CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER

EDUCATION

By

Dixie Maluwa Banda

Director, Centre for Educational Research and Training (CERT)

Former Director of Higher Education

Dean Emeritus of Education (UNIMA)

How many have heard this?

DO YOU BELIEVE IT?

THE TRUTH IS………..

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“We hold the future in our hands. Together, we must

ensure that our grandchildren will not have to ask why we failed to do the right thing,

and let them suffer the consequences.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 2007

— John Cleese Quote•“We all operate in two contrasting modes, which might be called open and closed. The open mode is more relaxed, more receptive, more exploratory, more democratic, more playful and more humorous. The closed mode is the tighter, more rigid, more hierarchical, more tunnel-visioned. Most people, unfortunately spend most of their time in the closed mode.”

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Piaget’s Quote•"The principal goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done—men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers. The second goal of education is to form minds which can be critical, can verify, and not accept everything they are offered."(From remarks at a conference on cognitive development at Cornell University, 1964)

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•The role of curriculum in higher education is sine quo non for the provision of quality and relevant educational programs and services to the current and potential learners in Malawi and elsewhere in the world. •Regardless of sizes, types or origins, curriculum is

considered the heart and soul of all educational institutions. •Curriculum is crucial for the well-being and

effectiveness of higher education both in the short and long-term. • Lamentably, it is a widely recognized notion in

academia that the approach to developing curriculum is disintegrated in that minimal and isolated considerations are given to the various critical elements such as institutional leadership, social trends, industry factor and the role of the government.

•In higher education, competing demands for accountability and innovation in the face of globalization, technology, and budget cuts cause us to consider how best to prepare learners who will learn for a lifetime. We contend that a shift in our understanding of curriculum design to accommodate Iearner-centeredness provides the framework for preparing graduates for a lifetime of learning.

•Learner-centered curriculum proposes to create highly developed individuals, providing them the skills to continue creating learning experiences, digest current knowledge, and create new knowledge within the curriculum itself.

Definition of Curriculum Development• Curriculum development is defined as planned, purposeful, progressive, and

systematic process in order to create positive improvements in the educational system. Every time there are changes or developments happening around the world, the school curricula are affected. There is a need to update them in order to address the society’s needs.

• To illustrate this contention, let’s trace back history. During the ancient times, people taught their children knowledge and skills in order to survive by catching fish or hunting animals for food. They had no formal education during that time, but their children learned and acquired the knowledge and skills for survival. So, during that time, they already had a curriculum which other educators call as, the saber-tooth curriculum. This type of curriculum refers to a kind of curriculum that existed during the ancient times in which the purpose of teaching was for survival.

• However, when the effects of discoveries and inventions became inevitable, ancient people’s way of life had changed for the better. As a result, education became formal and curriculum development evolved as systematic, planned, purposeful and progressive, even today.

•A curriculum is considered the “heart” of any learning institution which means that schools or universities cannot exist without a curriculum. With its importance in formal education, curriculum has become a dynamic process due to the changes that occur in our society. Therefore, in its broadest sense, curriculum refers to the “total learning experiences of individuals not only in school, but in society as well” (Bilbao et al., 2008).

•Curriculum matters mainly because of its potential impacts on students. The fundamental purpose of curriculum development is to ensure that students receive integrated, coherent learning experiences that contribute towards their personal, academic and professional learning and development.

•Curriculum can be characterized in a number of ways:• curriculum as content - the subject matter to be taught

• curriculum as experience - the planned and other experiences encountered by learners in educational contexts

• curriculum as intention - statements of predetermined aims, outcomes, and planned learning experiences for students

• curriculum as cultural reproduction - the passing on of the accepted knowledge, values and behaviours of a discipline, profession or society to the succeeding generation

•Each of these partial images contributes to a more holistic characterisation of curriculum as:•All the planned learning opportunities offered to students and the experiences encountered by the students when the plans are implemented. The curriculum is the plans, practices and outcomes of the interaction between the student, the curriculum design (plans linking elements together) and the teaching staff.

