Reform.
I believe we should first understand what we currently do and how we do it,
before we try to invent something to add to or replace what we do.
What am I on about?
Then I call for a Business Approach to underpin how we move forward
I ask some fundamental questions:• What are we producing?• How are we doing it?• and Why are we doing it?
Curriculum reform - What are we trying to do?
I am not yet trying to offer my vision of an ultimate destination,
although those who know of our Global Challenges programme might guess……
Curriculum reform - What are we trying to do?
The University
Ship = University
Passengers = Students
Crew = Staff
Internal layout = Degree Types and Structures
Interior design and finishes = Philosophy, Methods, Timetable
Cruises/ Destinations = Specific Degree Programmes
A simple analogy
We are on our own, and must pay our way
Start with some fundamental questions…• What are we producing?• How are we doing it?• and Why are we doing it?
Where do we begin?
“What?” and “How?” Are questions we are used to.
We are maybe less good at “Why?”
Structures and Inputs – How do we construct our degrees to achieve this?(e.g. knowledge, understanding, skills, methods)
Some “Whats”, “Hows” and “Whys”
Where do we begin?
Objectives – What are our degrees for?
Outputs – Why are we doing it? - We want to produce developed graduates with marketable attributes.
Societal contribution
Personal fulfilment
Wealth creation
“A degree is not about what you do with your day - Its about what you do with your life”.
Wealth creationProfessional involvement
Applying skills and knowledgeAdding value
Innovative, originalEnterprising
Personal fulfilmentAchievementSatisfactionCreativity
ScholarshipPersonal interests
Societal contributionPersonal involvement
Family valuesQuality of life
Working for common goodEthics, morality, spirituality
“Archaeology”
“Engineering”
“Accountancy”
Objectives – What are our degrees for?
Universally agreed
values in Higher
Education and
Research
What are the aspirations of students/ programmes?
Re-expressed
Practical skills
Intellectual skills
Professional skills
Its about helping students to develop the skills and qualities that enhance fulfilment and extend performance in work, society and lifelong learning.
Intellectual skillsRecognising truth and Critical thinkingAnalytical Self directed learningCuriosity,Creativity
Professional skillsKnowledge and understandingEthical valuesTeamworkingLeadership and responsiveness
Practical skillsC&IT skillsSelf startingProblem solvingLiterate, articulate, NumerateEnterprise skillsTail awareness
Structures and Inputs – How do we construct our degrees to achieve these values?
Where do individual courses/
programmes lie?
Re-expressed
Level 1
Induction & progression
Where am I and how do I fit in?What do I bring with me?Dealing with the information delugeFinding the way aroundWhat people in universities do?Identifying and dealing with aspirationsInteracting with othersRecognising responsibilities
How do I manage/ organise myself?PDP awarenessDifferentiating expectations and goals Choosing an appropriate programmePrioritisingBalancing non-academic pursuits
How do I learn? - Aware of the LTS and MoL Understanding learning methods & learner typesDeveloping a personal learning styleAble to use private studyAble to work in a groupHow am I taught?Teaching media and methods used Recording, note taking, enhancingHow to learn from these?How am I assessed?Recognising types of examinationRecognising types of in course assessmentDistinguishing formative & sumative assessmentAble to revise effectivelyAble to prepare for in course assessment How work is gradedWhat the outcomes mean
How do I find and check information ?Using library resourcesUsing CIT/web resourcesReading papers and text booksReading, assessing and assembling informationUnderstanding and presenting ideas Distinguishing original and received information
How do I communicate my own work?Writing clearly and effectivelyUsing data as evidencePresenting ideas orallyCreating diagrams and tablesGroup working and group learning
GMW Iteration 5
Level 2
Personal development
(Level 2 skills for Direct entry to be developed)
Personal organisationExercising responsibilitiesUsing PDP as a learning toolReflecting on progress and outcomes Clear personal and academic goalsSetting objectives and timetables Prioritising effectivelySkills awarenessBeing organised Keeping an academic record Keeping copies of completed workIntegrating non academic pursuits
Taking the initiative in learning:Interpreting the LTS, MoL Exploiting personal learning styleChoosing appropriate coursesUsing private study effectivelySelectively compiling info & ideasUnderstanding and using basic dataRecognising conflicting info/ideas Effective in group workingOverviewing the assessment landscapePlanning for continuous assessmentIntroducing peer assessmentPlanning for examinationsRevising systematicallyAnalysing marked work
Developing knowledge & understanding:Reflecting, and planning learningDeveloping use of library resourcesDeveloping use of CIT/web resourcesDealing with uncertainty in knowledgeGenerating & testing ideasDesigning experimentsUnderstanding graphs and data setsDeveloping original databasesSeeking appropriate guidance Using and acknowledging work of others
Expressing information and ideas Writing according to specificationsStructuring a presentationSpeaking with technical abilityPresenting data sets and statisticsCreating posters or websitesAble to collaborate in groups
Level 3
Taking responsibility
(Level 3 skills for direct entry - to be developed)
Self managementOperating within an ethical frameworkUsing PDP as a strategic planning toolSelf monitoring and evaluation Refining personal & academic goals Setting objectives and planning pathwaysPrioritising strategicallyReviewing career optionsManaging skills developmentConscious time managementCompiling a Personal Development FileFocusing on employabilityDeveloping non academic pursuitsBuilding a CVMonitoring the transcript
