Week 4: Changing curriculum and Pedagogic design

Practice of Outcomes-based Curriculum in VC

Outcome based curriculum is the ideal formal curriculum which is planned to be implemented in all the courses in the faculty of education, VC. Curriculum of VC has the characteristics of an Outcome-based curriculum, which involves

• •      the development of clearly defined and published learning outcomes that must be achieved before the end of the course;
• •      the design of a curriculum, learning strategies and learning opportunities to ensure the achievement of the learning outcome;
• •      an assessment process matched to the learning outcomes and the assessment of individual students to ensure that they achieve the outcomes;
• •      the provision of remediation and enrichment for students as appropriate.

Since the establishment of Faculty of Education in the year 2007, an outcome based curriculum was followed, hence there was no difficulty is shifting the curriculum from an instruction based curriculum or any other curriculum.

As the number of courses in the VC started expanding in 2009, the new courses also followed outcome based curriculum. Lecturers were responsible to create course subject outline which strictly aligns with the curriculum. It is observed that majority of the lecturer's follow the outcome based curriculum.

Impact of Outcome based Curriculum in VC

Positive

• •      provides direction and stability in the course
• •      helps to guard against over-reliance on a particular staff member or idiosyncratic interpretation of syllabuses.
• •      Assist in adjusting teaching methods to facilitate the achievement of the stated objectives.
• •      Lecturer is in a much better position to decide how students may be assessed, since he or she should know exactly what behaviour they are supposed to be assessing.

Negative

• •      objectives are sometimes given greater status than they deserve.
• •      teaching and learning in some courses become so prescribed that spontaneity withers and initiative is stifled.
• •      lead to the production of students who are certainly well-trained in specific areas, but who lack the broad spectrum of abilities, skills and desirable attitudinal traits that are normally associated with a balanced, 'rounded' education.

Things to be done to further improve the situation?

• •      Lecturers quality need to be enhanced to refresh and update their knowledge on the curriculum and its expectations
• •      Better monitoring whether the lectures are implementing a rigorous outcome based curriculum, take actions if necessary
• •      Further research on ways to enhance the practice of a rigorous outcome based curriculum in VC and the impact of outcome based curriculum on students learning
• •      Ensure that all objectives and learning outcomes are re-appraised at regular intervals - not only to determine whether they are being achieved in the course, but also to establish whether they continue to reflect a valid interpretation of the course's direction and emphasis; if they do not, then it is time to change them.

Related issues in curriculum design that need to be addressed

• •      Integration of  technology into the curriculum
• •      Centralization and decentralization of Curriculum
• •      The essence of thinking in the curriculum
• •      Vocational education and general education- how to make it work together

Related readings

Harden, R, M. (2002). Developments in outcome-based education. Medical Teacher, 24(2), pp.

            117–120

Harden, R., M., Crosby, J., R., $ Davis, M., H. (1999). Outcome-based education: Part 1-An introduction to outcome-based education. Medical Teacher, 21, (1), pp. 7-14

Jansen, D. J., & Christie, P. (Eds.). (1999) Changing Curriculum: Studies on Outcomes-based Education in South Africa. Cape town: Creda Communications

Jansen, D. J.,. (1998). Curriculum Reform in South Africa: A  Critical Analysis of Outcomes-Based Education. Retrieved on April 14, 2014 from http://137.215.9.22/bitstream/handle/2263/132/Jansen%20(1998)a.pdf?sequence=4