1. Getting the bigger picture
From course design to curriculum development

2. Overview
• Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Elements of the scheme
o Circles for quality development
Zooming in on:
o Learning outcomes
o Curriculummapping
o
•

3. Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Alignment of course and curriculum design

4. Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Alignment of course and curriculum design
What do my
students HAVE to
know?
Previous Course
My Course
What do my
students know
YET?
Next Course

5. Alignment of course and curriculum design
Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
sign
Courses are structured in a
thoughtful way
The delivered curriculum
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies

6. Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Alignment of course and curriculum design
the intended
curriculum
learning outcomes
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies

7. Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Alignment of course and curriculum design
the intended
curriculum
•
•
•
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
learning outcomes
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies

8. Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Alignment of course and curriculum design
the intended
curriculum
•
•
•
Studentcentred
Competency
based
…
learning outcomes
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies

9. Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Alignment of course and curriculum design
Against other
the
similar intended
curriculum
programmes
learning outcomes
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies

10. Alignment of course and curriculum design
Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
discipline/ research community / labour market / society
learning outcomes
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies

11. Alignment of course and curriculum design
Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
discipline/ research community / labour market / society
learning outcomes
Policy
Resources
structure and
sequence
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies
Student
charact
Student
resources

12. Alignment of course and curriculum design
Conceptual scheme on curriculum design
Labour market wants
discipline/ research community / labour market / society
good researchers
Let students gradually
structure and
Policy
master them: sequence
- Defining hypotheses
- Using correct
sources
Resources
- Data collection
- Data analyses
- Data presentation
learning outcomes
Translation of good
researchers into learning
outcomes
learning, teaching
and assessment
strategies
Student
charact
Student
resources

13. Circles for quality development

14. Circles for quality development
A
Rethinking intentions

15. Circles for quality development
B
Translating intentions

16. Circles for quality development
C
Implementing the
curriculum

17. Circles for quality development
D
Implementing the
course

18. Actors
researchers / faculty
employers
discipline, research community, labour market, society
alumni
educational
developers
program
leader
courses
faculty
students
structure
and
sequence
teaching
assistents
learning, tea
ching and
assessment
strategies
resources for
students
institutional
resources
supporting
staff
teaching
faculty
program
learning outcomes assistents
leader
student
characteristics
program
leader
students
policy
startenu
policy
makers
society
student
counsellors

19. Added value of the scheme
- Common language
- A tool for quality development
- Different pathways

20. Zooming in on
learning outcomes

21. Learning outcomes

22. Learning outcomes: what?
• Definition:
Learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills or attitudes, or an
integration of them in competences, to be acquired by a graduate
(Diamond, 2008).
Learning outcomes are formulated in a student centred way and should
be assessed.
• Guiding frameworks
o
Europe
o
Flanders
o
University of Leuven

23. Learning outcomes

24. Learning outcome 1: The students have a grounded scientific
insight in geography as a whole and in the main specialisations of
geography.
Learning outcome 2: The students have achieved the necessary
technical and analytical skills to analyse the geographical data
and problems in a professional way.
Course
Learning objectives course X
Learning objective 1:
At the end of this course the student should be able to
explain the different phenomena using the fundamental
physical principles on which weather and climate science
is based.

25. Need to know
• Formulation
o
Content, active verbs, student-centred
• Alignment
o
Course: learning objectives – learning environment –
evaluation
• Importance
o
communication

26. Zooming in on
curriculummapping

27. Curriculummapping

28. Curriculummapping: what?
• Tool for visualizing the coherency in a programme
• Starting point
• Statements:
o
o
o
Realisation learning outcomes?
Identifying learning trajectories
Gap or overlap

29. Curriculummapping
Bachelor programme

30. Analysis and interpretation
OPO1
OPO2
Fase 1
OPO3
OPO4
OPO5
OPO6
OPO7
OPO8
Fase 2
Fase 3
X
X
BP
LO 1
LO 2
LO 3
LO 4
LO 5
LO 6
LO 7
X
X

31. Analysis and interpretation
OPO1
OPO2
Fase 1
OPO3
OPO4
OPO5
OPO6
OPO7
OPO8
X
LO 3
X
X
LO 2
Fase 3
X
LO 1
Fase 2
BP
X
LO 4
X
LO 5
X
LO 6
X
LO 7
X
X

32. Analysis and interpretation
OPO1
OPO2
Fase 1
OPO3
OPO4
OPO5
OPO6
OPO7
OPO8
X
LO 3
X
X
LO 2
Fase 3
X
LO 1
Fase 2
BP
X
LO 4
X
LO 5
X
LO 6
X
LO 7
X
X
X

33. References
•
Biggs, J., Aligning teaching for constructing learning, cf.
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id477
_aligning_teaching_for_constructing_learning.pdf ;
•
Diamond, R.M. (2008). Designing and assessing courses and curricula: A practical guide
(3th Ed.).San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
•
Huyghe, S., Creten, H., Totté, N., Clement, M., Buelens, H. (2009). Alignment of course
and curriculum design: implications for faculty development. EARLI 2009: Fostering
Communities of Learners. Book of abstracts. EARLI. Amsterdam, 25-29 August 2009.
•
Kennedy, D. et al.(2006). Writing and Using Learning Outcomes: a Practical Guide, in
EUA Bologna Handbook, Froment E. et al. (Eds), article C 3.4-1, Berlin, Raabe.