2. Overview
• Ongoing appraisal is the regular critique of
curriculum ideas, both during and after their
creation and implementation.
• This process is essential to curriculum work,
and serves as a means of quality assurance.
3. Definition of Ongoing Appraisal
• Deliberative, continuous, repeated, and
careful critique of curriculum ideas, products,
and processes during and after their creation,
implementation, and evaluation.
• This core process of curriculum work involves
constant analytical comparison between what
is new, and what has already been decided.
4. Definition of Ongoing Appraisal
(cont.)
• Appraisal is dependent on:
– Commitment to unified curriculum.
– Knowledge of:
• Development, implementation, evaluation processes
• Context in which curriculum will be offered
• Philosophical, educational approaches of curriculum
• Conceptual bases of curriculum
• Students
• Decisions already made about curriculum
– Professional judgment.
5. Purposes of Ongoing Appraisal
• Ongoing appraisal is a QA process that is the
basis of curriculum work’s recursive nature.
• Purposes are to ensure that:
– Evidence-informed, context-relevant, unified
curriculum is developed.
– Curriculum implemented, evaluated as intended.
– Decisions, processes inconsistent with intent
identified early, revisions made.
– Curriculum work is of a suitable quality.
6. Ongoing Appraisal Processes in
Curriculum Work
• Begins with an understanding of the context
in which the curriculum will be offered, and in
which decisions have been made.
• As curriculum development teams work,
individuals judge proposed ideas, and the
team discusses the ideas, informally
appraising them.
7. Ongoing Appraisal Processes in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Once any revisions are made, and the team
feels it has completed the task, members
continuously appraise completed work to
ensure it is consistent with the plan.
• Beyond this, a more formal review of
completed work is necessary to ensure
consistent work.
• A formal appraisal mechanism must exist.
8. Ongoing Appraisal Processes in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Formal appraisal is essential to ensure the
curriculum matches intent, and can be
conducted by members of several
development teams, or by committee.
• Similar appraisal is necessary during
curriculum implementation and evaluation.
• Appraisal may result in rethinking, or
reaffirmation of past decisions.
9. Cognitive Processes Inherent in
Ongoing Appraisal
• Critical thinking
– Purposeful, reflective judgment, manifesting itself
in reasoned consideration of evidence, context,
methods when making decisions.
– Composed of interpretation, analysis, inference,
explanation, evaluation, and self-regulation.
10. Cognitive Processes Inherent in
Ongoing Appraisal (cont.)
• Critical thinking (cont.)
– Curriculum developers must constantly:
• Interpret evidence, theories, philosophical approaches.
• Consider, explain the evidence and theory underlying
proposed ideas.
• Take into account the contest, philosophical bases, and
goals for graduates.
• Establish, review methods and standards for work.
– This requires being alert to one’s own biases, and
assumptions; being open minded.
11. Cognitive Processes Inherent in
Ongoing Appraisal (cont.)
• Constant comparison
– Process used in analysis phase of grounded theory
research, comparing new data to previously
developed categories.
– In curriculum work, new ideas, decisions, products
and processes are regularly compared to previous
decisions, and completed work to ensure unity.
12. Cognitive Processes Inherent in
Ongoing Appraisal (cont.)
• Evaluation
– A three-step process in which a standard is
established, data is assembled/observed and
compared to the standard, and – finally – a
judgment is made.
– Ongoing appraisal in curriculum work is a form of
evaluation.
13. Cognitive Processes Inherent in
Ongoing Appraisal (cont.)
• Reflection
– Reflection-in-action: a process in which every
action is a local experiment; responses become
impetus to further development.
– Reflection-on-action: a retrospective examination.
– Curriculum development requires both.
• Accepted ideas are constantly appraised and revised.
• Decisions and actions are concurrently and
retrospectively reviewed during all phases with a view
to improving the ideas and processes.
14. Cognitive Processes Inherent in
Ongoing Appraisal (cont.)
• Professional judgment
– Ability to make considered decisions, or come to
sensible conclusions.
– Different people have different perspectives on
available information when making judgments.
– In curriculum work, development teams
comprised of individuals with different
perspectives help improve the quality of
professional judgments, and their subsequent
acceptance by larger groups.
15. Criteria for Ongoing Appraisal in
Curriculum Work
• Five major criteria for ensuring a quality
curriculum, against which curriculum work is
appraised, are:
– Relevance for the implementation context
– Consistency with current evidence about nursing
practice, education, learning
– Congruence with intent
– Logical progression
– Unity
16. Criteria for Ongoing Appraisal in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Curriculum development
– In ongoing appraisal during curriculum
development, questions to be asked include:
• Is work consistent with philosophical approaches?
• Do ideas fit the context?
• Does language reflect philosophical approaches,
concepts?
• What is evidence, rationale, theoretical base for
decision?
• Does work align with previous decisions, work?
17. Criteria for Ongoing Appraisal in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Curriculum development (cont.)
– In ongoing appraisal during curriculum
development, questions to be asked include
(cont.):
• How can ideas, processes be improved to be more
consistent with curriculum intent?
• Is curriculum work of expected internal quality?
• Is curriculum work of the quality likely acceptable to
external reviewer?
18. Criteria for Ongoing Appraisal in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Curriculum implementation
– During curriculum implementation, questions to
be asked include:
• What are premises that underline decisions about
teaching-learning events?
• Are teaching-learning strategies consistent with
philosophical, educational approaches?
• Methods suitable for context?
• Is language reflective of philosophical approaches,
major concepts?
19. Criteria for Ongoing Appraisal in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Curriculum implementation (cont.)
– During curriculum implementation, questions to
be asked include (cont.):
• How well do students understand main ideas?
• How well do course processes provide student
opportunities to achieve stated goals?
• Are student expectations reasonable?
• How can ideas, processes be improved to be more
consistent with intent?
20. Criteria for Ongoing Appraisal in
Curriculum Work (cont.)
• Curriculum evaluation
– During curriculum evaluation, questions to be
asked include:
• Are strategies consistent with philosophical
approaches?
• Are strategies providing information that will be useful
in making curriculum judgments?
• Are all relevant stakeholders involved?
• How can strategies be improved?
21. Interpersonal Aspects of
Ongoing Appraisal
• Curriculum teams can be sources of
enrichment for those involved, however, not
all teams are sources of mutual support.
• Care must be taken to observe sensitivities of
the originator, and careful use of language.
• In informal and formal ongoing appraisal, it is
vital to treat each person, suggestions with
care and respect, so all feel valued for efforts.
