Cardiff University aims to implement developments to the curriculum design process, initially as part of the JISC-funded PALET project (Programme Approval Lean Electronic Toolset), which will engage students more fully in how they are educated, ensuring a real partnership activity is in place to create the most appropriate educational experience.
It is anticipated that this practice will be embedded into institutional processes when the project reaches its conclusions in July 2012.
Key Words: Curriculum Design, staff, students
Description/approach: Staff working on the PALET project have facilitated focus groups with student representatives from a range of discipline areas, to explore how students are/could be involved in Curriculum Design activities.
At the student focus groups, we explored the following questions with students:
- How do you learn best?
- What teaching methods or learning activities help you to learn best?
- Are different teaching methods or learning activities more appropriate to different topics/subject areas?
- Do you know how you'll be taught certain things? Where does that information come from?
- Do you think you have the knowledge/understanding to make decisions about course design? How would you want to use the knowledge?
- Would you like to be involved in helping to design how a course is delivered? How?
Feedback from the focus group can be found here: http://blogs.cf.ac.uk/palet/entry/video_blog_series_students_and
The project plans to continue working with the Academic Affairs Officer of the Student Union to ensure that students can be involved in, participate in and work in partnership with staff in the area of curriculum design.
Anticipated outcomes: It is anticipated that work undertaken by the PALET project will help to ensure that students have more opportunities to create and shape the educational experience of students at the institution.
Contact Name: Georgia Slade
Email: SladeGK1@cardiff.ac.uk
Phone: 02920 879220
Institution: Cardiff University
Address: Registry, McKenzie House, 33-36 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF14 2FL