When invoked, it can be embolden with meaning far beyond its actual parameters to the point of becoming empty. It can also be invoked in ways that are so empty that the landscape of meaning becomes clearer than if it wasn’t used at all.

But curriculum is a real thing, in both its presence and its absence. And being more considerate of the whole – the ends, means, and all in between – can ensure a more thoughtful, explicit set of teaching and learning experiences for students, professors, and the research and content that is important for the program.

That is why the Office of the Vice Provost Academic created a permanent position in 2021 related to program and curriculum development and innovation: to support programs in the explicitly articulation of their curriculum, and the future of their curriculum, in ways that support students’ learning.

The way we often have approached curriculum can seem very bureaucratic or administrative and separate from the experiences professors have with their students. While ensuring quality, reporting, and governance remains key, this new position in the VPA’s office can also serve as a complement and support in the visioning, and articulation of that vision, in a program’s future for faculty and students alike.

With the development of a new website, this blog, and the continuation of a community of practice around curriculum, we hope we to improve our programs, and our students’ experiences in these programs for years to come.

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How do you define the outcomes of a program for your students?

We often know what we teach, but we cannot always know what students are going learn unless we explicitly articulate learning goals.

Learning Outcomes (LOs) are statements that articulate these goals. They are statements of what students are expected to know or do by the end of an educational experience. By framing content around what students should learn, rather than what we plan on teaching, we make a (seemingly small but) powerful distinction between teaching and learning that sets our classroom up for .

Defining Learning Outcomes is a powerful step toward student-centric education. We can assess teaching and curriculum in relation to students' learning and, in doing so, identify ways to enhance students' learning now and in the future. Along with this, defining, mapping, and assessing Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) allow us to monitor and assess the across 91ŃÇÉ« and ensure our programs meet the

Learning Outcomes Across Your Program and Teaching

Learning Outcomes can be written for an assignment, lesson, course, program, or a degree.

Ideally they work together, so that a clear Outcome is articulated for an assignment, which is an element of a clear Learning Outcome for a course, which fits into a clear Learning Outcomes for a program (PLO), which maps onto the (DLEs) for undergraduate (UDLEs) and graduate programs (GDLEs).

Students aren't achieving every outcome with every assignment or in every course, but taken together, students' experiences across assignments and courses should result in a strong, totally articulated experience for their learning in a program.

Writing strong Learning Outcomes (LOs) and mapping the relationships between LOs (specifically Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) to Degree Level Expectations (DLEs) and PLOs to course-level assignments) are important steps for designing and assessing a strong, student-centric program.

We have created resources to help you with Writing and Mapping your Learning Outcomes

For more see

Interesting Readings

Learning Outcome Support

Along with the Teaching Commons and the curricular support within your faculties, the Office of the Vice Provost Academic can support you in the development of your Program Learning Outcomes, ensure they meet the Degree Level Expectations, map your curriculum to these outcomes, and identify and support places for renewal and/or innovation. Contact us for more details.

The Teaching Commons can support the development of the Learning Outcomes for your lessons, activities, and assignments, as well as support new course development. Supports in your Faculty can help you bring all these elements into your curriculum.

Interested in renewing or innovating your curriculum?

Explore our resources or contact our Program and Curriculum Development Specialist for support.

Contact

Resources

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Curriculum is an organized plan for student learning.

"Curriculum" is from the Latin currere, meaning "race" or a "race course." It began being used in the 1600s to flag an ordering of educational courses and by the 19th century the word "curriculum" commonly referred to a fixed course of study ().

In higher education, "curriculum" has often meant the collection of courses that represented the foundation of a discipline.

In elementary and secondary schools, curriculum has been more prescriptive, with mandated expectations, assessments, and even resources for each course (). While this level of prescription is incongruous with the goals, aims, and ethos of higher education, without a clear "course to run," higher education students may get lost in their program and leave without fully bringing together how their education can apply to the multiple situations they will encounter throughout their adult life.

This is why dreaming, designing, and determining a clear course of study in higher education is essential for program success and student experience.

Visit our pages on Curriculum Development for support on renewing or innovating your program's curriculum.

Interested in renewing or innovating your curriculum?

Explore our resources or contact our Program and Curriculum Development Specialist for support.

Contact

Resources

The post Curriculum appeared first on Curriculum Development and Innovation.