Curriculum Building Research Articles

A case study on development of a spiral oral health curriculum for medical students.

Inadequate oral healthcare remains a critical public health issue in children and adults in the US affecting adverse social, psychological, economic, and health outcomes. Medical clinicians have a clear role in addressing oral health issues and improving outcomes. Oral health guidelines for health profession schools were developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) oral health core competencies, and the newer Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health's (CIPCOH) Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). However, the majority of health professional school deans and residency directors in the US report they are not satisfied with the oral health knowledge and skills of their learners at graduation. To address this issue, faculty at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMCMS) have worked for the past decade to develop and implement a true spiral curriculum building on lessons of knowledge, skills, and attitudes throughout the 4-year student experience. The current UMCMS curriculum involves most courses at the medical school, has community-based and interprofessional components, and is taught using multimedia. Most of the curriculum is mandatory with selective opportunities for those in specialty tracks or who are seeking more hands-on training. Our study evaluated the UMCMS curriculum using the AAMC and CIPCOH EPA guidelines. Findings show that all students receive training in 42 of 48 AAMC oral health competencies and seven of seven CIPCOH oral health EPAs with the opportunity to explore oral health further through elective courses. Assessments of students show they perform well and evaluation of the oral health curricula by students are positive. Although our oral health curriculum is robust, the next steps include expanding the evaluation of students to ensure they universally meet competencies. We expect that this case study can serve as a map for creating a generalizable, spiral curriculum for other medical schools.

Leveraging the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Process to Advance Health Equity.

The fetal and infant mortality review (FIMR) process is a community-oriented strategy focused on improving the health services systems for pregnant persons, infants, and their families. FIMR helps communities to understand and change systems that contribute to racial disparities in birth outcomes. FIMR equally values the medical and social services delivery records and the personal narratives of families who have suffered a fetal or infant loss when creating the de-identified case summaries to be reviewed by teams. A two-tiered process, FIMR uses a multidisciplinary Case Review Team (CRT) as the information processor and the Community Action Team (CAT) as the action arm of the process. Pediatricians are vital to both teams, helping to bring about systems change to improve maternal and child health. This paper examines how the well-established FIMR team serving Indianapolis (Marion County, IN) worked to build the capacity of its CAT to address racial disparities in birth outcomes through 5 distinct steps: focus on the primary causes of local fetal or infant mortality, focus on neighborhoods with the highest stable fetal or infant mortality rates, designation of a CAT leader, creation of a culture of regular CAT meetings inclusive of a health-equity skill building curriculum, and inclusion of Grassroots Maternal and Child Health Leaders on the CAT. This paper demonstrates how the synergy between local organizations and community members can effectively address racial disparities in birth outcomes.

The year long journey: Transforming the BSN-DNP curriculum

BackgroundRevising a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) curriculum for family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner education with an eye on future changes in competencies required planning and consensus among taskforce members. Major priorities included: the need to embed competency- based education (CBE), the National Taskforce Criteria for Nurse Practitioner (6th ed.) education, and the Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, 2021). FindingsChallenges began with faculty knowledge of CBE, NP faculty skills in curriculum building, buying in to the revised degree, and reviewing all current literature on the DNP NP knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for current practice. The year long journey yielded a comprehensive curriculum model to share as well as several lessons learned and recommendations for this journey. ConclusionThe process resulted in a curriculum revision that thus far, is better suited to development of the “work-ready” graduate while still supporting individualized student needs in attending a doctoral-level program. Ongoing work is focused on specific “pillars” of program support including clinical preceptor placement and partnerships, preceptor resources, student retention resources, and exploration of competency-based tracking data management.Considering the impact on faculty workload, program leadership should actively assess levels of curricular expertise of faculty involved to determine additional development or training needs for individual professional growth.

Machine learning's impact on medical education and research: beneficial or detrimental?

