Curriculum Structure Research Articles

An approach towards total quality in architectural education in India track: higher education (architecture education)

Architecture Education is a service and product, which demands, quality delivery to meet the expectations of stakeholders. Architecture Education in India is over 100 years old, and the focus of higher education in India post-independence has been on addressing the demand for skilled professionals required for a developing nation. Over the years the emphasis on quantity has impacted the quality of graduates and there is a need for a quality framework for better delivery to all the stakeholders and to produce more employable graduates. Quality imperatives are critical to all contemporary societies which demand a better quality of life through holistic built environments across the globe delivered through professionals having the skill set to meet societal aspirations There is an increasing demand for trained professionals given the tremendous growth in the physical infrastructure in urban and rural areas particularly the current shortfall in the housing sector besides other tertiary sectors of the economy. The paper addresses the issues about architectural education as mandated through statutory processes prescribed by the Council of Architecture, New India’s Minimum Standards of Architectural Education in India, and the New Education Policy -2020 of the Government of India. The research process adopted identifies the gaps in the current system of education through content and perception analysis through interviews and expert opinions and suggests methodologies that can transform the current processes through an understanding of total quality principles and their application to the higher education sector. The paper evaluates various aspects of architectural education such as institutional mechanisms, the process of admission, curricula structure, pedagogy, teaching-learning processes, scheme of examinations, faculty selection process, and their growth through the perspective of total quality parameters for the service sector. The paper attempts to suggest an approach towards Total Quality in Architectural Education in India driven by quality and research, relevant to the socio-economic, cultural, and physical context of the developing economies in the 21st Century.

Empowering Art and Design Education via a Flexible Curriculum

This concept paper explores the need to apply a more flexible and personalized curriculum approach in art and design education. This approach aims to foster student creativity, empower learning freedom, and focus on the uniqueness of individual students. Literature highlights reveal several weaknesses in the conventional curriculum such as flexibility, emphasis on technical aspects, and a lack of interdisciplinary. Reforms in art education need to emphasize the integration of other disciplines, technology, and creative elements in the learning approach. A rigid curriculum structure can hinder the development of creativity and innovation. Therefore, students need more space to explore alternative and creative approaches in learning art and design. Self-directed learning has a huge positive impact on creative thinking and problemsolving skills, gives students the freedom to pursue their interests and inclinations, improves resilience, and encourages innovative thinking. A balance between student autonomy and educational goals is important. Students need to understand the learning objectives and be given the opportunity to choose a project that interests them. Formative assessment, a supportive learning environment, and collaboration between students are essential in achieving this balance. Taking into account the above recommendations, art and design education can become more dynamic, relevant, and can foster creativity and innovation among students. This is important in facing the era of advancing globalization and rapid digitalization. Therefore, a more flexible and student-centered curriculum approach is a positive step in advancing art and design education. Keywords: art education, flexible curriculum, student creativity, self-learning and educational innovation

The Literature Course Mapping in the Undergraduate Curricula of EFL Education: A Case Study in Several Countries in Asia

This study aims to map the literature course in the undergraduate curricula of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education in Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan[1], and analyze the literature course mapping in the Indonesian, Thai, and Taiwanese undergraduate curricula of EFL education. The significance of the study lies in its contribution to the structure of the undergraduate curriculum of EFL education, addressing global higher education challenges in the twenty-first century. This research employed a case study approach in Asia involving quantitative mapping of curricula documents from several universities in Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan, followed by qualitative analysis of curricula documents. The results indicate that, on average, the twelve target universities allocate 6% of the total obligatory completed semester credits to the literature course for a Bachelor of Teaching degree. Most of these universities position the literature course at a moderately low level with their curricula. Ideally, the literature course allocation could be increased to 15% if the linguistics and general language skills course group is also set at 15%, while the elective course group should be at 6%. Since the data were validated using time triangulation, future research should explore additional data validation techniques, such as in-depth interviews or questionnaires. [1] Taiwan is a part of China.