Curriculum planning cycle

Curricular cycle

Needs assessment

Design

Implementation

Output

Peyton and Peyton, 1998

•At the very initial stage in considering a new programme, one might ask oneself: Is there a need for this new programme (or a significant change to an existing one)?• What are the needs of society in which your educational programme

exists?

• Is the programme a College/School priority?

• Is there a solid base of academic expertise in the College/University to support the programme?

• Is there sufficient resources to succeed with a new programme?

• What feedback do you have from current students and other stakeholders about existing curricula?

NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Getting Started

•Curriculum development is a participatory process involving teams that include various Stakeholders:.

•What are they?

•Why are they important?

•How do you identify them?

•How do you involve them?

•What should be their roles/responsibilities?

•What are the consequences for non-involvement?

Outcome-based curricula

Aims, desired

outcomes

(will be able

to…)

and

content

Teaching

and

learning

Assessment Evaluation

Figure 1, demonstrates that while developing curriculum, all HEIs should consider: Environmental variables; pedagogical strategies; graduate competences to be developed; and, educational institution leadership that is required

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What factors affect and influence curriculum?• It is widely understood that HE exists in a turbulent

economic, political and social context. The pressure for change is a constant one.

• Recognising and understanding the factors that influence curriculum from within and out with the institutional context provides a sound rationale for decision making in relation to planning and designing curriculum.

• These factors themselves can be isolated and examined one by one, but the true complexity and richness lies in their fluid interplay.

• If we focus too much on any one of the factors, no matter how pivotal it may seem, we are in danger of forming a distorted view and of reaching a skewed conclusion about the whole. 20

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• while developing curriculum, all institutions of higher education regardless of their types, origins and sizes should consider:

• Environmental variables surrounding the institution;

•pedagogical strategies to be used to implement the learning and teaching activities envisaged in the curriculum;

•graduate competences to be developed; • and, educational institution leadership that is

required.

An Integrative approach to curriculum development

A Curriculum Development Process

• The Curriculum Development (CD) process encompasses • the design and development of integrated plans for

learning, • the design of implementation of the plans, • and of the evaluation of the plans, their implementation

and the outcomes of the learning experience. •Curriculum design is a process of critical questioning to

frame learning and teaching. The main purpose of the process is to translate broad statements of intent into specific plans and actions. The intention is to ensure, as far as possible, alignment between the three states of curriculum: the planned curriculum, the delivered curriculum and the experienced curriculum [from the students' point of view].

The three states of the curriculum (see Prideaux, 2003)

• A systemic approach to curriculum development ideally should begin by scoping the broad design boundaries and parameters then working through to the specific detail within the particular agreed boundaries and parameters. It builds a series of interconnected plans:the statement of aims and intended learning outcomes;

a statement of content, assessment, learning interactions to achieve the ends;

resource plan detailing people, materials, time, facilities, texts, references, readings, etc. needed;

an implementation plan - assigns responsibility for who should do what, when and where

a plan for monitoring and evaluating the success of delivery and making adjustments to improve achievements.

• Such interactive ‘ends-means' planning can help to ensure holistic, coherent design.

The phases are: Topic level CD: Course level CD:

Scoping and positioning:

identification of and

consultation with

interested parties

establishment of

learning ethos and intent

established need for

and context of the

topic

establishment of topic

aim

established need for and

context of the course

statement of course

philosophy

Definition:

development of the

broad/high level

description

Programme

description;

Course rules;

graduate profile;

requirements to meet

external accreditation

requirements

Detailed design:

intended learning outcomes

educational means plan

(assessment, content and

learning interactions)

logistics/delivery resources

and implementation plans

control/evaluation plan

Detailed topic information:

learning outcomes

content

learning and teaching mode(s)

and methods assessment

timetable, study plan,

textbooks, support resources,

Topic evaluation plan

Course information

Course aims and learning

outcomes

Program of study, sequence of

topics, specializations, majors

Strategies for development and

assessment of Graduate Qualities

Broad consideration of delivery

mode, work integrated learning,

etc.

