NURS 5203
Curriculum Design
3 Credit Hours
Course Description
This course introduces the student to traditional and contemporary considerations for curriculum
planning and design as applied to nursing education. Emphasis is placed on philosophy, theory,
objectives, curriculum designs, and total program evaluation.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
Discuss the impact of social and technological forces upon curriculum design.
Incorporate learning styles and stages of human development in curriculum planning
Analyze elements of curriculum design, aims, goals, educational objectives and evaluation
in relation to curriculum design.
4. Utilize critical thinking skills in the application of theories/models in the in a variety of
clinical environments.
5.
Design a model curriculum demonstrating inclusion of critical elements.
Prerequisites and Co-requisites
NURS 5201 Theories of Nursing Education
Course Topics
I.
Orientation
II.
History of Nursing Curricula in the US
A.
Historical evolution of curriculum building in nursing
B.
Innovation in nursing education
III.
Organizing for Curriculum Development: Planning for Change
A.
Definition of curriculum
B.
Determining the need for change
C.
Planning for curriculum development
IV.
The Curriculum Revolution
A.
Forces and issues influencing curriculum development
B.
PEW Health Commission's 21 Competencies for the 21st Century
C.
From Objective to Outcomes
D.
Getting organized and establishing priorities for the curriculum
V.
Philosophical Approaches & Curriculum Goals
A.
Mission
B.
Philosophy
C.
Outcomes
D.
Curriculum plan
VI.
Designing the Nursing Curriculum I
A.
Constituencies invested in undergraduate curriculum design
B.
Undergraduate program designs
C.
Program delivery
D.
Program models
E.
Curriculum Design Process -- Mission & Philosophy
VII.
Designing the Nursing Curriculum II
A.
Frameworks
B.
Outcomes
C.
Competencies
D.
Curriculum Plan
VIII.
Designing the Nursing Curriculum III
A.
Identifying Courses
B.
Course Sequencing
C.
Designing Courses
D.
The Curriculum Plan
IX.
Evaluation Methods
A.
Accreditation models
B.
Program Evaluation Models
C.
Curriculum Evaluation Models
D.
Role of State Boards of Nursing
E.
Role of National Council of State Boards
F.
Comparison of Nurse Practice Acts
X.
Service Learning
A.
Comparison of traditional learning and service learning
B.
Integrating service learning into the curriculum
C.
Outcomes of service learning
D.
Service learning in the nursing curriculum
Staff Development
XI.
Presentation of Curriculum Models
Required Textbooks
Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:
http://www.bkstr.com/
Supplemental Texts
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.) Washington, DC: APA
Supplementary Materials
Assigned periodicals, documents, position statements, and Internet online articles
Hardware Requirements
The minimum requirements can be found at
http://www.tn.regentsdegrees.org/students/hardware_software.htm.
Software Requirements
The minimum requirements can be found at
http://www.tn.regentsdegrees.org/students/hardware_software.htm.
Additional software requirements for this course include Microsoft Office (Word,
PowerPoint), Acrobat Reader, and supporting software for video-conferencing.
Instructor Information
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as
a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.
Testing Procedures
All course requirements are submitted online. There are no tests or quizzes in this course.
Grading Procedure
Participation in online class discussions
10%
Case Studies
10%
Self-Evaluation and Planning
15%
Teaching/Learning Philosophy
15%
Development of a Nursing Curriculum Group Project
30%
Designing a Curriculum Evaluation Plan Group
Project
15%
5%
Presentation of Nursing Curriculum
Grading Scale
A=
B=
C=
D=
93-100
85-92
77-84
70-76
F =
<70
Assignments and Projects Overview
Course content is presented in the form of weekly modules. Each module contains readings,
learning activities, assignments, and a self evaluation/faculty Q & A forum. Some modules may
also include a PowerPoint presentation. Participation in weekly online discussions of course
content is expected. The student is also expected to develop a curriculum, engage in two formal
writing assignments, and make a formal presentation of a curriculum model to demonstrate
learning for this course. Online resources and technology are used for the virtual presentation.
Many assignments will be completed as a group. Students should expect to spend 12 to 15
hours a week completing the requirements for this course.
Assignments and Projects
Participation in online class discussions/case studies (10%)
All students are expected to actively participate in online class discussions. Each discussion
question posted will be assigned a date by which the student must respond. If a student is
unable to fulfill this requirement for any reason, he/she should notify the instructor prior to the
class and make alternative arrangements. The aim is to encourage interaction among students
and faculty, not simply to present information. Students are required to respond to all
discussion questions. Student responses to discussion questions must be substantive and
succinct, that is, thoughtful, analytical and written in 50 words or less unless otherwise
specified. Because the eCourseware system has its own way of formatting material posted on
the discussion feature, the student will not be expected to strictly follow APA guidelines for
online submissions. However, the student is held to academic standards of writing style and the
use of proper grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Grade points for postings to the course discussion board are based on the student’s depth of
participation. All students must participate in the discussion forums in order to meet the course
requirements. The discussion board will be evaluated each week. The final grade for class
participation will be dependent on the general level of participation by the individual student
throughout the semester.