Responsible learnerFollowing LTS, MoLStrategic use of modules and coursesStrategic use of self directed learningIntegrating across courses/modulesReading and understanding advanced textsUsing advanced data analysis and synthesisResolving conflicting ideas/ informationRevising strategicallyTime managing all assessments Sorting knowledge & understandingFreely assembling informationCritically evaluating & integrating info.Recognising orthodoxyRecognising & exploring the cutting edgeCreating and developing ideasUnderstanding and refining argumentUsing advanced software and info systemsSolving logical and numerical problemsSeeking strategic guidanceBuilding upon work of othersRecognising and avoiding plagiarism
Communicating resultsStructuring work for diverse audiencesPreparing accurate abstractsWriting for a specialist audienceSpeaking to specialist audienceCreating a technical poster/ websiteProductive group working & collaborationThe place for innovation and creativityCompetent with presentation media
Level 4/5
Achieving professional standards
Personal empowermentEthics in professional practiceUsing PDP for professional developmentSelf-reflective plannerAchieving & extending goalsClear, achievable short & long term objectivesPrioritising strategicallyActively pursuing career optionsReality - checking skills and employability needsHabitual time managementEnhancing and extending the PDFDemonstrating skills & employability tho the PDFDocumenting non academic activitiesAdapting the CV for prospective targetsMonitoring the transcriptDeveloping enterprise, society, citizenship
Autonomous learner Using LTS, MoLLearning and thinking strategically Reading and understanding specialist researchEffectively planning and managing learningCritically evaluating informationSorting and integrating diverse information Confident analysis of data bases and statisticsIntegrating sub disciplinesPlanning & managing integrative assessment Contributing to knowledge and understandingFinding and researching appropriate sourcesCreatively evaluating & integrating informationChallenging orthodoxyChallenging and pushing the cutting edgePlanning and proposing researchGenerating & integrating new research resultsCreating complex coherent argumentFamiliar with advanced software & info systemsUnderstanding research problems and solutionsIntegrating numerical solutions Responsive and interactive under guidanceProperly integrating original & derived materialsEffective recording and archiving
Presenting findings Communicating at high technical levelsWriting to professional requirementsStrategic choice of methods and media Creative use of charts and diagramsPresenting a complex logical argumentPresenting orally with confidence and contentPreparing original research essays, reports, data Effective role-play and delegation in collaborationSkilled with appropriate presentation media
Self Management and Employability
Learnin
g and Understanding
Researching
and Integrating
Communication &
Team
Working
A Curriculum map for Skills – How competencies could develop
Note how competencies progress. A readable version of
this accompanies my paper
Research
Teaching
CreativityInnovationEnterprise
Ethics
What about Research–Led Teaching? Teaching
LearningExperiencing
Research, Review, Survey,
Analysis, Discovery etc
Could this Could this triptych triptych
become the become the “Aberdeen “Aberdeen Model”?Model”?
New
Outputs – Why? - the attributes our graduates leave with that they can contribute to society
Thinker
Learner
Investigator
Researcher
Communicator
Writer
Innovator
Self starter
Ethical
Knowledgeable
Responsible
Team PlayerIntellectual
lineProfessiona
l line
Practical / Creative
line
New
Marketresearch
Product design
Product marketing
Product range (degree programmes and courses)
Brand image(reputation and standards)
These are our core selling
points
Historically, these “csps”
have provided a passive “Shop
Window”
This is an iterative “Active Selling
Envelope”.
But in the current highly competitive environment we need to refine and project the
shop window using business
models
Model used at the College of Physical Sciences Recruitment Council (CRC), October 2007A Business–critical
“How”
What do the stakeholders want?(e.g. Specific Knowledge, Understanding, Skills, Attributes)
Who are the stakeholders involved?(e.g. Government, Employers, Research organisations, Students, Staff)
What market niches/ opportunities match these requirements?
(e.g. specific types of research, employment, service, calling)
What Graduate skills, attributes, knowledge match the opportunities?
(i.e. what do we need to equip graduates with in response?)
How can we train the skills, attributes, knowledge?(i.e. what sort of programme structure and curriculum content would be appropriate?)
How can we convert what we do now into what we might do?
(i.e. what sort of programme structure and curriculum content would be appropriate?)
Is there an “Aberdeen” angle to these?(i.e. Aberdeen flavour? Specific part of the market to exploit? )
A Business Approach Re-expressed
My submission examines our approach to Curriculum Reform.
I believe we should first understand what we currently do and how we do it,
before we try to invent something to add to or replace what we do.
What am I on about?
The UniversityThen I call for a Business Approach to
underpin how we move forward
I ask some fundamental questions:• What are we producing?• How are we doing it?• and Why are we doing it?
What can PDP do?What can PDP do?What can PDP do?What can PDP do?
ReflectingReflecting
SkillsKnowledge
Understanding
Where we areWhere we are
nownow
Where weWhere we
should beshould be
PDP can make the differencePDP can make the difference
ExperiencingExperiencingLearningLearning
Recycled from PDP W/G