Particular issues in design of first

year curriculum

Course review plan

Planning review and

confirmation

Confirmation of:

resource availability

Confirmation of:

resource availability

Planning review and

confirmation

Confirmation of:

resource availability

teaching capability

Confirmation of:

resource availability

teaching capability

internal / external

approval

Implementation effective topic delivery effective course delivery

Ongoing review

formative input toward

continuous

improvement

refined/improved topic refined/ improved course

Key elements and relationships in curriculum•Key elements within the curriculum and the relationships between them are shown in diagram below.

•Staff and students are at the heart of curriculum.

•The relationships between them are shaped by the answers to key questions about •assessment,

•content,

• learning interactions and

• the connections between those elements.

In the diagram the top question in each pair is a design question for staff. The lower set of questions is commonly asked by students to shape their approach to learning. Curriculum design should help ensure alignment between the answers staff build into their design and those that students find through their experience of the curriculum.

Key elements and relationships in the curriculum

•These elements and relationships of course are all context bound. In current systemic approaches to curriculum design, a major element of the educational context is the intended learning outcomes for students of a topic or course/module.

• Intended learning outcomes frame and influence the detail and alignment of assessment, learning interactions and content (Biggs, 1999).

• Intended learning outcomes describe the characteristics that a student should be able show on successful completion of a course or topic. Assessment gauges the extent of students' achievement of the intended outcomes, learning interactions and content should help to build towards students' achievement of those outcomes.

Alignment in the curriculum: outcomes influence internal elements – elements align towards students achieving outcomes

• Intended learning outcomes are formed under the influences of:

•university policy and regulations,

• the interests of the particular academic discipline,

•our understanding of the characteristics of students entering the programme,

• the expectations of society, professions and potential employers, and educational theory and good practices

Curriculum development: Major phases and outcomes

• A systemic approach to curriculum development ideally should begin by scoping the broad design boundaries and parameters then working through to the specific detail within the particular agreed boundaries and parameters. It builds a series of interconnected plans:• the statement of aims and intended learning outcomes;

• a statement of content, assessment, learning interactions to achieve the ends;

• resource plan detailing people, materials, time, facilities, texts, references, readings, etc. needed;

• an implementation plan - assigns responsibility for who should do what, when and where

• a plan for monitoring and evaluating the success of delivery and making adjustments to improve achievements.

The students

• Students are at the heart of the learning experience. Different student cohorts are likely to bring different previous experiences to a learning environment. The nature of the student cohort can have a significant effect on what can be realistically achieved in a programme of a specified size. Detailed design needs to consider matters of educational background, cultural diversity and inclusive teaching.

• Questions that need to be asked about the potential student cohort are:• what background and knowledge are they likely to bring to the topic in relation to:• academic skills, practices and conventions?• the knowledge and culture of the discipline/field of study ?• cultural and contextual behaviours and knowledge ?• what pre-existing knowledge/skills are required for a student to have a reasonable

chance of success in achieving the intended learning outcomes of the topic?

• The expected entry competencies need to be made clear to prospective students, and if necessary mechanisms put in place to help build those competencies.

Intended Learning Outcomes• Learning outcomes are statements of the attributes and capabilities that a student should be

able to display on successful completion of the programme. They provide the basis for determining student progress and designing assessment strategies and methods. They also provide signposts towards appropriate content and learning interactions to help students achieve those outcomes.

• Questions that need to be asked about intended learning outcomes are:

• What are the intended outcomes of the learning experience for students in the domains of: • Discipline knowledge and application of knowledge?• Action and process competencies - including generic skills?• Development of the student as learner?• What is the appropriate balance across the intended outcomes?• How will these outcomes contribute to the development of the Graduate Qualities?

• In developing and recording intended learning outcomes, words really matter. In particular, verbs really matter.

• Learning outcomes are statements of the capabilities that a student should be able to display on successful completion of the topic

Assessment

• "Assessment affects peoples lives" (Boud and Falchikov, 2007, 1). Assessment is the critical link between learning outcomes, content and learning and teaching activities. Assessment not only gauges what students have learned, it shapes how many students approach learning. Design of assessment focuses on developing assessment methods and activities to enable students to demonstrate their learning in relation to the stated learning outcomes for the programme.