Machine learning (ML), an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, has the potential to revolutionize medical education by aiding in locating scholarly publications, condensing them, producing automatic drafts, summarising articles, and translating information from various languages. Still ethical concerns need to be governed and closely supervised in scientific literature. ML has become a valuable tool for medical research and teaching due to its ability to generate responses that closely resemble human responses when faced with difficult medical questions. It has disadvantages such as the potential dissemination of inaccurate or prejudiced data and excessive dependence on technology in medical instruction, deteriorating analytical reasoning and clinical judgment abilities. ML can aid in various aspects of medical education, including curriculum building, tutoring, test preparation, medical research, simulation, and continuing medical education. This article explores the transformative impact of ML in the medical field, focusing on medical data analysis, rewards in medical education, enhanced diagnosis, and creative content generation. It delves into ML applications for medical learners and educators, including interactive simulations, cooperation enhancement, and clinical vignettes. The article also addresses ML's role in patient care, along with strategies, challenges, and limitations in its implementation.

“Global challenge program” projects themed on preventing zoonosis: developing One Health core competences in medical students at SJTU

Abstract Objectives To develop One Health (OH) core competencies in medical students, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has conducted an OH practice project named the “Global Challenge Program” (GCP) for three years. This study aims to understand the outcomes and challenges of the pilot projects, thereby providing evidences to support the expansion of One Health education program on a larger scale. Methods We conducted a questionnaire survey to a purposive sample of 48 participants who were involved in GCP projects. A questionnaire was designed to assess the effect of GCP projects on improving the core competencies of OH professionals. It consists of 32 questions divided into four categories: basic information, overall assessment, communication skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Statistical analysis was conducted and reported based on the data collected from the survey. Results A total of 42 students (87.5 % of 48 participants) completed the follow-up survey. Among them, 64.3 % perceived a significant improvement in their understanding of the OH concept and approach after participating in the GCP projects. Benefiting from the communication opportunities offered by the GCP projects, 24.0 % and 49.0 % of the students reported significant and moderate improvement in their international communication abilities, respectively. In addition, 74 .0% of the students noted that the GCP projects greatly enhanced their capabilities in interdisciplinary cooperation and systematic thinking in addressing complex health issues. Conclusions The GCP project has served as a pilot initiative for participatory OH education, contributing to the development of OH core competencies in medical students, particularly in systems thinking, international communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. However, generalizing the experience of the pilot project to a large-scale education program for medical students requires careful revisit of the gaps of resources and talents in curriculum building and project operation.

Strategies for Effective Capacity-Building in the Fight Against Commercial Tobacco.

The Center for Black Health & Equity's approach to addressing health inequities relies on the inherent ability within community-based organizations to respond to public health priorities while addressing the political and social determinants of health. By using Dr. Robert Robinson's Community Development Model as a foundational framework, communities can address systemic barriers that impede optimal health outcomes. The model includes community engagement and mobilization activities that motivate communities to achieve equity-centered policy change and offers milestones that show progress made toward their goals and objectives. We operationalized the Community Development Model into the Community Capacity Building Curriculum to train community partners to form a multicultural coalition through asset mapping as a tool for community mobilization. This curriculum is both cost effective and efficient because it enables communities to address health disparities beyond tobacco control, such as food and nutrition, housing, and environmental issues. Coalitions are prepared to identify and make recommendations to address policies that perpetuate health disparities. Facing off against a powerful tobacco industry giant is challenging for small grassroots organizations advocating for stricter tobacco regulations and policies. Such organizations struggle for resources; however, their passion and dedication to the mission of saving Black lives can promote change.

Dilemma and Path of Innovative Practice of Civic Party Building Curriculum in Colleges and Universities in the Era of “Internet Plus” Combined with Logit Modeling

Abstract In the “Internet+” era, Civic Party building programs at universities face the challenge of modernizing their pedagogical approach to meet students’ evolving needs. This paper examines the hurdles in updating course content and diversifying teaching methods, utilizing the Logit model to determine factors crucial to innovating these courses. Analysis reveals that political cognition, emotion, and participation play pivotal roles in the success of course innovation, especially political cognition with a coefficient of 0.784. Recommendations for course improvement include adopting internet technologies, updating content, varying teaching techniques, and enhancing student involvement. Ultimately, the study advocates for a strategic overhaul of Civic Party building courses to fulfill their educational goals.

