{"id":149,"date":"2012-02-01T15:02:52","date_gmt":"2012-02-01T23:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/nesbit\/?page_id=149"},"modified":"2018-03-25T20:26:05","modified_gmt":"2018-03-26T04:26:05","slug":"curriculum-assessment-activities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/nesbit\/curriculum-assessment-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Curriculum Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board Outcomes-Based Assessment\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n

The site linked to the above title presents summaries of curriculum assessment work for the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program offered by the University of British Columbia for the 2008 and 2014.<\/p>\n

A Curricular Assessment Framework<\/h3>\n

Curriculum assessment requires\u00a0defining the system or “learning community” relating to the curriculum to be assessed. \u00a0Below is a conceptualization of the civil engineering learning community at the University of British Columbia as an adaptive (i.e. ever-evolving) system:<\/p>\n

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Curriculum assessment emerges from the need for\u00a0curriculum management. \u00a0 The sustainable\u00a0management of ecosystems, which, like curricular systems are adaptive, has informed my perspective of curriculum\u00a0management of the professional civil engineering program\u00a0offered at the University of British Columbia. \u00a0Here is an illustration of the curriculum management\u00a0framework that guides my understanding[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A framework for managing the Engineering Socio-Curricular System.<\/p>\n

This framework starts by recognizing the social complexity of the civil engineering learning community and the factors that influence the behaviour of the community.<\/p>\n

Program Indicators (also know as Program Learning Outcomes <\/em><\/strong>(PLOs)<\/em>)<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0are the foundation of the curriculum design. \u00a0They are developed from discussions within the learning community leading to consensus decisions of how to define the indicators (a.k.a. PLOs).<\/p>\n

A curriculum management strategy is required for the curriculum to operate, and for quality learning by students to occur.\u00a0 The management strategy includes the design of a networked relationship between the curriculum governance, the curriculum management, and information (i.e., data) that informs both governance and management decisions.<\/p>\n

GOVERNANCE<\/p>\n

Curriculum governance is enacted by the Department Head, according to department, faculty, and university policies. \u00a0The Curriculum Improvement\u00a0Committee in UBC\u2019s Department of Civil Engineering recommends curricular actions to both the head and the Department at large. \u00a0This body needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum, so that informed trade-offs, revisions and planning can occur.<\/p>\n

MANAGEMENT<\/p>\n

The role of the department head (teaching allocation, curriculum administration such as scheduling, financing, and ensuring\u00a0the curriculum management system is working) is crucial to a well-functioning curriculum. \u00a0The department’s Curriculum Committee, which differs from the Curriculum Improvement Committee, shepherds curriculum change through the administrative system of the university.<\/p>\n

MONITORING<\/p>\n

Monitoring the student experience, monitoring changes in key stakeholders (e.g., the profession, the university), monitoring the levels at which curriculum goals are met (including learning goals, budgeting, etc), and reporting in a meaningful way to stakeholders (e.g., faculty\u00a0members, students, the accrediting body, the university, etc.) happens here.\u00a0 It is crucial that the people in the governing and managing roles learn from the information collected during curriculum monitoring.<\/p>\n

Curriculum monitoring and assessment are the keys to developing an evidence-based curriculum.\u00a0 Accreditation reporting can be leveraged to achieve meaningful curriculum assessment leading to informed curriculum renewal decisions.<\/p>\n

Outcomes-Based Curriculum Assessment Reporting\u00a0for the Civil Engineering Program at the University of British Columbia<\/a><\/h3>\n

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[1]<\/a>\u00a0This framework is based on the work of\u00a0James Kay<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0David Waltner-Toews<\/a>\u00a0outlined in Implementing the Ecosystem Approach, Chpt 14 of \u00a0The Ecosystem Approach: \u00a0Complexity, Uncertainty, and Managing for Sustainability\u00a0<\/a>(2008), Ed.s Waltner-Toews, Kay, and Lister.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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