5. Data-informed Curriculum Improvement

Module 5 - Data-Informed Curriculum Improvement: Setting Priorities and Planning for Change

There is little in the literature about the process of decision-making for engagement in continuous curriculum improvement. One thing however is clear: In making decisions regarding curricular improvement, schools of engineering, departments and faculty members need to agree on an educational point of view or purpose upon which to base improvement. A purpose serves to create a framework and some parameters within which to begin the process of ongoing curriculum improvement. Doll (1996) argued that when curriculum planners fail to plan around a specific purpose, they soon begin to improvise and, he argues, “improvisation leads to capriciousness and self interests” (p. 205).

While curriculum mapping and other forms of data collection can certainly help to identify the greatest learning needs and successes of students, those data points are also useful tools for identifying opportunities for faculty development. Careful analysis of maps and other data may help identify the need for faculty members to learn new instructional or assessment strategies to better support students’ learning. Identifying those opportunities is a critical component of continuous curriculum improvement.

In this module, a series of fictitious, though realistic scenarios are outlined. Findings from a variety of data sources are presented for each scenario and indications, judgments and recommendations that might result are discussed. The approach to curriculum change adopted in each scenario outlines the ways in which a series of relatively minor changes adopted by many can result in dramatic improvements to programming, curricular alignment and overall student learning achievement and satisfaction.

The information and activities in this module have been selected to help you:

  • Rely on data to inform decision-making
  • Identify realistic yet significant priorities for program improvements
  • Devise an action plan for improvement

View the Live Workshop on Curriculum Improvement:

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