Curriculum Supervisor Guide

Concept 1: What is a Curriculum

Suggested prompts:

• How would you define curriculum?
• How small or large can a curriculum be?
• Is a curriculum ever finalized?

Suggested activity (optional)

• Describe two to three examples of a curriculum that is familiar to the learner.

Key readings about this topic that a faculty supervising a trainee should read or be familiar with: 

• Bordage G, Harris I. Making a difference in curriculum reform and decisionmaking processes. Med Educ. 2011;45(1):87–94.
• Goldenberg D, Andrusyszyn MA, Iwasiw C. A facilitative approach to learning about curriculum development. J Nurs Educ. 2004;43(1):31–5.

Concept 2: Different Approaches to Curriculum Design

Suggested prompts:

• What is the systems approach?
• What is the deliberative approach?
• What is the reconceptualist approach?

Suggested activity (optional)

• Using the learner’s idea for a curriculum or a familiar curriculum, briefly analyze it from each of the approaches, highlighting how they are different, but how they each contribute to key aspects of the curriculum.

Key readings about this topic that a faculty supervising a trainee should read or be familiar with: 

• Kern D, Thomas PA, Hughes MT. Curriculum development for medical education: a six-step approach. 2nd ed. Baltimore (MD); Johns Hopkins University Press; 2009.
• Harris IB. Perspectives for curriculum renewal in medical education. Acad. Med. 1993; 68: p484–486.

Other related concepts a trainee might want to know:

• What is the “hidden curriculum” and how does is it incorporate into curriculum development?
• Leadership and change management (see Leadership unit)
• Social inclusion and diversity, and how does it incorporate into curriculum development?

Concept 3: How to Perform a Needs Assessment

Suggested prompts:

• What is the educational problem considered?
• What is the ideal state related to this problem and how will this curriculum bridge the current state towards the ideal one?
• Who should have input into the needs assessment? Who are the key stakeholders?
• How will the needs be considered? (quantitative metrics? qualitative data?)
• What is the cultural and organizational context in which this curriculum will exist?

Suggested activity (optional):

• Have the learner present their idea for a needs assessment, and using deliberative inquiry, introduce the prompts described above to stimulate reflection on their needs assessment can be further improved.

Key readings about this topic that a faculty supervising a trainee should read or be familiar with:

• Krackov SK, Pohl H. Building expertise using the deliberate practice curriculum-planning model. Med Teach. 2011;33(7):570–5.
• Sherbino J, Frank JR, editors. Educational design: a CanMEDS guide for the health professions. Ottawa: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons; 2011.

Other related concepts that a trainee might want to know: 

• Qualitative methodology (surveys, interviews, focus groups, ethnography)
• Critical incident driven change

Concept 4: How to Write Goals and Objectives for a Curriculum

Suggested prompts:

• Discuss the difference between a goal and an objective
• What need does this objective respond to? How and when will this objective be addressed in the program? How and when will it be measured?

Suggested activity (optional):

• Using the prompts above, analyze the learner’s proposed objectives to ensure they meet best practice standards of writing learning objectives

Key readings about this topic that a faculty supervising a trainee should read or be familiar with:

• Sherbino J, Frank JR, editors. Educational design: a CanMEDS guide for the health professions. Ottawa: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons; 2011.
• Kern D, Thomas PA, Hughes MT. Curriculum development for medical education: a six-step approach. 2nd ed. Baltimore (MD); Johns Hopkins University Press; 2009.
• Harden RM. Approaches to curriculum planning. Med Educ. 1986; 20 (5): p458–466.
• Harden RM. AMEE Guide No. 21: Curriculum mapping: a tool for transparent and authentic teaching and learning. Med Teach. 2001;23(2):123–6.

Other related concepts that a trainee might want to know:

• Bloom's taxonomy

Concept 5: Linking Objectives to Instructional Methods and an Assessment Strategy

Suggested prompts:

• Consider instructional methods proposed and the assessment strategy in their relation to the learning objectives
• Is this the best way to teach this?
• Is this the best way to measure this?

Key readings about this topic that a faculty supervising a trainee should read or be familiar with:

• Harden RM. AMEE Guide No. 21: Curriculum mapping: a tool for transparent and authentic teaching and learning. Med Teach. 2001;23(2):123–6.
• Sherbino J, Frank JR, editors. Educational design: a CanMEDS guide for the health professions. Ottawa: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons; 2011.
• Kern D, Thomas PA, Hughes MT. Curriculum development for medical education: a six-step approach. 2nd ed. Baltimore (MD); Johns Hopkins University Press; 2009.

Other related concepts that a trainee might want to know:

• Common theories of learning (see Teaching and Learning Unit)
• Optimal use of simulation in medical education (see Simulation Unit) 
• Measurement theory (see Assessment Unit)

Concept 6: Curriculum Evaluation

Suggested prompts:

• How will you know if this curriculum is addressing the educational problem?
• How will this curriculum be changed iteratively over time?

Suggested activity:

• Discuss examples familiar to the learner about curricular programs that are recognized to have problems in their delivery or design, and how these problems have been or could be addressed.

Key readings about this topic that a faculty supervising a trainee should read or be familiar with:

• Sherbino J, Frank JR, editors. Educational design: a CanMEDS guide for the health professions. Ottawa: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons; 2011.
• Abrahamson S. Diseases of the Curriculum. J of Med. Educ. 1978; 53: p951–957.

Other related concepts that a trainee might want to know:

• Quality assurance/quality improvement