Construction of Educational Objectives: An Analysis from Blooms Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to create educational objectives based on different levels of the cognitive domain of Bloom's taxonomy. Moreover, it aimed to identify the action verbs related to science education at the secondary level for bachelor-level students. To achieve this, a qualitative research methodology was used with 15 students selected through a purposive sampling procedure from campus A. In-depth interview guidelines and focus group discussions were prepared and validated by subject experts and colleagues. Seven students participated in the interview, and two FGDs were conducted using the research tools. The field data was coded and analyzed thematically. The study investigates the difficulties of Bloom's Taxonomy and its application in modern education and cognitive science. It also identifies the action verbs and their possible specific and behavioral objectives in science education. Each level of cognitive domain emphasizes its significance in curriculum building, instructional strategies, and assessing cognitive growth in science education. The research investigates the changing applications of Bloom's Taxonomy that should be used in today's technologically driven educational context.

The issues of design of a Petri net-based software component for modelling holistic and coordinated curriculum for potential specialists’ training

This paper proposes a Petri nets-based software component for automating the holistic and coordinated curriculum building process for pre-service IT specialists. The design of the software module is based on the holistic educational paradigm and the authors’ approach to Petri nets-based curriculum modeling. The core components of the software module are identified and their requirements are formulated. The groups of software classes are specified and described. The benefits of the software module for pre-service IT specialists are highlighted. The prospects for further research include implementing the software module and testing it on specially prepared cases.

Management of The Implementation of The National Curriculum Based on Islamic Boarding School Education To Improve The Quality of Madrasah Aliyah (Descriptive Analytical Study at MA Al-Masthuriyah, MA Sunanul Huda, MA Al-Amin, Sukabumi Regency)

One of the efforts to improve the quality of education is the application of a curriculum that is in accordance with the needs and developments of the times. Reality shows that the practice of national education with a curriculum that is made and structured in such a way has even been refined many times, has not been able to present an Indonesian human figure with a complete personality.Efforts to achieve the quality of education as expected by all components of the nation have been carried out, including by issuing various policies that support both from an institutional perspective, human resources and the operationalization of quality implementation in schools and madrasas, including Law no. 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System, Law no. 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers and PP No. 19 of 2005 concerning National Education Standards, and most recently the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 28 of 2016 which states that Education Quality Assurance is a systematic, integrated and sustainable mechanism to ensure that the entire process the implementation of education is in accordance with quality standards. Islamic boarding school-based schools such as MA Al-Masthuriyah, MA Sunanul Huda and MA Al-Amin in Sukabumi Regency implement education by combining general education and religious education into one curriculum building. With this approach, all formal school subjects and activities cannot be separated from the frame of teachings and messages of Islamic values. There is no dichotomy, separation, and secularization where lessons and all discussions are separated from Islamic values and teachings, or "sacredization" where Islam is taught regardless of the context of the benefit of present and future life. Based on the phenomenon above, the researcher is interested in conducting research on the Application of Islamic Boarding School-Based National Curriculum Management to Improve the Quality of Madrasah Aliyah (Analytical Descriptive Study at MA Al-Masthuriyah, MA Sunanul Huda and MA Al-Amin, Sukabumi Regency). This study aims to examine the management of the implementation of the national curriculum at Islamic boarding schools based on Madrasah Aliyah. The approach used in this study is a qualitative approach. The method used is descriptive analytical method, in which the researcher will describe and then analyze in depth the research findings. Sallis stated, to measure quality education, of course, criteria/indicators are needed. Sallis revealed that there are many indicators of good quality in educational institutions, including: 1) upholding moral values; 2) very satisfactory test results; 3) support from parents, place of business and the surrounding environment; 4) abundant resources; 5) application of the latest technology; 6) strong leadership and clear vision; 7) care and concern for students; 8) a balanced and relevant curriculum. Based on the findings, interpretations and discussion, the general conclusion regarding Management of Implementation of the National Curriculum Based on Islamic Boarding School Education at MA Al-Masthuriyah, MA Sunanul Huda, MA Al Amin has been implemented, but has not yet had an optimal impact. The management of implementing the national curriculum based on Islamic boarding schools is still constrained by internal and external constraints. The internal obstacle is the low understanding, skills and motivation to make improvements to the curriculum itself because the teacher's understanding of the integrated curriculum is still not optimal. External constraints are also marked by the low level of supervision from the local Ministry of Religion.

Building Curriculum Vitae as a Medical Student.

career; hobbies; leadership; medical students; research.

