2. Overview
• Even though a need for curriculum revision
may be advisable and seemingly obvious, it is
necessary to give consideration to the support
that can be obtained by those who would be
involved.
• Since faculty members have the main
responsibility for curriculum development,
their support is essential.
3. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development
• The need for curriculum revision often
becomes apparent to a small group of faculty.
• It is important to address a few central ideas
when seeking support from colleagues:
– Reasons why curriculum development is needed
– Extent of curriculum development required
– Participants
– Possible timelines
4. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Reasons for curriculum development
– Factors that may influence faculty to consider the
possibility of curriculum development include:
• Availability of resources
• Faculty numbers, expertise
• Student profiles
• New ideas introduced by stakeholders
• Discontent with the status quo
• Results of internal curriculum review
• Results of external program reviews
5. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Reasons for curriculum development (cont.)
– Examples of changing circumstances that could
inspire curriculum development include:
• Changes in academic policy, priorities
• Institutional budget changes
• Educational technologies
• Changes in library resources and services
• Faculty and staff contracts
6. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Reasons for curriculum development (cont.)
– Outside factors can spur curriculum development:
• Nursing, educational paradigm changes
• Organization of nursing education at state level
• Graduates’ success rates on licensure exams
• Competition from other schools
• Enrollment demand
• Change in accreditation or approval standards
• Profile of nursing workforce
• Healthcare environment, health agency priorities
7. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Extent of curriculum development
– Thought should be given to the extent of
curriculum development necessary.
– Development can encompass:
• Creation of a completely new, reconceptualized
curriculum.
• Significant revision of an existing curriculum.
• Limited revision of an existing curriculum to correct
identified gaps, or overlaps.
8. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Extent of curriculum development (cont.)
– When determining whether to revise or recreate,
the following factors should be considered:
• How long ago was existing curriculum revised?
• Nature and extent of altered circumstances in the
school and beyond
• Faculty members’ emotional and intellectual
investment in existing curriculum
• Faculty energy for change
• Results of ongoing curriculum evaluation
• Sources of discontent with existing curriculum
9. Determining the Need for
Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Timeframe for curriculum development
– Several factors must be assessed when
considering the start and completion dates:
• Urgency of the curriculum redesign
• Faculty knowledge of development processes
• Annual work cycle, number of full-time faculty
• Culture of the school and parent institution
• How fast are decisions made at the institution
• Amount of time faculty can devote to the endeavor,
and time required to overcome resistance
10. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder
Support for Curriculum Development
• Curriculum development cannot proceed with
support of only a few faculty members.
• Generally, all those who will be affected by
changes should be involved in planning.
• Support of faculty colleagues is a must.
• School leadership support is a prerequisite for
starting curriculum development work.
• Students, educational partners, healthcare
clients, administrators should also be sought.
11. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder Support
for Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Gaining support from faculty colleagues
– Appeal to both logic and values.
– Appeals to logic include:
• Clear articulation of why revision is necessary
• Specifically identify deficiencies with factual data
• Requirement to provide curriculum responsive to
healthcare, societal needs
• Suggest ideas about possible alternate curricula
• Stress anticipated positive outcomes
• Enhanced appeal of school to faculty, applicants
12. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder Support
for Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Gaining support from faculty colleagues
(cont.)
– Appeals to values include:
• Opportunity to shape curriculum
• Professional growth, competent graduates,
enhancement of school’s prestige, innovative status
• Enhancement reputation of individuals school
• Possible negative consequences of avoiding curriculum
development
13. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder Support
for Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Gaining support from faculty colleagues
(cont.)
– Should colleagues be approached individually, or
collectively when presenting ideas?
• Fully assess advantages and disadvantages of individual
versus collective approach.
• Decide which approach will be most productive for
specific faculty groups.
• A combination may be appropriate.
– Listening to colleagues cannot be overstated.
14. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder Support
for Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Gaining support from the school leader
– School leader’s support is a must before
curriculum work can begin.
– Matters to be discussed with the leader include:
• Need for curriculum development
• Extent of support
• Leadership of curriculum development
• Timelines
• Effect on other work within the department
• People to be involved, and resources needed
• Positive consequences of curriculum development
15. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder Support
for Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Gaining support from community and
healthcare stakeholders
– Community and healthcare partners may be
experiencing same challenges as school.
– Meetings with school’s affected community
members and stakeholders can be productive in
obtaining support for curriculum development.
– Shared challenges, current curriculum limitations,
ideas from stakeholders, and stakeholder
involvement are items that can be discussed.
16. Gaining Faculty and Stakeholder Support
for Curriculum Development (cont.)
• Gaining support from students
– Student support for curriculum development is
generally readily given, with rapid action on their
ideas expected.
– Support can be sought through nursing student
councils, or bring class time meetings.
– Faculty should emphasize to students that
curriculum work takes time, and instantaneous
changes cannot be expected.
17. Responding to Initial Objections
• Those seeking faculty support for curriculum
development may encounter objections:
– Challenge to reasons for curriculum development
– Satisfaction with current curriculum
– Fear of losing treasured parts of the curriculum
– Time constraints
– Fears that scholarship will be negatively affected
– Apparent lack of resources
– Lack of support for faculty proposing change
18. Responding to Initial Objections (cont.)
• Responses to objections can include:
– Present compelling reasons for change
– Emphasize the importance of student success,
being on cutting edge, and personal growth
– Aspects of current curriculum may be retained
– Present possible funding opportunities, work
assignment changes, and influence in process
– Curriculum development is a role responsibility
– Resources will be discussed with school leader
– Choose credible faculty to lead change
19. Deciding to Proceed with
Curriculum Development
• Not all objections will be overcome, and not
all faculty members will endorse action.
• After majority and leadership support is
secured, development should move forward.
• Faculty support is essential.
• Stakeholders, students, and those beyond
school of nursing should be notified of
decision prior to proceeding.
20. Core Processes of Curriculum Work
• Faculty development
– Discussions on need likely to be informal.
– What curriculum design will mean should be
discussed in effort to secure endorsement.
• Ongoing appraisal
– Reactions should be appraised, and approaches
for gaining support revised as necessary
• Scholarship
– Retrospective report/analysis on process.
