Phase 1: Start of a curriculum project

A teacher or curriculum manager want to develop a new curriculum of he of she want to change the existing curriculum and ask you as a education advisor to give support. The question and a possible first answer is formulated by evaluating the question form the experience in other curriculum projects and with the available information relevant for the curriculum.

Er zijn verschillende invalshoeken waarom je aan curriculumontwikkeling begint. Zie hier.

The first step in the curriculum development is the clarify the needs of the curriculum committee and the project approach. Answers will be given to questions like:

1. Do we and other stakeholders really want form the  new curriculum?
2. What do we expect of the new curriculum?
3. How to we approach the project?
4. Could we organize such a program and the development project?

The designer makes a quick scan of the context to be able to understand the needs and doubts of the curriculum committee and other stakeholders. Relevant questions might be:

1. what should be developed. Are there already some ideas and relevant experiences?
2. what are the expectations and needs of the teachers/management/project team?
3. are there specific problems? For example, problems found as a result of the quality assurance procedures?
4. are there already some important  quality criteria, which has to be considered and followed (see Criteria for the learning environment at curriculum level?)
5. how will be the LE (curriculum) be used and by whom (teachers and students)?
6. which constraints are to be considered?
7. are there similar curricula in other institutes of higher education? Are descriptions available?
8. are their analyses of aims, objectives, subject matter, development in the disciplines, etc available?
9. • The needs and/or expectations of the project’s promoter or  the promoter. For example more students are successful, the study time will decrease, the level will increase, a new development in the labour market will be supported, ICT will be implemented, …
   • The strategy plans of the education institute it self and the possible consequences for the curriculum development.
   • Which quality criteria have to be met? For example the NVAO criteria, the criteria of the education institute it-self, ..)
   • Which specifications of subject matter, aims, competences, relevant practical situations, … are already available? For example study guides, results of quality assurance reports, analyses of competences, ….
   • What can be said about the way the curriculum will be used by the teachers and the students? For example the proportion of contact and  self study hours, problem based, approach, blended learning,
   • The (main) constraints and conditions. For example: Do the teachers want to change?, are they able to work in the new educational environment? and is there enough subject matter expertise available?

The designer  evaluate the question, possibilities and possible constraints of the project using his of her experiences, the opinions and ideas of the curriculum committee and the information which can be found in a short period. The designer(s) think up the possibilities to fulfil the needs and the expectations and the (necessary) activities in the curriculum development project. They formulate the first ideas how to shape the LE. In fact, this is the first design step.
This step is done together with the teachers, the management and of course curriculum committee (see innovation is seldom easy).

The  results of this phase ar (f.e. in a ‘ offerte’ or a planning document, or ….e:

• A first provisional design of the learning environment and the expected (learning)behaviour and learning effects of the LE by the curriculum developers is formulated. For example: what are the main aims, some ideas how to realize important new expectations.  This description is formulated by the designer(s) using the answers of these above formulated questions. Based on the results of the project these expectations will be detailed en refined during the project. These expectations will develop into quality criteria for the new curriculum.

Based on this information you as a designer prepare the  project brief.

• The first problem statement, this includes also a number of criteria which should be met in the results of the curriculum development.
• The first description of the purposes of the requested curriculum improvement. Often, this means in a curriculum development project the designer formulate shortly how could  you realize that student can achieve the expected new qualities in an effective, efficient and well liked manner.
• The possible problems which can be expected and a first idea of possible solutions.
• The result of first analysis phase is the ‘project brief’ with:
• the first ideas of the designer

The result  reflects the perception of the customer and the designer (education advisor) and also other involved stakeholders (students, management, work field, …

• A detailed work plan and/or an offer for the curriculum committee is formulated in a project brief: how will we approach the curriculum development, how will we work together and inform the management and the teacher team and which intermediate products will be produced in the project.