The Decision-Making Process Underlying Curriculum Revision

Mayo, M. A.; Miciak, Alan R.

doi:10.1177/027347539101300304

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…According to Mayo and Miciak [ 16 ], it is important to understand the reasons why student choose their electives in order to “ assist a university in curriculum design and in the allocation of space and teaching resources ”. A review by Ting and Lee [ 17 ] compiled a comprehensive list of potential influences as follows: level of interest, level of difficulty, timing of lectures, popularity/personality/leniency of instructors, expertise of instructors, grading and assessment format, exposure to career skills, influence of friends/family and average class size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

Daly

2017

BMC Med Educ

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BackgroundThe University College Dublin Elective Programme was introduced in 2005 with the intention of broadening the learning of its undergraduate students. Undergraduate medical students undertake seven free-choice electives during their six-year degree programme. They are permitted to choose electives from any school in the University. Students also have the option of selecting ‘In-Programme’ electives, which are aligned to medical themes. The purpose of this study is to analyse the electives taken by medical students with a view to better understanding the factors that influence their choices.MethodsIn this mixed methodology study, the quantitative phase consisted of a retrospective analysis of 3318 elective choices associated with 474 medical students between 2006 and 2013. Elective choices were analysed in terms of popularity, difficulty level and subject matter. The prospective qualitative phase consisted of a series of semi-structured focus groups held with current medical students. Discussions from the focus groups underwent thematic analysis with a few to exploring and clarifying the quantitative findings.ResultsThe most frequently chosen electives were In-Programme (38.6%) and Applied Language (21.6%) electives, with patterns not significantly varying from year to year. Male and female students tended to take the same type of electives. Focus group discussions revealed that the primary factor motivating choice was workload, with students preferring less demanding electives. Participants indicated that elective grading and assessment criteria had a significant impact on their choices. Participants described ways in which the elective selection process could be improved, including a desire for more structured electives and a revision of the elective selection process.ConclusionsThe retrospective data analysis revealed a high level of consistency in medical students’ elective choices from stage to stage and between different year cohorts. Qualitative investigation revealed that medical students tend to focus on grading, assessment strategies and skills development when choosing their electives. The implication that students may be reluctant to take more challenging electives despite having an interest in the subject is one that warrants consideration when designing or adapting programmes for the future. Although these findings are associated with a free-choice elective programme, similar strategies are likely to be employed for the more traditional option-based programmes that are associated with the majority of medical degrees internationally.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

Daly

2017

BMC Med Educ

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“…17 Understanding the reasons why students choose their electives is of the utmost importance, as it could assist a university in curriculum design and with the allocation of space and teaching resources. 10,18 In order to ensure a student-centred approach to an elective, schools have been enjoined to encourage students to chose electives according to students' individual learning needs and the type of experience they want from the elective. 3,19 In the Characteristically, the electives offered at the SOHS Wits is specialty-specific 21 and led by faculty members.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contextualising the relevance of specialty‐specific electives in dental education: Perspectives of dental and oral hygiene graduates

Mothupi

Adefuye

2019

Eur J Dental Education

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Harden et al (1984) present the concept of the SPICES (Student centred, Problem based, Integrated, Community based, Electives and Systematic) model for the medical curriculum and initiated a move from teacher-centred education to student-centred education. 4 Harden and colleagues propose that medical schools move towards implementing electives as replacement for standard programmes in all medical curricula. 4 Students are reported to gain knowledge, formulate new experiences and develop their critical thinking abilities by participating Abstract Introduction: Electives have been shown to contribute to both the professional and personal development of students in specific areas of interest outside the standard curriculum. The School of Oral Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand introduced electives as a pedagogy in the Bachelor of Dental Sciences (BDS) and Bachelor of Oral Health Sciences (BOHSc) curricula in 2010 and 2014, respectively.However, since its introduction, the relevance of these electives in the BDS and BOHSc curricula has not been investigated.Methods: This research was designed as an evaluation study that used a questionnaire survey administered to 76 dental and oral hygiene graduates (BDS and BOHSc). Results:Of the initial 76 questionnaires that were distributed, 55 (BDS = 38, BOHSc = 17) were returned, giving a response rate of 72.4%. Almost all the participants (92.7%) agreed that the electives enabled them to develop better interpersonal skills; 80.0% and 82.7% agreed that their clinical skills, and knowledge of key concepts in dental practice, respectively, had improved upon completion of the elective. In appraising the elective programme, 87.0% of the graduates agreed that the content and outcome of the elective programme should be reviewed and changed. Conclusion:Obtaining empirical data on the impact of electives on clinical knowledge, skill and behaviour of dental graduates will enhance the relevance of electives in dental education. Findings by this study reveal that the actual impact of the electives on dental graduates was desirable and corresponded with the intended impact.The problematic areas that were identified will inform future planning. K E Y W O R D S

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“…It brings vitality to the program, attracts students, determines the level of financial support, shapes the future of the professions, and helps identify the main areas for research and theory development (Mayo and Miciak 1991). Despite the care and professionalism with which educators undertake curriculum development, it is not without considerable criticism from students and the business community (Cannon and Sheth 1994).…”

Section: Curriculum Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many critics believe educators are too slow in introducing innovative management practices and relevant research into the classroom. Clearly, there is a failure to integrate courses across functional areas (Cannon andSheth 1994, Mayo andMiciak 1991), much of which is dictated by the functional structure of educational institutions into departments, schools and colleges. But perhaps the most difficult curriculum decision, and the one most relevant to the emergent discipline of IMC, appears to be balancing the education of the discipline and the practice of it Razzouk 1993, Mayo andMiciak 1991).…”

Section: Curriculum Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clearly, there is a failure to integrate courses across functional areas (Cannon andSheth 1994, Mayo andMiciak 1991), much of which is dictated by the functional structure of educational institutions into departments, schools and colleges. But perhaps the most difficult curriculum decision, and the one most relevant to the emergent discipline of IMC, appears to be balancing the education of the discipline and the practice of it Razzouk 1993, Mayo andMiciak 1991). Faculty members, through their curriculum choices, make a contribution to the future of the profession and to the discipline area's research agenda, either good or bad, based on what they present to students for that identifies how they feel about the topic.…”

Section: Curriculum Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An inside-out approach to integrated marketing communication

Kerr

Schultz

Patti

et al. 2008

International Journal of Advertising

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The Inside-Out approach used in this paper describes the implied educators' perceptions of IMC. From an analysis of 87 IMC course syllabi from six countries and in-depth challenge. This is a particular challenge to the scholars and teachers, who are charged with the responsibility of encouraging best practices, presenting the most current and relevant applications and research approaches and including the most current theory in their course delivery.

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The Decision-Making Process Underlying Curriculum Revision

Cited by 12 publications

References 18 publications

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

Contextualising the relevance of specialty‐specific electives in dental education: Perspectives of dental and oral hygiene graduates

An inside-out approach to integrated marketing communication

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