Bureau of Medicine & Surgery Phases of Curriculum Design: Design

1. Bureau of Medicine & SurgeryPhases of Curriculum Design: Design Click to continue.

2. Complete “MODEL” and “ANALYZE” BEFORE starting this module. IN THIS MODULE: 1. Questions addressed in the design phase of instructional systems design. 2. Processes used in the design phase of instructional systems design. 3. Designating units and lessons in the curriculum. 4. Introduction to learning objectives. 5. Assigning contact hours. 6. Introduction to student:instructor ratios. As with the other modules covering phases of instructional systems design, watch for differences between new program development and revision/review of existing programs.

3. Analysis Design Development Implementation Evaluation / Maintenance DESIGN In the design phase for new program development, you build the skeleton of the course, based on the elements in the training requirements inventory developed in the analysis phase. Remember that you may need to make some adjustments to the products of the analysis phase as you complete the design phase. Note, however, that if you need to change the training requirements inventory, you need to validate the changes with the jury of experts before making the change.

4. DESIGN The following questions are addressed in the design phase of instructional systems design for new program development: 1. STRUCTURE: How will you divide the course into units and lessons? 2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: How will students demonstrate mastery of the course? How will you measure, or test, that mastery? 3. CONTACT HOURS: How much time will you give to each part of the course? 4. RATIOS: How many students per instructor will be feasible in each part of the course?

5. DESIGN During a mandatory review for an existing program, the questions change focus: 1. STRUCTURE: Is the current arrangement of units and lessons appropriate? 2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Are the learning objectives for the existing course still appropriate and adequate? Do existing objectives or methods of measuring mastery need to be revised? Do new objectives need to be added or existing ones deleted? 3. CONTACT HOURS: Do assigned contact hours need to be increased or decreased? 4. RATIOS: Do assigned ratios need to be increased or decreased?

6. Analysis Design Development Implementation Evaluation / Maintenance DESIGN • For new and existing programs, the • inputs for the design phase are the • major products of the analysis phase: • Inputs: • Training requirements inventory. • Description of your target audience. • Outputs: • Outline of instruction (new or revised). • A preliminary student evaluation plan (new or revised). • Updated resource estimates. • Updated time line for completion of course development.

7. UNIT Lessons Structure: Units and Lessons For new program development, the first step in the design phase is to assign each of the elements on the training requirements inventory to a unit and then assign each of the elements assigned to the unit to a lesson within the unit. A UNIT may cover: 1. A functional area or duty on the job. 2. A body of knowledge that applies across the job as a whole or across multiple duties. 3. A skill area that applies across the job as a whole or across multiple duties. 4. Legal or ethical concerns that apply across the job as a whole or across multiple duties.

8. UNIT Lessons Structure: Units and Lessons A LESSON within a unit covering a duty may cover: 1. A task or a set of related tasks within the duty. 2. Skills that apply across the duty. 3. Cognitive requirements that apply across the duty. 4. Legal or ethical concerns that apply across the duty. In other units, a lesson generally covers a subset of the knowledge, ethical issues, or skills that the unit covers (e.g., a lesson on the respiratory system in a unit on anatomy and physiology). See pages 3-1 through 3-7 in the Curriculum Development Guide: Technical Education and Training for more information on units and lessons.

9. UNIT Lessons Structure: Units and Lessons • For existing programs, the validated training • requirements inventory is compared to the • current curriculum. • Items that are not covered in the existing • curriculum become additions. • Learning objectives that do not support any item from the validated training • requirements inventory become deletions. • Depending on the number and scope of the additions and deletions, the unit and lesson structure may need to be revised.

10. Curriculum Abstract • For new program development, the curriculum abstract provides a framework for the development of learning objectives. It includes: • A brief description of the content of each unit (unit synopses) • An overview of each lesson with • A list of items from the training requirements that will be covered in the lesson. • Estimated didactic, laboratory, and clinical contact hours needed for the lesson. • (Optional) A brief statement of the purpose or content of the lesson. • For existing programs, a curriculum abstract is needed only if units or lessons are being added to the curriculum. Include only the units and lessons being added. • The format for the curriculum abstract is shown on page 3-9 of the • Curriculum Development Guide: Technical Education & Training.

