Introductory description

Curriculum Development in HE is a distance learning module providing a professional development opportunity for Warwick staff who teach. The module is organised along the lines of a five phase design process - information gathering, problem analysis, idea generation, synthesis and modelling, and critical evaluation. Modern thinking about design holds that the design process should be collaborative, focused, and fairly intensive. For that reason, the course will make use of peer-learning, and take place over a relatively short time-frame compared to other CPD courses available. This should help participants to remain engaged with the course, and to enforce healthy and realistic expectations about how much time they can commit to the course within that period.
The course is divided into six segments. Each of the first five segments is devoted to a phase of the design process outlined above, with the sixth being for writing up and consultation with peers and the programme leader. Within each segment, participants will engage with some readings and online resources in preparation for a short online workshop; complete an asynchronous group activity with their peers, which follows on from the workshop; individually, create an element of a design document. This is submitted for formative feedback and, after revision, forms part of the final assessment.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Design:

• Introduction to design thinking
• Introduction to sustainability in education design
• Design-based research
• Theories of design in higher education
• Systems and techniques for design

Pedagogy:

• Learner autonomy and active learning
• Playful learning and gamification
• Blended and online learning
• Problem-based learning strategies
• Assessment strategy and diversification
• Students as researchers and partners
• Academic integrity, support and challenge

Professional values:

• Inclusivity
• Scholarly, reflective practice

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• 1 Design learning activities, modules and courses which are accessible and inclusive, and not based on a deficit model.
• 2 Engage in evidence-based practice with regard to educational design by designing modules and learning activities which reflect up-to-date research in pedagogy, education, and the subject of instruction
• 3 Use a variety of media and techniques to illustrate and explain curriculum designs
• 4 Make successful use of design thinking techniques in the context of design for higher education.
• 5 Make informed speculations about the design opportunities offered by technologies which are likely to become commercially available in the foreseeable future, and their possible impact on the student experience
• 6 Demonstrate thorough understanding of the principles of backwards design and constructive alignment their impact on UK higher education, their application, and their limitations
• 7 Employ a holistic, collaborative approach to curriculum design with robust plans for stakeholder consultation, student support, and programme evaluation.
• 8 Review, plan and undertake actions relating to the continuing development of your own teaching and learning practice.

Research element

Participants will undertake design projects, individually and collaboratively, supported by independent research into (a) subject-specific best practice and recent developments in the HE sector in the UK and abroad (b) pedagogical research literature, particularly with reference to educational design.

Interdisciplinary

Learners will address transdisciplinary problems associated with curriculum design in HE, as well as engaging with subject-specific pedagogies and challenges from disciplines other than their own. Learners from (potentially) a range of different subjects will study together and work collaboratively. The teaching methods employed in the course will be informed by social constructivist principles and the Socratic method, which are conducive to interdisciplinary learning.

International

The module learning outcomes require participants to demonstrate a level of familiarity with the international context in which the university operates, commensurate with the scale of their design projects. This might be with regard to student expectations, recruitment opportunities, and the design challenges and opportunities presented by Warwick's increasing global presence.

The module itself utilises a range of online learning activities, and will be supported by a comprehensive VLE. This variety of methods and resources should make it easier for individuals to access the module regardless of their educational background (since the likelihood of any given individual finding things conducive to their learning strategy is higher if the resources/opportunities on offer are more varied). Online learning activities and resources enable participants for whom English is not a first language to take things at their own pace, and make use of other language and translation resources simultaneously.

Subject specific skills

Formulating design questions in response to real and hypothetical situations, in the context of higher education
Applying theories of education and design to design questions/problems
Planning coherent and diverse assessment strategies at course and module level
Designing modules and courses which are sustainable, imaginative and academically rigorous

Transferable skills

Working collaboratively on a design project
Meta-cognition, especially in the context of design thinking and collaborative work
Documenting progress towards a goal and individual learning, through reflection and reporting
Self-aware implementation of a structured design process with a set of implied values and priorities
Familiarity with a variety of data-gathering techniques