Comparative Curriculum Analysis for Preclinical Medical Education: Between Cohorts and Between Instructors

Prior to Fall 2023, the two medical campuses of the University of Minnesota, have hadtwo different curricula. Though the Duluth campus has delivered an integrative, systems-based curriculum, the Twin Cities campus has delivered a discipline-basedcurriculum. Outcome measures (1) pass rate and scores on Step 1 board exams, 2)graduation data and 3) match success) demonstrate strong comparability betweenthe two curricula. Starting in September 2020, another opportunity for comparisonoccurred; a single instructor taught pulmonary content to both the Duluth (Fall 2020)and Twin Cities (Spring 2020) cohorts and another single instructor taughtcardiovascular content to both the Duluth (Fall 2020) and Twin Cities (Spring 2021)cohorts. Both cohorts were given and assessed on the same set of learning objectives;leading us to ask the following question: Does the structure of the preclinical curriculum(systems vs discipline-based) impact the learning outcomes of physiology, particularlythe ability to integrate material? We compared the two cohorts by comparing acommon set of exam questions assessing cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology. Wemeasured question performance by question diffculty index (expressed as a percent)and question cognitive level by determining the Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive level(knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation). We foundno differences between the cohorts in question diffculty as a function of content typeor levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. We conclude that there was no difference in overallperformance of the Duluth and Twin Cities cohorts despite receiving different curricularapproaches. However, we had an unexpected finding from the analytics; thecardiovascular items were significantly more diffcult than the pulmonary items. Thisresult has implications for a team-taught medical school curriculum given the source ofthe difference could be the difference in teaching style, the difference in content or thedifference in item writing. We therefore are beginning an exploration of the differencein item analysis and possible impacts on student evaluations. The important of this lineof inquiry is that first, consistency in item diffculty potentially impacts a competencybased medical curriculum and second, how students perceive differences in itemdiffculty has the potential to affects instructor evaluations and therefore promotionand tenure. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The Tensegrity Curriculum: A Comprehensive Curricular Structure Supporting Cultural Humility in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Due to growing health disparities in underserved communities, a comprehensive approach is needed to train physicians to work effectively with patients who have cultures and belief systems different from their own. To address these complex healthcare inequities, Rowan-Virtua SOM implemented a new curriculum, The Tensegrity Curriculum, designed to expand beyond just teaching skills of cultural competence to include trainees' exploration of cultural humility. The hypothesis is that this component of the curriculum will mitigate health inequity by training physicians to recognize and interrupt the bias within themselves and within systems. Early outcomes of this curricular renewal process reveal increased student satisfaction as measured by course evaluations. Ongoing course assessments examine deeper understanding of the concepts of implicit bias, social determinants of health, systemic discrimination and oppression as measured by performance on graded course content, and greater commitment to continual self-evaluation and critique throughout their careers as measured by course feedback. Structured research is needed to understand the relationship between this longitudinal and integrated curricular design, and retainment or enhancement of empathy during medical training, along with its impact on health disparities and community-based outcomes.

The Law degree, face-to-face modality of the Metropolitan University, Guayaquil Headquarters: justification of the curricular structure within the framework of the resizing of the academic offer

Curriculum design is a specialized job that demands expertise and application of regulations, quality standards and monitoring of trends, as guarantees of relevance, relevance and impact of the academic offer. Once the post-pandemic stage began, uncertainty arose at the Metropolitan University in addressing the trends in career study modalities, which demanded a study in context, applying appropriate and reliable methods to determine each scenario based on the particularities of each field of knowledge. In the case of the Law degree, the background of the previous curriculum, infrastructure, level of enrollment, demand, relevance and offer at the national level was analyzed, which led to the presentation of a new degree design in person modality approved by the Council of Higher Education in 2023. This article presents the justification of the curricular structure of the new academic offer corresponding to the Law degree, in-person modality at the Guayaquil Headquarters of the Metropolitan University.

Pulitzer Prize’s Breaking News Photography Intensifying Students’ Photojournalism

The recent surge in Pulitzer Prize-winning Breaking News Photography has prompted an exploration into its impact on student photojournalism. This research aims to investigate and analyze this phenomenon. The objective of this study is to assess the effects of recent Pulitzer Prize-winning Breaking News Photography on the intensification of student photojournalism. A qualitative approach, utilizing observational methods, was employed in this research. Sampling was conducted through cluster sampling, involving a total of 60 participants. The analysis of Pulitzer Prize-winning Breaking News Photography indicates a notable enhancement in the ability of students to produce high-quality journalistic photos. Assignments focused on reinforcing the essential principles of journalism have facilitated increased creativity in photo composition and improved accuracy in captioning. Moreover, the evaluation of student works uploaded to social media platforms has provided valuable insights for instructors. Additionally, the need for curriculum adaptation to emphasize skill development is highlighted, aiming to cultivate professional, integrity-driven, and honest journalists. The implications of this study underscore the significance of adapting curriculum structures to bolster skill development in student photojournalists, thereby fostering the emergence of journalism professionals characterized by integrity and honesty.

