Endorsed by Duke AHEAD Steering Committee, November 18, 2015 (Last updated 11/18/15)

Significance         

The development and evaluation of educational curricula is at the heart of the teaching enterprise.  A curriculum is a complex interaction of many components and, at the same time, is bigger than the sum of all those parts.  It is founded upon a deliberate philosophy of education that is connected to the institution’s and profession’s mission and value, and it is constructed to help learners achieve complex, multi-faceted program outcomes.  Curriculum design is best accomplished by utilizing education theory and working collaboratively to choose learning experiences and sequence them appropriately. 

Health professions educators are responsible to ensure that curricular outcomes meet established professional standards and/or accreditation criteria, are relevant in light of evolving expectations for progression, and help learners develop the knowledge, skills and values deemed essential by the profession. They also are responsible to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum in helping learners achieve those outcomes, using valid and reliable measures.

Specific Behaviors That Demonstrate Participation in Curriculum Design And Program Evaluation:

1.  Articulate program outcomes that are relevant to prepare graduates to meet the needs of patients/families, communities, and society at large
2. Formulate progressive objectives that guide learners and teachers throughout the curriculum
3. Design, implement, evaluate and revise curricula as needed to ensure they reflect application of sound educational principles and theories, societal and health care trends, findings from pedagogical research, needs assessments results and program outcomes
4. Ensure that all elements of the curriculum (from philosophy through framework, program outcomes and plan of study, to course objectives, instructional strategies and assessment methods) are congruent and internally consistent
5. Use qualitative and quantitative approaches to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the curriculum on a regular basis
6. Identify the resources (personnel, classrooms, labs, clinical facilities, technology, etc.) necessary for effective curriculum design, development, implementation and evaluation
7. Collaborate with key stakeholders, including learners and administration, in curriculum design, implementation and evaluation