Implicit Curriculum in
DE programs
L O O K I N G A H E A D TO E PA S 2 0 1 5
A N D R E W Q U I N N , P H D , D E PA R T M E N T O F S O C I A L W O R K , A S S E S S M E N T C O O R D I N ATO R , U N I V E R S I T Y O F
N O R T H D A KO TA
Defining Distance Education
A mode of delivering education and instruction to students who are not physically present in a
traditional setting such as a classroom.
Distance learning provides access to learning when the source of information and the learners
are separated by time and distance, or both
Types of Distance Education Deliveries
Asynchronous
◦ Students and instructors do not communicate in real time; parties do not need to be in the same space
simultaneously
◦ Emails, discussion groups, posting to social media site
Synchronous
◦ Students and instructors interact in real time; parties are in the same space simultaneously
◦ FaceTime, Adobe Connect Professional, Skype, Interactive Television (ITV/IVAN), chatrooms
Hybrid
◦ A combination of asynchronous and synchronous whether contact is virtual or combined with an on
campus experience
Distance Education Programs
A program can be defined as a distance
education program that uses synchronous
and/or asynchronous technologies to
deliver the majority (greater than 50%) of
their curriculum online*
Caveat is field. Above definition refers to curriculum offerings up to field.
* Quinn and Barth, 2014
Defining the Implicit Curriculum
Came out of education (Jackson, 1968)
◦ Called the Hidden Curriculum
◦ Focuses on the other 3 r’s
◦ RULES, REGULATIONS, and ROUTINES that help students and instructors be successful in the SOCIAL aspects of a scholastic
institution.
Has been discussed in several professions
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Medical
Teacher education
Music education
Athletics
Psychology
Defining Implicit Curriculum
CSWE introduced the need to consider the implicit curriculum into EPAS 2008
◦ the educational environment in which the explicit curriculum [the content of our classes] is presented
Refined for EPAS 2015
The Educational Environment (as defined by CSWE, 2015)
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Diversity
Student development
Faculty
Administrative structure
Resources
Operationally Defining
the Implicit Curriculum
for the DE program
Diversity
Reflected through the learning environment
Institutional settings (context the institution is grounded in)
◦ Consider populations served
◦ Consider the mission of the University, of the College, Program
◦ De program offerings can support or distract
Faculty
◦ Employ diverse faculty
◦ Distance education technologies allows for faculty displaced from campus to teach
Outside Content
◦ Use World Wide Web to expose students to diversity
◦ Use YouTube to expose students to diversity
◦ Bring in guest speakers who can provide content regarding diversity
Make up of student body
◦ Distance Programs can admit students from all over the world
◦ Distance Program opens education to those who are not able to attend on-campus classes
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EG: Physical issues, distance to campus
Student Development
Policies
◦ Handbooks distributed online
◦ In-person or virtual orientation
Advising
◦ Virtual Advising
◦ Email, phone, SMS, conferencing software (Skype, Adobe
Connect Professional), chat
◦ In Person
Participation in Faculty Governance
(Committee structure)
◦ Virtual connection
Participation in Campus Events
◦ Live Stream Events (allows for real time Q&A)
◦ Post recorded events
Participation in Social Work Clubs
◦ Social Media
◦ Streaming meetings
◦ Use CMS to connect students to club postings
Culture of Human Exchange
◦ Social Media
◦ CMS
◦ Traditional Ways of Communicating
Faculty
Teaching on-line
◦ Is it more work?
