Curriculum making

Curriculum development focuses on both the design of new curriculum as well as the redesign of existing programs, plans or majors, courses, and modules.

Curriculum development activities focus on:

• mapping curriculum to visually identify program priorities, strengths and areas for further development
• developing high-quality learning outcomes
• designing assessment that is aligned to outcomes, objectives and accreditation requirements
• identifying and developing optimal learning activities
• aligning courses and programs to constituent components and outcomes, objectives and requirements.

Refreshing an existing curriculum focuses on reimagining how a program or path or major might best support a student-centred, flexible learning experience in novel and innovative ways.

Curriculum refresh activities include:

• developing a clear theory of action for teaching and learning
• prototyping and testing innovative teaching and assessment approaches
• designing and delivering innovative teaching and assessment
• interrogating curriculum viability
• interrogating increased pathways for student success.

Curriculum review entails a critical examination of programs for the purpose of optimising student learning experiences. It aims to understand how well programs support and contribute to student learning experiences and how they can be enhanced.

The curriculum review process:

• is led collaboratively by academic staff who teach within the program
• provides advice on program architecture and quality assurance
• draws on data from peers, students and external partners 
• draws on and informs program review, accreditation and quality assurance processes for programs, plans and courses
• develops an action plan for responding to the data and reviews to enhance the program.

It aims to:

• provide an opportunity for teaching teams to have meaningful, collaborative discussions about teaching and learning across a program
• facilitate a collaborative, evidence-based decision-making process for strengthening programs
• document program effectiveness relative to previous reviews
• fulfill accountability expectations through a credible, transparent and action-oriented process.

ITaLI provides resources, tools and examples to assist those involved with curriculum development from planning to approvals to development to implementation. If you wish to access these resources, please contact Associate Professor Deanne Gannaway at d.gannaway@uq.edu.au.