Half-hearted Support to Pluralist Curriculum Building: The Case of Religion

ABSTRACT This article makes two claims, one explanatory, one normative. The former aims at explaining why pluralist religion teaching, be it teaching in the style advocated by the OSCE Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools or other forms of pluralist religion teaching or religious literacy teaching, has not become an overwhelming success in Europe. To that effect, the article identifies a number of incentives and disincentives contained in (interpretations of) international human rights law that serve to perpetuate confessional teaching models. The normative claim advanced in this article challenges international human rights monitoring bodies’ ‘claw-back-clause’ reading of educational and religious rights of pupils and parental liberties. Specifically, the article concludes that advances in socio-legal science show that opt-outs are no remedy for the risks emanating from confessional religion teaching within public schools—rather, opt-outs are part of the problem.

Delivering Financial Capability and Asset Building Curriculum: Strengthening the Competencies of Social Work Faculty

Delivering Financial Capability and Asset Building Curriculum: Strengthening the Competencies of Social Work Faculty

Financial Capability and Asset Building Curriculum for Social Work Students in the Kenyan Technical and Vocational Training Education System

Financial Capability and Asset Building Curriculum for Social Work Students in the Kenyan Technical and Vocational Training Education System

Earthquake Response for Students with Different Severe Degrees of Disabilities: An Investigation of the Special Education Classes in Primary Schools in Taipei.

Taipei has been ranked as the most vulnerable city to a wider combination of risks. Although the Special Education Law addresses the consideration of disaster preparedness for students with disabilities enrolling in Special Education Schools, more attention needs to be given to the far larger number of students with disabilities enrolling in normal schools. These schools need to consider the care for students with different types and severe degrees of disabilities. The aim of the research is to investigate challenges of earthquake preparation and response for students with different severe degrees of disabilities who enrol in the special education classes in general primary schools. The objectives of the research include the following: (1) investigating the challenges and requirements for support of students with different severe degrees of disabilities; (2) examining the need and support for students with different degrees of disabilities during the earthquake response process; and (3) exploring the best practice in the curriculum building for students with different severity of disabilities. The purposive sampling was used to select four primary schools in Taipei as participant groups in the research. The research team used semi-structured interviews to interview eight participants: one special education class teacher and one administrator of each school were invited. Findings include the following: (1) ensuring the appropriate design of physical environment for earthquake response in schools, including rapid response, evacuation, and assembly points for students with different severe degrees of disabilities; (2) proposing suitable staff to student ratio to be planned for the response phase; (3) identifying the appropriate individualised curriculum and learning objectives to suit students with different severe degrees of disabilities.

How does lesson study promote district education reform? – A case study of a district in Shanghai

PurposeLesson study (LS) is generally regarded as a pathway for teachers' professional development and a method for teachers' instructional research. LS has been regarded as having the potential to drive large-scale reform but little is known about how it does so from a district level. Therefore, this paper aims to reveal how lesson study promote district education reform.Design/methodology/approachThis study offers an in-depth case study of how District Y of Shanghai, China, took LS as the primary method in promoting its District Project of Building Curriculum Leadership in Schools. By analyzing the key project documents and achievements in project promotion, and interviews with the major Project leaders at District and school levels, this study explored the practice and impact of LS as a tool to promote district reform.FindingsIn the District Project, LS has been a medium to address each individual school's real problems of practice and turn them into reform vision and reform will in alignment with District goals. Five levels of school curriculum texts have been planned, designed, translated, implemented, reflected on, updated and mutually adjusted systematically through LS to ensure consistency in transforming District reform vision into classroom practice. Different models of teaching-research community building were found in sampled project schools and professional expertise was built with district support to promote reform. The curriculum leadership development through LS has shaped reform leader schools and formed a collection of LS exemplars circulated in schools as high-quality curriculum packages, which laid the foundation for district-wide reform.Originality/valueThe innovative practice of LS in China's education reform has expanded its reach from within one classroom to the entire district curriculum system and made it an important tool to drive large-school district-based education reform.