Portraying Teacher Performance Management in Schools Implementing Semester Credit System

Portraying Teacher Performance Management in Schools Implementing Semester Credit System

Evaluation of ChatGPT and Gemini large language models for pharmacometrics with NONMEM.

To assess ChatGPT 4.0 (ChatGPT) and Gemini Ultra 1.0 (Gemini) large language models on NONMEM coding tasks relevant to pharmacometrics and clinical pharmacology. ChatGPT and Gemini were assessed on tasks mimicking real-world applications of NONMEM. The tasks ranged from providing a curriculum for learning NONMEM, an overview of NONMEM code structure to generating code. Prompts in lay language to elicit NONMEM code for a linear pharmacokinetic (PK) model with oral administration and a more complex model with two parallel first-order absorption mechanisms were investigated. Reproducibility and the impact of "temperature" hyperparameter settings were assessed. The code was reviewed by two NONMEM experts. ChatGPT and Gemini provided NONMEM curriculum structures combining foundational knowledge with advanced concepts (e.g., covariate modeling and Bayesian approaches) and practical skills including NONMEM code structure and syntax. ChatGPT provided an informative summary of the NONMEM control stream structure and outlined the key NONMEM Translator (NM-TRAN) records needed. ChatGPT and Gemini were able to generate code blocks for the NONMEM control stream from the lay language prompts for the two coding tasks. The control streams contained focal structural and syntax errors that required revision before they could be executed without errors and warnings. The code output from ChatGPT and Gemini was not reproducible, and varying the temperature hyperparameter did not reduce the errors and omissions substantively. Large language models may be useful in pharmacometrics for efficiently generating an initial coding template for modeling projects. However, the output can contain errors and omissions that require correction.

Employability skills in engineering from the perspective of three interest groups

In recent years, various international organizations in the field of higher education have taken on the task of defining the skills that professionals in different disciplines should develop to succeed in the labor market. As a result, universities have started to transform their curricular structures. Consequently, the aim of this study was to assess the relevance of employability skills from the perspective of students, graduates, and employers, aiming to bridge the university–industry gap. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was carried out to evaluate the perceived importance attached to these dimensions by the three groups. There is a significant difference in the importance of employability skills perceived by employers or immediate supervisors in relation to the perception of students/graduates. The findings provide a useful insight into the importance of employability skills from three points of view, considering that not many previous studies compare an employability model from multiple perspectives. The research was carried out in times of a pandemic, which made it difficult to have contact with people. This allows Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to rethink their educational projects according to the current needs of the economic, social, and productive sectors in the post–COVID-19 era.

Competency-based and less time-bound: a new approach to the macro-structure of a medical school curriculum

ABSTRACT Shifting to a competency-based (CBME) and not time-bound curricular structure is challenging in the undergraduate medical education (UME) setting for a number of reasons. There are few examples of broad scale CBME-driven interventions that make the UME program less time-bound. However, given the range of student ability and varying speed of acquisition of competencies, this is an area in need of focus. This paper describes a model that uses the macro structure of a UME program to make UME curricula less time-bound, and driven more by student competency acquisition and individual student goals. The 3 + 1 curricular model was derived from the mission of the school, and includes a 3-year core curriculum that all students complete and an individualized phase. Students have an 18 month individualized educational program that meets their developmental needs and their educational and professional goals. This is achieved through a highly structured advising system, including the creation of an Individualized Learning Plan, driven by specific goals and targeted Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA). Students who struggle in achieving core competencies can use individualized time to support competency development and EPA acquisition. For students who have mastered core competencies, options include obtaining a masters degree, clinical immersion, research, and community-based experiences. Students can also graduate after the 3-year core curriculum, and enter residency one year early. Structural approaches such as this may contribute to the norming of the developmental nature of medical education, and can advance culture and systems that support CBME implementation at the UME level.

CROSS-CULTURAL TEACHING IN INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

The study investigated foreign student teaching conditions through cross-cultural interactions with modern educators. Notably, the authors employed a two-fold framework of cross-cultural education: objective and subjective. Objective factors encompass external variables like curriculum structure, teaching mechanisms, academic environment, literacy, teacher attitudes, research skills, teaching style, and leadership level. The study also identified student motivation, attitude, ability, cultural differences, conflict resolution strategies, and cross-cultural communication skills as influential elements. Ultimately, the research concluded that incorporating a multicultural environment within international cooperation projects fosters greater cross-cultural exposure.