Discussion Board points are assigned as follows:
·
Excellent – 10 points
·
Good – 9 points
·
Average – 8 points
·
Poor – 0 points
Grading rubric for postings:
An excellent posting includes:
·
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In depth response to assigned discussion question
Additional responses to 2 postings from other students in the discussion
group for the assigned readings.
A good posting includes:
·
Response to assigned discussion question
·
Response to 1 of the postings entered by a student in the discussion
group
An average posting includes:
·
Response to assigned discussion question
A poor response does not meet any of the above criteria.
Self-Evaluation and Reflection Narratives (15%)
The Self-evaluation and planning exercise includes a weekly narrative discussion of no more
than 100 words that evaluates individual applications of the assigned topic. Questions to ask
yourself in preparing to write the weekly narrative include but are not limited to:
1. Do you support the proposed perspective?
2. How would you apply the theoretical information in a teaching learning
environment?
3. How has the perspective directly affected your teaching learning experiences?
4. What practical information was obtained that will be helpful as you explore the
assignment to develop a curriculum?
This assignment is a work in progress and will be evaluated by faculty at the midterm and at the
end of the semester. Self-Evaluation and Reflection will be managed using the Assignment
Drop Box. At the assigned times each student will submit one file with a compilation of the
weekly narratives organized by topic. This is a weekly assignment. Do not wait until it is time to
hand in your narrative files to write.
Teaching Learning Philosophy (15%)
The purpose of this 3 page formal paper is for each student to identify and analyze their
personal teaching and learning philosophy. Important elements to explore include: a) Types of
learning environments, b) responsibilities of teachers, c) responsibilities of learners, d) factors
that create obstacles for teaching/learning, and e) factors that enhance teaching/learning.
The writing style for this paper must conform to the current edition of the APA manual. In
addition, use of correct grammar and sentence construction, proper format and structure of the
paper and adequate and clear expression of ideas are elements that will be included in the
grading process.
Development of a Nursing Curriculum (30%)
Working in groups (size to be determined by faculty), students will construct a curriculum for
one of the following: a) Curriculum for an Associate or Baccalaureate Degree program, b)
Continuing education with a professional focus, or c) Continuing education with a clinical focus.
The continuing education option includes an entire series, not just one course (example -- new
hire orientation). The final project will be evaluated for all essential components, including:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mission -- 10 points
Philosophy -- 10 points
Outcomes -- 30 points
Curriculum Plan -- 40 points
Peer Evaluation -- 10 points
Each group will have a Curriculum Design Discussion Forum that will be evaluated by the
faculty regarding the quality of deliberations that occur relative to these essential components. A
grading rubric will be provided.
The presentation of the Nursing Curriculum will be evaluated using the following critical
elements:
1. Applies standards of critical thinking expressed by writing/narrating that is clear,
accurate, precise, and relevant
2. Applies principles of English usage including grammar, syntax, spelling, format
and structure
3. Use of online resources and technology for virtual presentation
4. Ideas are congruent with professional curricular standards
5. Peer Evaluation: each group member will evaluate the other members of the
group for level of involvement in group process
Designing a Curriculum Evaluation Plan (15%)
The purpose of this assignment is to apply the principles of curriculum evaluation to planning
evaluation activities for the curriculum project. Working in groups, students will write a 3-5 page
paper that describes an evaluation plan for the curriculum project. Students will select an
evaluation model, determine which aspects of the curriculum will be evaluated, decide on data
to collect and from whom, and determine the frequency of data collection as well as how data
will be recorded and maintained.
Papers will be submitted as part of the curriculum project paper using the Assignment Drop Box.
The writing style for this paper must conform to the current edition of the APA manual. In
addition, use of correct grammar and sentence construction, proper format and structure, and
adequate and clear expression of ideas are elements that will be included in the grading
process. A grading rubric will be provided.
Punctuality
Students are expected to:
•
•
Check the course calendar for the due dates of assignments.
Check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements.
Course Ground Rules
The student is expected to:
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Learn how to navigate in the eCourseware system.
Participate by responding to all discussion questions.
Keep abreast of course announcements.
Use the assigned college or university e-mail address as opposed to a personal e-mail
address.
Contact the instructor if unclear about assignment expectations.
Address technical problems immediately.
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
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•
•
•
•
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Always include a subject line.
Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way.
Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
Use standard fonts.
Do not send large attachments without permission.
Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be
avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
Respect the privacy of other class members.
Discussion Groups:
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•
•
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Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion.
Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion
group.
Be respectful of others’ ideas.
•
•
•
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Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering
your remarks.
Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Chat:
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Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
Be constructive in your comments and suggestions.
Library
The Tennessee Virtual Library http://vl.rodp.org is available to all students enrolled in the
Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases,
interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and
Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background
reading must be included in all courses.
Students with Disabilities
Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic
accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home
institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive
written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability
services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with
his/her home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for
having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.
Calendar/Syllabus Changes
Faculty reserve the right to alter the calendar/syllabus as circumstances may dictate. All
changes will be announced immediately by individual e-mail and posting on the course bulletin
board. Students are responsible for reading e-mail and postings regularly to obtain this
information.
Technical Support
If you are having problems logging into the course, timing out of the course, using the course
web site tools, or other technical problems, please visit the AskRODP Customer Support web
page at http://askrodp.custhelp.com/ or call the AskRODP Help Desk at 1-866-550-RODP (1866-550-7637).