• The key questions are

• how will student learning and progress be measured/determined?

• what methods will be used for assessment?

• what criteria will be used to determine student capabilities?

• Do the assessment tasks match the intended learning outcomes?

Selecting Content• Content is more than just knowledge. Content selection needs to give appropriate balance to subject knowledge, process

skills and the development of the student as learner as well as to detail and context.

• The key questions are:

• what knowledge (concepts, ideas, interpretations, applications) must be included to enable students to achieve the intended learning outcomes?

• what generic process knowledge and skills should the student have been taught by the end of the programme?

• what context in the discipline do the students need to have by the end of the programme?

• what is the appropriate balance of content: depth/breadth, knowledge/skills and processes/values?

• what content should contribute to the development of Graduate Qualities?

• how can international perspectives be incorporated into the topic?

• Once content has been selected it needs to be organized in relation to two main principles: scope and sequence. Time is a major factor in determining the scope of content and the balance between breadth and depth. Integration is also a factor in relation to scope: students generally learn more when they are able to connect new content to prior knowledge and to seek and find real world applications for what they are learning.

• The selection of content is complete NOT when as much as possible has been put in, but rather when as much as possible has been taken out without compromising the integrity of the topic as a learning experience towards the intended learning outcomes.

Learning and Teaching Interactions: Approaches, Methods and Materials

•Detailed consideration of learning and teaching interactions needs to be framed by the educational aims and intended learning outcomes for the topic. Teaching needs to communicate and model the knowledge, practices and values contained in the outcomes to prompt and support learning.

•The main questions that need to be answered are:•What broad learning approach will best help to achieve the topic aim,

e.g. problem based learning, WIL, group based learning?

•How can teaching most effectively contribute to student learning towards the intended learning outcomes?

• The selection of teaching strategies and specific learning and teaching interactions needs to take into account:

• appropriateness for the learners and inclusive teaching

• resources to support student learning (e.g. textbooks)

• other constraints (e.g. time, student cohort, teaching space)

• A combination of strategies can promote greater learning for more students. Students learn more when they are actively engaged in their academic work; become aware of their own preferred way of learning; seek and find real world applications of what they are learning; and work regularly and productively with staff and other students.

• Other questions are:

• What are the most appropriate and practical learning activities?

• What resources are needed to support student learning?

• How can learning and teaching interactions contribute to the development of Graduate Qualities?

Programme (aims and learning outcomes)

Module (aims and learning outcomes)

Aims•AIM: a broad, general statement of educational intent that indicates

the overall desired goal of the programme /module.

•Programme or module AIMS serve as broad purposes or goals and are generally a statement of the intentions of the lecturer or school when designing or running the course. They are not intended to be statements of what students will learn or do, but rather over-arching intentions of the course. At a basic level, aims are trying to answer two questions:

• What is the purpose of this programme or module?

• What is the programme or module trying to achieve?

•Aims should be brief, succinct and give students a reasonable idea of what to expect from the course.

Learning Outcomes • LEARNING OUTCOME: an achievement that may take the form of acquired knowledge,

understanding, an intellectual, practical or transferable skill, and which is intrinsically linked to assessment.

• The learning outcomes of a programme or module should specify the knowledge and skills (and, where appropriate, any other attributes) that someone will be required to demonstration in order to pass the programme or module successfully.

• Learning outcomes can be constructed in three domains: knowledge (cognitive), skills (psychomotor) and attitudes (affective). The latter domain is important in some programmes, e.g. professionally based disciplines such as social work, health and education. In these programmes, for example, learning outcomes need to include an evaluation of a students’ capacity to appreciate cultural diversity and its implications for professional practice.

Programme learning outcomes• Programme learning outcomes are therefore direct statements of what successful

students will achieve as a result of receiving their award. They are neither a wish list nor a statement of the programme content. Moreover, they are not simply an aggregation of the module learning outcomes – they should be more than the sum of their parts.

