Bovill, C. Morss, K. and Bulley, C. (2008) Curriculum design for the first year. First Year Enhancement Theme Report, Glasgow: QAA (Scotland). (original) (raw)
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The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in blue are added to the original document and are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately. QUT Digital Repository: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/ Kift, Sally M. and Field, Rachael M. (2009) Intentional first year curriculum design as a means of facilitating student engagement: some exemplars.
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The objectives of the Principles in Patterns (www.principlesinpatterns.ac.uk) project are to: * Document current practice in faculty curriculum design and approval processes with an emphasis on identifying gaps and blockages in planning processes, in information sharing, in the way guidance is provided and in alignment with strategic objectives. * Develop a new approach to curriculum design and approval that reduces blockages, more appropriately supports staff and reflects the principles and strategic objectives embodied in University policy. * Test out ways of representing effective learning designs at task, module and course (programme) level to support teachers in design activities and to support staff members responsible for planning, managing and sharing of curriculum design information. * Represent these outputs in ways that are useful to other institutions engaged in curriculum design and to the wider HE and FE sector. (project plan p5) This baseline document provides a revie...
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This paper outlines some of the findings from a QAA (Scotland) funded project exploring first year curriculum design (Bovill et al. 2008). Whilst many examples exist of curricula being designed in ways to engage first year students, there are fewer published examples of active student participation in curriculum design processes. In the current higher education context where student engagement in learning is emphasised (Carini et al, 2006), this paper asks more generally whether students should be actively participating in curriculum design. In order to answer this question, several elements of the project findings are explored: student views gathered in focus groups; staff views collected in workshops; and the case studies where students were actively involved in curriculum design. The data are examined for lessons that inform the debate about whether students should be participating in curriculum design, in first year and at other levels. Alongside these findings, relevant literature is critiqued in order to ascertain the desirability and feasibility of adopting curriculum design approaches that offer opportunities for active student participation.