INTEGRATING CONCEPTS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE EO4GEO BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

Abstract. The EO4GEO Body of Knowledge (BoK) forms a structure of concepts and relationships between them, describing the domain of Earth Observation and Geo-Information (EO/GI). Each concept carries a short description, a list of key literature references and a set of associated skills which are used for job profiling and curriculum building. As the EO/GI domain is evolving continuously, the BoK needs regular updates with new concepts embodying new trends, and deprecating concepts which are not relevant anymore. This paper presents the inclusion of BoK concepts related to Artificial Intelligence. This broad field of knowledge has links to several applications in EO/GI. Its connection to concepts, already existing in the BoK, needs special attention. To perform a clean and structural integration of the cross-cutting domain of AI, first a separate cluster of AI concepts was created, which was then merged with the existing BoK. The paper provides examples of this integration with specific concepts and examples of training resources in which AI-related concepts are used. Although the presented structure already provides a good starting point, the positioning of AI within the EO/GI-focussed BoK needs to be further enhanced with the help of expert calls as part of the BoK update cycle.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT IN GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY – AN OVERVIEW

Abstract. This article gives an overview of capacity development (CD) elements for fast-growing geospatial technologies and their applications (GSTA). While the Earth observation data and spatial analytics software tools are getting more open and accessible, lack of skilled workforce and institutional capacities are limiting effective applications. A systematic process is essential in realising required capacity at individual and institutional levels, in maintaining and upgrading technological infrastructures, and in updating geospatial data and strengthening human resources for sustainable supply of workforce. This article discusses on different user sectors and their competencies that are expected to meet their demands. It is also important to take stock of different modes of CD along with a variety of methods to select the appropriate suitable for the different users’ groups for efficient knowledge transfer. In addition, this article describes briefly on two methods of building curriculum design of courses based on two different body of knowledge objectives. The importance of coordinated effort in CD programs is stressed for promoting GSTA for national and international flagship development programs such as the 2030 global sustainable development agenda. It briefly discusses on the issue of gender diversity and points out ways to increase the women participation in GSTA CD programs.

Teaching Note—Supporting Homebound Older Adults and Caregivers Through Integrative Service Learning

ABSTRACT The Supporting Older Adults & Caregivers: Integrative Service Learning (SOCIAL) partnership trains undergraduate social work students to provide practical home-based support for older adults with chronic illness and their family caregivers, serving as a pipeline for future leaders in older adult care. More than 2 million older adults are homebound, and 5 million need help leaving their homes. Family members often assume daily caregiving tasks to assist their loved ones, navigate health care systems, and provide much needed emotional support. In this teaching note, we provide an example of an integrative service learning model which can serve older adults and caregivers while offering valuable pedagogical experiences to baccalaureate students, along with strategies for curriculum building, community engagement, research and evaluation, and program sustainability.

How to Integrate Sex and Gender Medicine into Medical and Allied Health Profession Undergraduate, Graduate, and Post-Graduate Education: Insights from a Rapid Systematic Literature Review and a Thematic Meta-Synthesis.

Sex and gender are concepts that are often misunderstood and misused, being utilized in a biased, preconceived, interchangeable way. Sex and gender medicine is generally overlooked, despite the profound impact of sex and gender on health outcomes. The aims of the present rapid systematic literature review were (i) to assess the extent to which sex- and gender-sensitive topics are covered in medical courses; (ii) to assess the need for and willingness toward integrating/incorporating sex and gender medicine into health-related education; (iii) to identify barriers and facilitators of the process of implementation of sex and gender medicine in medical teaching, mentoring, and training; and (iv) to evaluate the effectiveness of interventional projects targeting curriculum building and improvement for future gender-sensitive physicians. Seven themes were identified by means of a thematic analysis, namely, (i) how much sex- and gender-based medicine is covered by medical courses and integrated into current medical curricula, (ii) the knowledge of sex and gender medicine among medical and allied health profession students, (iii) the need for and willingness toward acquiring sex- and gender-sensitive skills, (iv) how to integrate sex- and gender-based medicine into medical curricula in terms of barriers and facilitators, (v) existing platforms and tools to share knowledge related to sex and gender medicine, (vi) sex- and gender-based medicine aspects in the post-medical education, and (vii) the impact of sex- and gender-sensitive topics integrated into medical curricula. Based on the identified gaps in knowledge, further high-quality, randomized trials with larger samples are urgently warranted to fill these gaps in the field of implementation of gender medicine in educating and training future gender-sensitive physicians.