• Well-designed programme learning outcomes:

• relate directly to the programme aims;

• are clear and unambiguous and can be understood by staff, students and external examiners;

• reflect relevant external reference points (such as Subject Benchmark Statements and rofessional Statutory and Regulatory Body requirements);

• are appropriate to the level of study as defined in NQFs;

• align (as appropriate) with the University Statement of Graduate Attributes.

Module learning outcomes

•Module learning outcomes are more specific, and relate to what successful students will show they have achieved by successfully completing the module and its associated assessment(s). Well-designed module learning outcomes:• are achievable and assessable;

• align to the programme outcomes;

• reflect relevant external reference points (such as Subject Benchmark Statements and Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body requirements);

• are appropriate to the level of study as defined by the NQF;

• align (as appropriate) with the University Statement of Graduate Attributes.

Rationale for using aims and learning outcomes

•Stating aims and learning outcomes has the following benefits;a. they communicate the educational intent of the

module / programme to students and to colleagues,

b. they help to direct module / programme design by addressing the learning needs of students,

c. they inform learning and teaching approaches appropriately,

d. they ensure that assessment is securely integrated,

e. they help to identify the resources needed to run the module / programme,

f. they provide a basis for quality assurance and enhancement.

Some benefits of learning outcomes

select content

develop instructional strategy

develop and select instructional materials

construct tests and other instruments for assessing and evaluating

improve the overall program

Why assess?It builds evidence for accountability,

accreditation and improvement.

•Shows evidence of how well our students learn.

•Uses evidence for continuous improvement.

Simply putKnow what you are doing

Know why you are doing it

Know what students are learning as a result

Make changes in the curriculum based on that information

What is the Relation between Aims and Learning Outcomes?

• Learning outcomes must be achievable by students within the time available and at the level the students are at. The learning outcome of a module of study should link back closely to, and be consistent with, the aims.

• A useful way of drafting learning outcomes is to use the stem: ‘On successful completion of the module, the student will be able to:’

• For the average module of study you probably should aim to have between fiveand eight learning outcomes. If you have more than ten, you probably have too much detail and assessing them all will get unmanageable.

• Therefore a well-written learning outcome is likely to contain the following components: • An active verb that indicates what the learner is expected to be able to know, think or do by the end

of the period of learning which is often qualified by adding a condition and a standard.

What do you want the student to be able to do?

This question asks you to develop the outcome.

For Examples:•Students will be able to evaluate reference books appropriate to the topic in order to locate the best background information and statistics.•Conduct culturally appropriate research in communities.

Importance of Verbs and 3Hs

•Affective Domain (Heart)

•Psychomotor Domain (Hands)

•Cognitive Domain (Head)

Cognitive Domain

Involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills

Bloom’s Taxonomy•Hierarchy of learning outcomes according to cognitive complexity•Higher-level learning outcomes include, and are dependant on lower level cognitive skills

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

Competence Skills Demonstrated

Knowledge The recall of specific information

Comprehension Understanding of what was read

Application Converting abstract content to concrete situations

Analysis Comparison and contrast of the content to personal

experiences

Synthesis Organization of thoughts, ideas, and information

from the content

Evaluation Judgment and evaluation of characters, actions,

outcomes, etc., for personal reflection and

understanding

LEARNING OUTCOMES USING BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

• It may be difficult to know where to start in writing a student learning outcome. Here are some questions that might help you brainstorm a list of outcomes.•What do you want the student to be able to do?

•What knowledge, skill or abilities should the ideal student participant demonstrate?

• How will students be able to demonstrate what they learned?

• How does this program and outcome fit within the Division's Student Learning Outcomes?

•The focus should be on what a student will be able to do with the information or experience.

Structuring An Outcome Statement

•Once you have identified the intended outcomes, you will want to write a formal learning outcome statement. The key is to make sure the statement is S.M.A.R.T.

•Specific-Outcome is focused on a specific category of student learning. If it is too broad it will be difficult to measure.

•Measureable- Data can be collected to measure student learning.

•Attainable- The outcome is attainable given the educational experience.

