NURS 6321: Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Evaluation

Introduction & Course Project Setting Selection

Throughout this course, you will work on a project that is designed to help you as you apply your learning related to curriculum development, assessment, and evaluation. You will develop a hypothetical curriculum based on real and accurate information you will gather.

Step 1: Setting Selection

To begin, you will select one setting for the curriculum that you will develop. You have a choice of the following four settings, of which you must choose one:

· Home Care/Public Health Agency

· College or University

· Medical/Health Center

· Other Setting (Clinic, etc.)

Step 2: Specific Agency/Institution/Center/Other Selection

Once you select your setting in Step 1, select a specific focus of your project. For example:

· Home care agency serving clients who are elderly and disabled, or a public health agency serving all ages

· Two-year community college or four-year college or university with or without an existing ASN or BSN nursing degree program

· Medical center or health center of any size

· Other, such as a women’s health clinic

Your purpose is to develop a curriculum needed by the setting you select. To further expand on other examples:

· Patient, family, caregiver education

· Entry-level nursing curriculum

· Staff development education/training

· Staff training or patient/community education

Note: The Course Project will not involve working directly with the existing setting you choose. You will not develop an actual curriculum to implement.

Selection Tips:

· Your choice may be a setting that you are familiar with from your own professional practice, or as a learner, patient, or client. Or you may choose based on different criteria.

· Before making your selection, review the brief description of the four parts of the Course Project, below. Ensure that you will be able to locate all required information from your own experience and resources, and/or via data from the agency, institution, healthcare center, or other (clinic, etc.) on the Internet.

Step 3: Submission

Your Course Project setting and selection of an existing focus, i.e., Specific Agency/Institution/Center/Other Selection are due to your instructor on Day 7 of Week 1.

Note: This Assignment will not be graded but you are required to submit it to your Instructor for approval.

Course Project Assignments

The Course Project is composed of four Assignments, which represent different parts of the process of creating a curriculum for your chosen setting. As you work, pay attention to how the parts fit together in the development process.

· Module 1, Part 1: Needs Assessment: Evaluate internal and external factors to determine the type of curriculum that is needed, and then identify target learners for the program, program-level outcomes, and a rationale for the proposed program.

· Module 2, Part 2: Curriculum Components: Determine the mission, vision, philosophy, program goal, and learning theory and framework for your curriculum.

· Module 3, Part 3: Curriculum Design: Develop program outcomes to align with the curriculum mission, vision, philosophy, and goal. Create a program design graphic that sequences courses or learning experiences within the program, identifies learning objectives for one course/learning experience, and shows how each course/learning experience scaffolds learning toward program outcomes.

· Module 4, Part 4: Evaluation Plan: Describe an evaluation plan at the individual learner, course/learning experience, and program levels for education programs in your chosen setting.

Note: For each Assignment, go to the Classroom for the respective module for further details.

Course Project Schedule

The following table identifies the Course Project activity for each week of the course.

Week

Assignment

Completion

Date

Week 1

Course Project Setting Selection and existing agency, institution, health center, or other (clinic, etc.)

Day 7

Week 2

Begin Part 1 Assignment

N/A

Week 3

Submit Part 1: Needs Assessment

Day 7

Week 4

Begin Part 2 Assignment

N/A

Week 5

Submit Part 2: Curriculum Components

Day 7

Week 6

Begin Part 3 Assignment

N/A

Week 7

Continue work on Part 3 Assignment

N/A

Week 8

Submit Part 3: Curriculum Design

Day 7

Week 9

Begin Part 4 Assignment

N/A

Week 10

Submit Part 4: Evaluation Plan

Day 7