AT911-30 Curriculum Design in Higher Education
Introductory description
Curriculum Design in Higher Education is aimed at Warwick teaching staff with curriculum design responsibilities.
View the module web page for the introductory description.
Module aims
The module offers participants the opportunity to:
(i) support student success through development of expertise in curriculum design, a crucial and complex social practice operating within and beyond dynamic higher education contexts,
(ii) develop professionally by learning how to design and critique fit-for-purpose theory and evidence-informed curricula and by engaging colleagues in critical conversations about curriculum,
(iii) contribute to disciplinary, departmental and institutional priorities through development of inclusive disciplinary and interdisciplinary practice relevant to curriculum design.
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.
The general themes that will be covered include curriculum design as a social practice, critical approaches to curriculum design in higher education, designing and critiquing curriculum with particular focus on informed design decisions around aims, intended learning outcomes, assessment, and learning activities. The course is theory and evidence-informed and enables participants to learn how to design a fit-for-purpose curriculum that will support their learners’ success, as well as contribute to their professional development and departmental and institutional priorities.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- ILO1. Apply the concept of curriculum design as a social practice in their curriculum design work
- ILO2. Evaluate conceptually challenging curriculum design practices and select approaches that are fit-for-purpose in their contexts
- ILO3. Design a theory and evidence-informed curriculum and explain their design decisions
- ILO4. Discuss, reflect on, and critique their own and others’ curriculum designs
Indicative reading list
Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does. 4th ed. Open University Press.
Bovill, C. (2014). An investigation of co-created curricula within higer education in the UK, Ireland, and the USA. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(4), 15-25.
Clarence, S. (2021). Creating a responsive curriculum: Specializing knowledge and knowers for success. In: S. Clarence, Turning Access into Success: Improving University Education with Legitimation Code Theory.
Fung, D. (2017). A Connected Curriculum for Higher Education. London: UCL Press.
Jervis, L.M. and Jervis, L. (2015). What is constructivism in constructive alignment? Bioscience Education. 6(1), 1-14.
Rossi, V. (2023). Inclusive Learning Design in Higher Education: A Practical Guide to Creating Equitable Learning Experiences. Routledge.
Stentiford, L. and Koutsouris, G. (2022). Critically considering the ‘inclusive curriculum’ in higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education. 43(8).
Warren, D. (2016). Course and learning design and evaluation. In: H. Pokorny and D. Warren (Eds), Enhancing Teaching Practice in Higher Education. London: Sage.
Weller, S. (2019). Promoting critical approaches to curriculum. 2nd ed. In: S. Weller, Academic Practice: Developing as a Professional in Higher Education. Sage.
Research element
The participants are required to design a theory and evidence-informed curriculum, as well as critique peers' designs. This requires secondary research (literature review).
Interdisciplinary
The participants may work in partnership with colleagues from diverse disciplines. Moreover, they will learn how to embed interdisciplinarity into their designs.
International
The participants may work collaboratively with international colleagues and may design curricula for home and international students. Moreover, they will be supported to create curricula that are inclusive and internationalised.
Subject specific skills
The participants will have opportunities to build subject specific knowledge and skills, and specifically, to:
- apply the concept of curriculum design as a social practice in their curriculum design work,
- evaluate conceptually challenging curriculum design practices and select approaches that are fit-for-purpose in their contexts,
- design a theory and evidence-informed curriculum and explain their design decisions,
- discuss, reflect on, and critique their own and others’ curriculum designs.
Transferable skills
The participants will have opportunities to build transferable knowledge and skills, and specifically, to:
- work collaboratively on a design project,
- select and research relevant literature,
- critique diverse design approaches,
- design curricula enabling cumulative knowledge building for their learners,
- consider the purpose of curriculum within and beyond the wider higher education contexts.
Study time
| Type | Required | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures | (0%) | |
| Seminars | 4 sessions of 3 hours (4%) | |
| Tutorials | 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%) | 1 session of 1 hour |
| Online learning (scheduled sessions) | (0%) | 2 sessions of 1 hour |
| Online learning (independent) | 6 sessions of 10 hours (20%) | |
| Private study | 26 hours (9%) | |
| Assessment | 200 hours (67%) | |
| Total | 300 hours |
Private study description
Private study and independent learning should be used for (a) independent research to help the participant establish a grounding in the relevant higher education curriculum design literature, and to develop and pursue their own interests in those domains; (b) reflection and consolidation of learning; (c) collaboration and consultation with peers.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculum Design Portfolio | 75% | 150 hours | Yes (extension) |
|
Design an evidence-informed curriculum which is fit-for-purpose within your current context, and which draws upon appropriate theoretical frameworks and research literature. The portfolio must include: Part A. a two-module course/programme scheme of work (incl. course/programme aims & rationale, modules’ ILOs & rationale, modules’ assessment format(s) & rationale, outline/examples of learning activities & rationale); Part B. appendix (a selection of relevant supporting documentation which could include stakeholder engagement plan, concept map, storyboard, evaluation plan, assessment and feedback strategy, design diary, etc.) - the purpose of the appendix is to provide points of reference for Part A of the portfolio. This assignment assesses your ability to apply the concept of curriculum design as a social practice in your curriculum design work, evaluate design practices and select fit-for-purpose approaches relevant to your context, and design a theory and evidence-informed curriculum and explain your design decisions. This assessment is written and submitted via Moodle. |
|||
| Peer Dialogue | 25% | 50 hours | Yes (extension) |
|
Discuss your design with peers and reflect on and critique your own and peers’ designs. This assignment has two assessed parts. In Part A, you discuss (reflect on and critique) self-selected parts of your design portfolio draft, and pose questions aimed at enabling you to gather peer feedback which you could then use to improve your portfolio. In Part B, you discuss (reflect on and critique) your peers’ draft designs presented to you. This assignment assesses your ability to discuss, reflect on, and critique your own, as well as your peers’ curriculum designs. As such, this assignment supports your final decision-making processes in AS1. This assessment may be completed synchronously or asynchronously. This assessment is recorded and submitted via Moodle. |
|||
Feedback on assessment
AS1: Curriculum design portfolio
Summative written feedback is given on the portfolio following marking. Verbal and written formative feedback can be provided on a draft of the portfolio at the participant’s request during the allocated tutorial time (maximum of 2hrs anytime during the course – as per the participant’s needs). Moreover, AS2 provides opportunities to gather formative peer feedback on the draft of this assignment.
AS2: Peer dialogue
Summative written feedback is given on the dialogue following marking. Verbal and written formative feedback can be provided on a formative dialogue at the participant’s request during the allocated tutorial time (maximum of 2hrs anytime during the course – as per the participant’s needs).
Pre-requisites
Participants must be currently employed by the University of Warwick, and have teaching and module (or course/programme) design responsibilities.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of TAPS-X5P0 Postgraduate Award Curriculum Development in Higher Education