A Qualitative Case Study of Teachers’ Perceptions on a Two-model System; Adhering to Chinese and International Baccalaureate Mandated Standards

National curriculum standards for different countries mean some International Baccalaureate (IB) schools must often balance IB and national standards. Literature on how schools find this balance is limited. Using a qualitative case study design, we examined the perspectives of teachers of English in a Chinese IB school that recently employed a two-model system to address government mandates while still adhering to IB policies. A two-model system occurs when the two curricula are taught separately rather than in an integrated way. Our findings describe teachers’ understanding of a two-model system, identify challenges for teachers in its implementation, and suggest improvements. Results are confined to a single context of an English department in China and cannot therefore be generalized. Our findings reveal an overall theme of separateness identifying structural and conceptual factors affecting the relationship between the two models. The article discusses new ideas for curriculum structures that might inform school decisions for similar IB schools and schools with integrated curricula.

우리나라 초등교원 양성 대학의 원격 교육 개선 방안

Purpose: This study examined distance education models and practices in two types of universities, i.e., overseas teacher education universities and domestic general universities, to develop strategies for improving distance education in an elementary teacher education university in South Korea.
 Methods: We conducted in-depth case studies of distance education in five universities (two overseas and three that were domestic) and compared the data to one in a domestic teacher education university in terms of material requirements, systems and services, and support for university member competency.
 Results: We found considerable variations in terms of pedagogical philosophies, curriculum structures, academic administrations, and platform-based special programs. For example, the overseas teacher education universities highlight the quality and quantity of learning, paying less attention to the length of the lectures. It is also notable that the domestic general universities take into account students’ educational welfare and provide various forms of distance education to facilitate students’ flexible management of time and space.
 Conclusion: The findings suggest that the elementary teacher education university should adopt more student-centric distance education methods and foster interactions, which underscores the need for financial supports and intercollegial communication.

Characteristic Reform of the Curriculum System of Toy Design and Manufacturing Major in Applied Colleges and Universities

Through extensive and in-depth research and demonstration, this study has clarified the professional positioning and talent training objectives of toy design and manufacturing in application-oriented colleges and universities, created professional curriculum groups according to the curriculum structure required by the core competence of vocational posts, built high-quality professional core courses, training packages, and standard curriculum systems around the core competence of posts, and introduced practical projects combined with engineering characteristics. Focusing on the training objectives of high-quality technical skills to improve students’ practical skills, the formation of “teaching-learning-doing” integration of a characteristic course system has achieved remarkable results.

Pharmacy Students’ Perception of the Content and Delivery of Drug Information Training: A Mixed-Methods Study

ObjectiveTo explore the pharmacy students’ perception of the content and pedagogical strategies used for the delivery of drug information (DI) training. MethodsAn explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted among BSc Pharmacy and PharmD students at the College of Pharmacy, Qatar University. The first phase consisted of a quantitative cross-sectional survey using a 34-item pretested questionnaire. The Donabedian framework guided the development of the questionnaire. This was followed by a phenomenological qualitative phase that was conducted based on the result of the first phase. Descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis were used for data analyses. ResultsThe completion and usable rates were 88.7% (102 of 115) and 91.2% (93 of 102) respectively. The online resources used for the delivery of DI and the progressive structuring from year 1 to 4 were reported to be adequate by a majority of the respondents (93.55%). Ninety percent of the students opined that the use of simulation-based assessments improved their integration of the theoretical and practical aspects, and their preparedness to apply the DI concepts in practice. However, 20% of the participants reported inconsistency of the DI curricular content with some practices encountered during their experiential learning exposures. The themes identified from the focus group discussion included the perceived value and skills acquired from the DI content, availability and currency of DI resources, students’ preparedness, curricular structuring of DI content, and reflection on and recommendations to improve DI coverage and delivery. ConclusionThe curricular structuring of the DI content across varieties of relevant undergraduate pharmacy courses from the lower to higher professional years and its focus on the progressive development of DI-related competencies appeared to have enhanced the students’ perception of the relevance, appropriateness, and utility of the content, resources, and pedagogical strategies used for the delivery of DI education at the undergraduate level.