11. Sequence: Dependent Segments The curriculum abstract shows the general sequence of units and lessons. When sequencing either, make sure that dependent material always follows its prerequisite material. Example: The unit on emergency medical care depends on the unit on anatomy and physiology. Students cannot complete objectives in the unit on emergency medical care (the dependent unit) until they know the anatomy and physiology involved (the prerequisite material). The unit on anatomy and physiology (prerequisite) must precede the unit on emergency medical care (dependent unit). Emergency Medical Care (Unit) depends on Anatomy & Physiology (Unit)

12. Emergency Medical Care does not depend on In-patient Care OR Sequence: Non-Dependent Segments Example of non-dependent segments: The unit on emergency medical care does not depend on the unit on inpatient care nor does the unit on inpatient care depend on the unit on emergency medical care. It does not matter which unit comes first in the curriculum.

13. To define the performance students must demonstrate to successfully complete the segment of instruction. To maintain consistency from one iteration of the course to the next. Learning Objectives Once the curriculum abstract for a new program is complete, learning objectives can be written. Learning objectives serve two primary purposes: For the student For the program

14. IMPORTANT ! Learning objectives MUST reflect the learning level (and performance level for tasks and skills) of the relevant element(s) from the training requirements inventory.

15. Terminal vs Enabling Objectives Terminal Objective Final outcome of lesson Enabling objective Enabling objective Enabling objective Enabling objective Subordinate knowledge, skills, attitudes needed to ENABLE the student to meet the terminal objective. In the Medical Department model of instructional systems design, each lesson includes one unique terminal objective and as many enabling objectives as needed to support the terminal objective.

16. Terminal Objective Final outcome of lesson Terminal vs Enabling Objectives • The terminal objective represents the final outcome of the lesson - what the student must do to demonstrate mastery of the lesson as a whole. • Terminal objectives typically require: • Demonstration of a task or procedure. • Demonstration of a skill, or combination of skills. • Application of principles, theories, rules, concepts, or standards of conduct. • Demonstration or application of soft skills • (e.g., interpreting nonverbal cues in conversation).

17. Terminal Objective Subordinate knowledge, skills, attitudes needed to ENABLE the student to meet the terminal objective. ENABLING OBJECTIVES Terminal vs Enabling Objectives • Enabling objectives cover all of the cognitive, affective, and skill elements students need to master to meet the terminal objective. • Enabling objectives may require: • Recall or recognition of facts. • Explanations or descriptions of • procedures. • Paraphrasing of principles, theories, • rules, concepts, or standards of conduct. • Demonstration of subordinate skills. • Any other performance required to • support the terminal objective.

18. Characteristics Both terminal and enabling learning objectives have the following characteristics: • Written for the student • Complete • Action statement • Conditions • Standards • Level of performance • Authority for correct performance • Unambiguous • Concise

19. Learning Objectives Learning objectives answer the following questions for students: When I’m evaluated: What do I have to do? How well do I have to perform? Where do I find the definition of correct performance? Where will I do this? What restrictions will be in place while I do this? What aids can I use while I do this? See the module “LRNGOBJ” for more information on writing and reviewing learning objectives.

20. Did somebody say evaluation? Learning Objectives and Methods of Evaluation Developing the instruments for measuring student performance at the same time that learning objectives are developed helps keep evaluation focused on the learning objectives rather than on content. As a minimum, annotate the curriculum abstract to indicate HOW student performance will be measured. Specific test items and instruments then may be developed in the next phase of instructional systems design.

21. Contact Hours + + Once the terminal and enabling objectives have been written for each lesson, you need to estimate how much time will be needed. For each lesson, estimate the time needed: - to present the material in the lesson. - for students to practice the behaviors in the learning objectives. - to evaluate student performance of the learning objectives. Presentation Practice Evaluation

22. Schedule Hours and Ratios Scheduled hours depend on the contact hours required for each student AND the number of students who can move concurrently through the segment of instruction. The basic rule for student-to-instructor ratios is to use the highest ratio (i.e., the largest number of students per instructor) that will allow effective teaching and supervision of students and maintains safety. During evaluation of a student performing a skill or task, a small student-to-instructor ratio may be required. The time that needs to be scheduled for this evaluation in the course may be decreased by providing additional instructors and/or additional sets of equipment. See the next slide for an example.

