Curriculum Design

Institute experts are available to consult with faculty teams, programs, departments, and units as they re-envision and refine curricula or develop new curricula. Curriculum design or redesign is initiated for a variety of reasons, including updates to or new accreditation standards, disciplinary changes, and evolving needs of future employers, and involves a six-stage evidence-based design process. 


STEP 1: Needs Assessment

During the needs assessment stage, qualitative and quantitative data are collected and analyzed. This effort may include review of program assessment data or accreditation reports, focus group data, discipline-based educational research, and existing or new survey data.

 


STEP 2: Curricular Goals and ELOs

After collecting and analyzing needs data, curricular goals and Expected Learning Outcomes (ELOs) are developed or refined. ELOs describe the abilities graduates from the program will possess. They capture and articulate the significant learning expected of students, critical competencies and essential values.


STEP 3: Mapping ELOs to Gap Analysis

Next the current curriculum is analyzed to determine alignment with new ELOs. Areas where the current curriculum is not aligned to or does not develop desired future ELOs are identified using gap analysis.

 


STEP 4: Writing

During the writing stage, curricular documents are developed to propose and gain approval of the new curriculum, communicate new curriculum or curricular revisions with stakeholders and guide the implementation and evaluation processes.

 

 


STEP 5: Implementation

Plans for the development and implementation of the new curriculum are made and enacted. These plans can include pilots and Instructional Redesign (IR) projects carried out by individual and groups of instructors. Implementation also includes planning for assessment and evaluation of the new curriculum. 

 


STEP 6: Evaluation

 

During the evaluation process, learner assessment, as well as program and course evaluation, data are gathered to inform future curricular development and design efforts.

 


For further information about the curriculum design process or to request a consultation, email us at drakeinstitute@osu.edu.