Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Curriculum Development



 
Curriculum development is the systematic and continuous process of designing, implementing, evaluating, and revising educational courses and/or programmes to ensure they are relevant, effective, and closely aligned with the institution’s established learning standards. It involves identifying needs, defining learning outcomes, selecting relevant content, and choosing the most appropriate teaching strategies and/or technologies to guide student learning.The CETL is committed to providing faculty with the necessary support in the design and development of various courses and programmes at the UWI. To that end, the CETL provides both synchronous (workshops and consultations) and asynchronous (resources, templates and guidelines) avenues for faculty training and support in the following:


  1. Course and Programme Design
  2. Creating Exemplary Learning Outcomes
  3. Constructive Alignment
  4. Curriculum Mapping
  5. Calculations of Contact and Credit Hours
  6. Curriculum Mapping
  7. Technology Integration

An Overview of the Curriculum Review Process

Curriculum design and delivery are integral parts of teaching and learning at the University of the West indies, Cave Hill campus. From design to delivery and evaluation (depicted in the following illustration), the UWI ensures that every course or programme offering goes through a rigorous process to maintain a high level of quality learning through teaching excellence.

Curriculum Design to Delivery and Evaluation

Curriculum design and delivery are integral parts of teaching and learning at the University of the West indies, Cave Hill campus. From design to delivery and evaluation (depicted in the following illustration), the UWI ensures that every course or programme offering goes through a rigorous process to maintain a high level of quality learning through teaching excellence. Prior to delivery, all courses and programmes must be approved.


The Curriculum Review Team at the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

The Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is primarily responsible for reviewing the curriculum details of each course or programme proposal, ensuring that each proposal satisfies the university’s quality standards for teaching and learning (Figure 4). Once submitted to the CETL, the curriculum proposal is collaboratively reviewed. This collaborative approach ensures that the details of the curriculum proposals are succinct and suitable for delivery by the UWI. The following are some of the details addressed in the CETL’s review of curriculum proposals:

  1. Adherence to the UWI’s policies
  2. Use of appropriate UWI
  3. Measurable learning outcomes,
  4. Credit weighting and contact hour calculations,
  5. Assessment details e.g. tasks/instructions,
  6. Constructive alignment, and
  7. ICT integration for online and blended offerings,


During this phase, the proposal may go through a series of amendments in an iterative process between the CETL team and the proposer/faculty, ensuring that the curriculum meets the university’s standards for teaching and learning excellence. Thereafter, the CETL issues a signed CETL-approval memorandum that is attached to the comprehensive curriculum proposal for subsequent university approval by the campus’s Academic Board.         


Curriculum Delivery and Evaluation

Once approved by the Academic Board, the CETL also provides faculty training and support in the delivery of courses or programmes. This is instrumental in equipping faculty with the necessary knowledge and skill in instructional strategies student engagement, assessments, and technology integration for delivery of the approved curricular.   Following delivery, the course or programme experience is reviewed for any possible amendments. To this end, the campus’s Student Experience Survey (CER) is used to acquire feedback from students on their experiences in the course/programme. This student-centred approach not only aligns with the UWI’s vision and strategic plan, but it also faculty to adopt a more data-driven approach to making subsequent curriculum or instructional amendments e.g. adding an elective, changing assessments or weightings.

Curriculum Resources

Here are some easily accessible resources you may find useful in developing or amending your curricular.

General Curriculum Templates and Guides


Undergraduate Curriculum Templates and Guides ​
Graduate Curriculum Templates and Guides
  • Template MPhil and PhD Programme - New Research Graduate Programme Proposals (MPhil; PhD) - Access and Download Document
  • Graduate Credit System Guide - A guide to calculating and understanding the credit system for Graduate Programmes- Access and Download Document
  •  Proposal for the Policy for the Establishment of Graduate Certificate Programmes - Guidelines for the Establishment of Graduate Certificate Programmes - Access and Download Document
  • Graduate Course Proposal Format Template - Guidelines for Graduate course proposals - Access and Download Document