23. 3 hours 1 hour Schedule Hours and Ratios Example: Students must be evaluated on a particular skill at a 2:1 (2 students to 1 instructor) ratio. It takes 10 minutes to evaluate each pair of students. If 2 instructors are assigned for the evaluation period with 1 instructor evaluating students and the other supervising the balance of the class, 5 pairs of students (10 students) can be evaluated each contact hour. With 30 students in the class, the evaluation session will take 3 contact hours. If 4 instructors are assigned for the evaluation period with 3 instructors evaluating students and 1 supervising the balance of the class, 30 students can be evaluated in a contact hour. The evaluation can be completed in 1 contact hour.

24. Student-to-Instructor Ratios • How many students can 1 instructor safely and effectively instruct, supervise, and evaluate? Keep these factors in mind: • Presentation: • Type of learning required in the learning objectives and the method of • presentation (lower ratios are usually needed for more interactive methods). • Safety considerations. • Facilities and equipment available. • Practice and evaluation: • Safety considerations. • Type of performance being practiced or evaluated (How closely does the • instructor need to watch an individual student?). • Facilities and equipment available. See the module “RATIOS” for more information on student-to-instructor ratios.

25. Curriculum Documents Curriculum Documentation - New Programs • The following documents require review and approval by • the training program manager: • Curriculum Outline • Course Schedule Summary • Student Evaluation Plan • The curriculum outline must be submitted at the end of the • design phase before continuing with development. • The curriculum outline includes course and student data, • learning objectives arranged in units and lessons, and contact hours assigned to each lesson and unit. Because it may undergo significant changes during the development phase, the curriculum outline is considered a preliminary document at this point, and approval amounts to approving a plan for developing the course materials, based on the work completed so far. Revisions will probably be incorporated as the development phase progresses. • The course schedule summary and student evaluation plan are roughed out at this stage, but are generally submitted as the development phase • nears completion.

26. Curriculum Documents Curriculum Documentation - Existing Programs • The same documents require review and approval by • the training program manager: • Curriculum Outline • Course Schedule Summary • Student Evaluation Plan • For existing programs undergoing a mandatory periodic review, • all three documents are normally submitted at the end of the • design phase, particularly if only minor revisions were needed. • If contact hours were shifted from unit to unit or new segments added to the curriculum based on the review, the curriculum outline may be submitted first. • That way, if there are any problems with the revisions, they can be corrected before the course schedule summary and student evaluation plan are completed. • The Curriculum Development Guide: Technical Education & Training • (pages 3-39 through 3-72) includes detailed directions for completing the • curriculum outline, course schedule summary, and student evaluation • plan, along with sample formats for each document.

27. Review Outputs - New and Existing Programs • Review the units and lessons with these questions in mind: • Are all items on the training requirements inventory: • Covered at the assigned learning level? • Covered at the assigned performance level? • Do all learning objectives have appropriate and adequate action statements, standards, and conditions? • Are the learning objectives adequate for your target population? Do you need to specify any prior training? • Is the sequence of units and lessons logical and appropriate? • Are contact hours adequate and efficient? • Are student-to-instructor ratios adequate and efficient?

28. Summary: New Program Development At the end of the design phase, you will have completed the following: 1. A curriculum abstract with unit and lesson titles, unit synopses, and estimated contact hours for each lesson. All of the elements from the training requirements inventory are listed under the lesson(s) where they will be covered. Units and lessons are arranged in teaching sequence and methods of evaluating student performance are indicated for each unit. 2. Terminal and enabling objectives for each lesson, with a behavior statement, standards, and conditions in each learning objective. 3. Draft curriculum documents including a curriculum outline (submitted for approval), course schedule summary, and student evaluation plan.

29. Summary: Existing Programs At the end of the design phase, you will have completed the following: 1. Compared the learning objectives in the curriculum outline to the validated training requirements inventory to make sure that all items are covered at the designated level. 2. Reviewed all instruments for measuring student performance to make sure that they adequately and effectively measure the performance required by the learning objectives covered. 3. Reviewed assigned contact hours and student-to-instructor ratios to make sure that they are both adequate and efficient. 4. Revised curriculum documents as needed to reflect changes to or discrepancies with the validated training requirements inventory.

30. If you have any comments or suggestions on this or other Curriculum Design and Development staff development modules, please forward them to: • Dr. Anne L. Ballard (BUMED-531) • Bureau of Medicine and Surgery • 2300 E Street NW • Washington, DC 20372-5300 • Phone: 202-762-3829 or DSN 762-3829 • Email: alballard@us.med.navy.mil • Your input is always welcome!