Characterization of Distinctive Teaching Practices in Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships: Perspectives From Students and Faculty

Phenomenon : Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are novel curricula that place medical students in long-term learning and coaching relationships with faculty and require adaptation of teaching practices on the behalf of faculty to maximize learning outcomes. An understanding of how teaching in an LIC model differs from teaching trainees in more traditional models is critical to ensuring curricular innovation success through faculty development. Approach : A qualitative approach was used to describe the teaching practices of faculty and learning experiences of student participants in longitudinal integrated clerkships in different clinical and community settings. Forty-five faculty and 20 students participated in focus groups. Thematic analysis of focus group data was used to identify differences and similarities between groups, sites, and specialties. Findings : Two groupings of themes emerged in thematic analysis: (1) precepting strategies distinctive to the longitudinal integrated clerkship model and (2) precepting strategies enhanced when employed in the LIC model. Distinct to the LIC model, preceptors and students described the importance of understanding the curricular structure and supporting students in longitudinal care of patients. Enhanced in the LIC model are the strategies of relationship-based teaching, support of autonomy, feedback, and support of longitudinal growth in skills. Insights : Students and faculty across LIC sites were broadly aligned in their opinions of best practices for teaching in an LIC model. The longitudinal relationship between student and faculty in an LIC distinguishes this model from traditional block rotations and a distinctive approach to successful teaching is demonstrated. Preceptors use time afforded to build trusting relationships with students, which created opportunity for novel teaching approaches and enhanced otherwise effective teaching strategies. A focus on orientation to the curricular model and support of longitudinal relationships with patients may serve as an anchor for faculty development efforts in the development of an LIC.

Reforming the Curriculum System for Applied Undergraduate English Majors: Bridging Theory and Practice

Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, Chinese universities have seen a significant growth in the study of foreign languages, with a focus on English majors. Nonetheless, ongoing difficulties compromise this educational system's efficacy. It is often acknowledged by experts that, despite substantial expenditure, English majors struggle to satisfy societal demands because of curricular structures that are out of date and were inherited from earlier times. To address these issues, this paper suggests extensive changes to the applied undergraduate English major curriculum. The suggested changes, which stress the development of practical skills in line with the demands of the modern labor market, seek to close the gap between theory and practice by drawing on theoretical frameworks and real-world experiences. The theoretical structure for curriculum design includes refining traditional language proficiency courses, incorporating a variety of professional modules, creating career-focused vocational courses, enhancing comprehensive practical training. By aligning curriculum content with evolving industry demands and fostering a holistic approach to talent cultivation, these reforms strive to equip English majors with the necessary skills and competencies to succeed in today's dynamic global landscape.

Decolonizing and diversifying the biosciences curriculum – a practical guide to getting started

To create inclusive bioscience learning environments, we need to challenge the dominance of white European perspectives within our discipline through diversification and decolonization of the curriculum. Bioscientists may be unsure how to start this process or may struggle to see how it is relevant within scientific disciplines. Here, we provide some practical suggestions of how to start with diversification and decolonization. We highlight a published culturally competent curriculum structure that may be of value and give multiple steps towards decolonization. These range from considering terminology, addressing gaps in our own knowledge to learning how to pronounce names from multiple cultures correctly and working in partnership with students and staff from diverse backgrounds. We also reflect on our own privileges, experiences and biases to illustrate the importance of self-awareness in this work. Decolonization and diversification may be uncomfortable and challenging, but our suggestions provide practical advice and support to bioscience educators wanting to create more inclusive curricula.

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Satisfaction Level with their Clinical Learning Experiences in Multan, Pakistan

Abstract: Background: Clinical experience is an integral part of nursing education. Obtaining quality clinical experiences in a supportive and pedagogically calibrated clinical learning environment is a significant concern for nursing institutions. The quality of clinical learning reveals the quality of the curriculum structure. Therefore, it is important to investigate students’ clinical learning experiences to produce competent future nurses. Objective: This study aimed to measure the undergraduate nursing students’ satisfaction level with their clinical learning experiences in government and private college of Nursing in Multan, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach, with analytical cross-sectional design, was used. A sample of 191 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Data was collected using the CLES+T evaluation scale. Online Google survey forms were used to collect data, due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Result: The study findings revealed that students were satisfied with their clinical learning experiences. Students’ overall mean satisfaction score was 3.54 + 0.93 and significant (p<0.05) difference was found in the satisfaction score between the government and private undergraduate nursing students. Attending pre and post-conferences, faculty visit to students’ clinical placement, electronic communication between students and clinical faculty, and environment of clinical placement were the associated factors found with students’ satisfaction. The findings revealed that a meaningful clinical learning environment motivates students to continue nursing as their career choice. Conclusion: This study concluded that, overall, students were satisfied with their clinical learning experiences, however, satisfaction varied according to the type of college and year of study.