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