•Results-Focused- The program outcome is aligned with Divisional Student Learning Outcomes.

•Tailored- Outcome is specificly tailored to the program.

Bloom’s – Lower Levels

Knowledge•Recalling previously learned information such as facts, terminology, rules, etc.

•Answers may be memorized or closely paraphrased from assigned material.

•Define, list, name, recall

Bloom’s – Lower Levels

Comprehension•Ability to comprehend the meaning of material.

•Answers must be in the student’s own words while still using terminology appropriate to the course material.

•Explain, summarize, distinguish between, restate

Bloom’s – Lower Levels

Demonstrate rote or surface learning

Declarative or Procedural Knowledge

Answers found in the assigned materials

80% of HS teachers test at these levels

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsApplication•Requires recognizing, identifying, or applying a concept or principle in a new situation or solving a new problem.

•May require identifying or generating examples not found in assigned materials.

•Demonstrate, arrange, relate, adapt

Bloom’s – Higher Levels

Analysis• Ability to break material down into its component parts and to

understand its underlying structure

• May require students to compare and contrast or explain how an example illustrates a given concept or principle.

• Require students to identify logical errors or to differentiate among facts, opinions, assumptions, hypotheses and conclusions

• Expected to draw relationships between ideas

• Differentiate, estimate, infer, diagram

Bloom’s – Higher Levels

Synthesis•Opposite of Analysis

•Ability to combine parts to form a new whole; to synthesize a variety of elements into an original and significant whole.

•Produce something unique or original

• Solve some unfamiliar problem in a unique way

•Combine, create, formulate, construct

Bloom’s – Higher Levels

Evaluation•Ability to evaluate a total situation, to judge the value of

material for a certain purpose, combining elements of all the other categories and also value judgments based on defined, fixed criteria.

• The most important part of the answer is the justification and rationale for the conclusion

• Judge, critique, justify, discriminate

Bloom’s – Higher LevelsMeaningful or deep learning

Go beyond textual material in that they must be inferred or extrapolated from the material in the assigned material.

Students’ creativity, originality and critical thinking is required at higher levels

More authentic than lower levels• Thinking at this level is more likely to represent types of

performances required in the real world

Characteristics of Good Learning Outcomes

SMART (Measurable/Assessable)

Clear to the student & instructor

Integrated, developmental, transferable

Use discipline-specific competencies/standards

“In order to” gets to the uniqueness and real world application of the learning

Use a variety of Bloom’s Taxonomy levels

Example 1

Bad Outcome•Students will name the three types of rock in order to differentiate among the three.

Example 2

Bad Outcome•Use Illiad and Texshare in order to access materials not available at the MUST Library.

Example 2

Good Outcome•Students will be able to utilize retrieval services in order to obtain materials not owned by the MUST Library.

Last Example

Bad Outcome•Students will be able to construct bibliographies and in-text references using discipline appropriate styles in order to contribute to academic discourse in their discipline.

Last Example

Good Outcome•To construct bibliographies and in-text references using discipline appropriate styles in order to correctly attribute others' work and ideas.

Learning Outcomes as the Basis for Designing Modules

5 Questions for Instructional Design1. What do you want the student to be able to do?

(Outcome)2. What does the student need to know in order to do

this well? (Curriculum)3. What activity will facilitate the learning? (Pedagogy)4. How will the student demonstrate the learning?

(Assessment)5. How will I know the student has done this well?

(Criteria)

LINKING LEARNING OUTCOMES WITH TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

•Writing learning outcomes for modules should not be seen as an aim in itself, they should be used as an integral part of both curriculum design and teaching. This integration of outcomes with both assessment and teaching was called ‘constructive alignment’ by Biggs (1999).

• Constructive alignment means asking yourself three main questions when thinking about designing modules:• What should the students know or be able to do by the end of the module (what are the

intended learning outcomes)?

• What methods will I use in my teaching to encourage students to work towards the achievement of these outcomes?

• How will I design assessment in such a way that the tasks and criteria I use help both me and the students know that they have achieved the outcomes I have intended?

COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAMME

• Title of the Proposed Programme • The title should be reflective of the content of the programme.

• Philosophy of the Programme • The underlying philosophy of the programme should be consistent

with the Department, Faculty/School and Institutional Philosophy.

•Rationale of the Programme • The rationale of the programme should include:

• Needs assessment/market survey/situation analysis;

• Stakeholders Involvement; and

• Justification of the need for the programme.

• Aim(s) of the Programme

• The goal refers to the general purpose of the programme.

• Expected Learning Outcomes of the programme

• The expected learning outcomes of the programme should: a) Be precise and concise; b) Include specific knowledge, skills, areas of professional development

and attitudes that students are expected to have acquired and mastered by the end of the programme (refer to the Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains); and

c) Be SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound) and learner-centered.

• In cases where the programme has specialization/option areas, the expected learning outcomes of the specialization areas should be included.

• Mode of Delivery of the Programme

• This could include open learning, distance learning and face to face learning.

• Academic Regulations for the Proposed Programme

• Admission Requirements for the Proposed Programme

• These should include: a) The minimum requirements applicable to candidates directly out of secondary school education and seeking admission into the programme of the

Institution;

b) Alternative requirements applicable to candidates seeking admission into the programme of the Institution including indirect admission requirements; and

• Course Requirements

• This should include all requirements of the course such as: a) Student class attendance, attachment/practicum/internship, community service.

b) Obligations of the lecturer which should entail aspects of course delivery and facilitation.

• Student Assessment Policy/Criteria

• This should include: a) Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs);

b) End-Trimester/Quarter/Semester;

c) Practicals; and

d) Other Assessments.

• Grading System

• The system should indicate Marks and Letter grades

• Examination Regulations

• This should also include examination malpractices, disciplinary action and mode of appeal.

• Moderation of Examinations

• This should include the process of moderation and the role of internal and external examiners.

• Graduation Requirements

• The graduation requirements should be explicitly provided and should include the passmark and the total number of credits/lecture hours required for graduation purposes.

• Course Evaluation

• Course evaluation should include the procedures of course evaluation and the evaluation of all aspects of the course: the course content, instructional process, infrastructure and equipment for the delivery, instructional and reference materials and assessments.

• Management and Administration of the Programme

• This should include aspects the programme placement/housing, academic leadership and internal quality assurance mechanisms.

• Courses /Units Offered for the Programme

• The courses/units offered should include: • A distribution table comprising of a summary of the number of courses/units/credit hours/lecture

hours allocated to the Institution’s common courses, core courses of the programme, specialization/option area courses and electives

• A matrix showing the courses that are covered by each expected learning outcomes of the programme and specialization areas.

• Duration and Structure of the Programme • This should include the number of academic years, credit/ lecture/contact hours and

a table indicating the schedule of courses/ course units per semester/trimester/quarter.

COURSE OUTLINES

• Title of the course

• This should include course code and credit hours/lecture hours/course units

• NB: Prerequisites should be indicated where applicable

• Aim of the course

• Expected Learning Outcomes of the Course

• The expected learning outcomes of the course should: a) Include statements of knowledge, skills and attitude that the student

would be expected to acquire, and the tasks he/she would be expected to perform or accomplish after taking the particular course; and

b) Be SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound) and learner-centered.

• Course Content

• Course content should include all topics to be covered under the course.

• Mode of Delivery

• This could include lectures, discovery learning, problem-based learning, experiential learning, group-based learning, independent studies and e-learning.

• Instructional Materials and/or Equipment

• Course Assessment

• Core Reading Materials for the Course

• A referencing style should be adopted and consistently applied to all course outlines of the programme

• The materials should be current (not more than five years old unless they are classical references) and should include textbooks, journals and e-materials.

• Recommended Reference Materials

• The materials should include textbooks, journals and e-materials.

•Appendix I: Academic Staff

•List of teaching staff and their experience in University teaching, professional experience, publications and patents and academic qualifications, showing dates and where they obtained their qualifications:

I. Bachelors Degree II. Masters Degree III. Doctoral Degree

THANK YOU VERY

MUCH