◦ Balancing with Campus Classes
Competency
◦ Assure that faculty are familiar with the technology
◦ Pedagogy drives technology choices
◦ Competent to teach assigned content
Supports
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Course development
IT Support
Instructional Design
Conferences
A FACULTY COMFORTABLE AND
COMPETENT WITH TECHNOLOGY WILL
IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF THE IMPLICIT
CURRICULUM
Administrative and Governance Structure
Admit # of students that technology supports
◦ Balance student: teacher ratio based on what the technology can support
◦ If synchronous and cameras are on, more bandwidth is used, need smaller classes
Consider the role of a Distance Coordinator
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Makes sure classrooms are available
Provides tech support to faculty
Provides orientation to students
Serves as the initial contact for distance students
Makes sure faculty are trained
Makes sure department is considering the most current technology
Resources
Provide current and working technology to instructors
◦ Access to real time technical support
Assure Access to Campus Events, clubs etc
Make training available for faculty teaching in DE
◦ Support continuing education efforts
Access to libraries
◦ Meet and great librarian
Affecting the Implicit Curriculum
Things that can effect Implicit curriculum in DE programs (and in turn effect the explicit curriculum)
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Spotty technology
Faculty challenged by technology
Not taking advantage of the full capacities of the technology
Focusing on technology more so than pedagogy
Access to field
Lack of institutional support
Lack of diversity in field choices
Aging platforms (CMS, Synchronous platforms, others?)
Use of adjuncts vs. tenured/tenured track professors
Class sizes pushing the limits of the technology (especially in synchronous DE offerings)
Age old Question: can all SW content be taught using a DE platform
De student body makeup doesn’t reflect the diversity expressed in mission statements
OTHERS?
Implicit curriculum is not mutually exclusive from explicit curriculum
◦ Poor implementation of the Implicit Curriculum will have bearing on the Explicit Curriculum
◦ Poor implementation of the Explicit Curriculum will have a bearing on the Implicit Curriculum
EPAS 2015
Competencies are holistic
◦ Performance and knowledge, values, critical thinking, affective reactions, and exercise of judgement
Assessment must be multi-dimensional
◦ Accounts for learning outcomes and demonstration of competencies
Assessment also involves gathering data regarding the Implicit Curriculum
◦ Which MAY include but NOT limited to assessment of diversity, student development, faculty,
administrative and governance structure, and resources
◦ Look at aspects of the implicit curriculum in conjunction with the explicit curriculum as possible culprits
if there appears to be substandard achievement of competency attainment
Research on Assessing the Implicit
Curriculum
Holosko et al (2010): created a glossary of terms, FAQ for advisors, and a FAQ for field problems and
resources for students and field instructors
◦ Assessment: use of a flexible framework that is mixed methods and both simple and systematic in its approach
Petracchi and Zastrow (2010): offered some suggestions on how to assess implicit curriculum
◦ Advising survey, course evals, assessment of field experience, exit survey
Grady et al (2011): Reported on Implicit Factors Survey
◦ Questions about community, diversity, faculty advising, and support services
Miller (2013): Examined Professional Socialization
◦ Used several scales to examine outcomes related to values, attitudes, and professional identity
Peterson et al (2014) used components of the implicit curriculum as predictors of students
professional empowerment
◦ Diversity of faculty and staff, supportive faculty, opportunity role structure, access to information, feeling
valued, and sense of community
Research on Assessing the Implicit
Curriculum
Quinn and Barth (2014): asked distance education programs about how implicit curriculum was
operationalized in their DE programs
◦ Poses the question should implicit curriculum for distance education programs be assessed differently
then their on-campus counterparts?
Ways to Assess the Implicit Curriculum
Self report of students
Faculty rate students
Employee Surveys
Field placement quality evaluations
Educational climate ratings
Instructor effectiveness ratings
Advising Ratings
Statistical Models
◦ Path
◦ SEM
Challenges to Assessment
How do we assess implicit curriculum if students are not connected to campus?
◦ Synchronous vs Asynchronous Courses
How do we assess implicit curriculum if we don’t see the students (Asynchronous classes)?
How do we create a culture of Human Exchange similar to campus experience?
When in the students’ career do we assess the implicit curriculum
◦ Different for Cohort vs non-Cohort Model
Questions
How does your program operationalize the implicit curriculum
◦ Does it differ from the on campus operational definition
What are some challenges in seeing the implicit curriculum in synchronous, asynchronous,
and/or hybrid deliveries
What are some ways you have considered assessing the implicit curriculum?