N 580 Module 8: Issues and Trends in Curriculum Development

N 584 Module 8: Issues and Trends in Curriculum Development
Module 8: Assignment
Remember to submit your work following the file naming convention FirstInitial.LastName_M01.docx. For example, J.Smith_M01.docx. Remember that it is not necessary to manually type in the file extension; it will automatically append.
Start by reading and following these instructions:
1. Quickly skim the questions or assignment below and the assignment rubric to help you focus.
2. Read the required chapter(s) of the textbook and any additional recommended resources. Some answers may require you to do additional research on the Internet or in other reference sources. Choose your sources carefully.
3. Consider the discussions and any insights gained from it.
4. Create your Assignment submission and be sure to cite your sources, use APA style as required, check your spelling.
Assignment:
Critical Thinking Exercises :
Question #1
What major changes in the the health care system are occurring that call for an immediate response from nursing education for curriculum revision? Do these changes take into account the future? How would you go about revising the curriculum in a timely fashion?
Question #2
What teaching and learning strategies should be integrated into the curriculum plan for meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student body? Describe how nursing can recruit and retain racially/ethnically diverse faculty and what effect they can have on the education of a diverse student body.
Question #3
Of the multiple technology-supported distance education programs, which do you believe is:
Most cost-effective?
Meets desired outcomes?
Reaches the highest number of students?
Fosters faculty development?
Case Study: Pinnacle College School of Nursing
Pinnacle College School of Nursing is planning to offer an online,2-year primary health care nurse practitioner master’s degree, using
N 584 Module 8 Issues and Trends in Curriculum Development
a WebCT© as the delivery platform. Students must be registered nurses with a BSN and a minimum of two years of full-time practice experience before they are eligible to enroll. The program is expected to be intensive. Part-time enrollment is possible, with 3 years allowed for completion. Thirty students will be admitted annually. All courses will have a practice component. The theoretical components will be organized in modules that combine synchronous and asynchronous interaction among participants, as well as monthly face-to-face tutorials and labs. The modules will have a similar organizational structure but module elements will vary according to specific courses. The final course will be an 8-month internship with PhD-prepared nurse practitioners. It is expected that students will be successful on certification examinations and will be in high demand after graduation.
Faculty members decided to use Bird’s (2007) analysis framework to guide module development. However, rather than using Bird’s term, consolidation (interpreted as static fusion of information), they are employing the word integration to indicate dynamic knowledge synthesis. The first course to be developed is a 6 credit hour course called Health Assessment for Nurse Practitioners. Course competencies will include integration of theory and physical assessment skills into comprehensive health assessments; and incorporation of knowledge of normal physiology, and health assessment techniques into written case analyses. The course will be offered over two, 12-week semesters. Learners are expected to dedicate 12-15 hours per week to this course. Use the analysis grid found on p. 328 (Iwasiw) to answer the following questions:
Does the balance between content and process seem reasonable? How might the balance shift to reflect sound pedagogy?
What module elements are missing or redundant?
Should more attention be focused on any particular element?
To what extent do the elements prepare learners to achieve course competencies?
Might students perceive learning activities as authentic?
What expertise will faculty require to develop and implement this course?
What might be the demands on faculty if there are 20-25 students in this course at any one time?
N 584 Module 8: Assignment – Reflection Artifact
Reflection & Artifact
Please consider how you have developed the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable your achievement of the Course Goals listed in the syllabus. Then write a reflection of minimum of 1000 words describing how this course has helped you achieve these goals. Finally, chose one assignment that you feel represents your best learning (artifact) in the course. Take a few minutes to revise it, according to comments from your professor. Combine these into one document.
Finally, submit the assignment into the drop-box and save a copy of it in a folder on your personal computer.
N 584 Module 8: Issues and Trends in Curriculum Development
Issues and Trends in Curriculum Development and Evaluation
Module 8 reviews current trends and issues in nursing education for their effects on curricula and the imperatives derived from them that should influence curriculum development and evaluation activities now and in the future. Specifically, this module addresses a specific trend in nursing education — the growth of technology-driven distance education programs — and analyzes the dramatic influence it has had and continues to have on nursing education. The trend to develop these types of programs remains high, and feedback from existing programs lends itself to the development of curricula that include the use of technology and evaluation methodologies specific to distance education and other flexible delivery mechanisms.
Time Requirements:
The amount of time required to complete assignments in this module is approximately 17 to 20 hours.
Objectives:
After completing this module, students should be able to:
Understand the influence of distance delivery methods on curriculum and course design, implementation, and evaluation
Compare and contrast pedagogical approaches used in distance education that impact curriculum and course design
Apply curriculum development and evaluation strategies to the development of distance education programs
Analyze trends in nursing education and the issues and challenges they raise in curriculum development and evaluation
Develop strategies for resolution of the issues raised and ways to meet the challenges with an eye to the future
Evaluate proposed curricula for their responsiveness to future challenges from the health care system and for the health care needs of the populace
Learning Materials:
Iwasiw, C., Goldenberg, D., & Andrusyszyn, M. (2009). Curriculum development in nursing education (2nd ed.). Boston: Jones & Bartlett. (Chapters 13 and 14)
Keating, S. B. (2011). Curriculum development and evaluation in nursing (2nd ed.). New York: Springer. (Chapters 16 and 17)
PowerPoint
(Iwasiw): Flexible Delivery of Nursing Education Curricula
(Iwasiw): The Future of Curriculum Development in Nursing Education
Summary:
The focus of this module was on issues and trends that are expected to influence the future of nursing education, with specific regard to their impact on curriculum development and evaluation. The main thrust of this module was on the growth of technology-driven distance education programs. The various types of distance education programs were reviewed, exploring their relationship to curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation. The source of decisions to employ flexible distance delivery and consequent curriculum implications, as well as values and beliefs associated with distance delivery were described. Considerations for course design were offered, including pedagogical frameworks, convergence of pedagogy and technology, teaching-learning strategies, opportunities for students to demonstrate learning and faculty evaluation of student achievement, deciding on course design, and evaluating course design.
Aside from distance education, a number of other trends, issues and challenges in nursing education also affect curriculum development. Several curricula are proposed with new ways to embrace the traditional career ladder feature of nursing and a the same time facilitate a nonstop quality education ending in a doctorate that produces nurse researchers, theorists, clinicians, and educators. Issues discussed in this model are meant to stimulate discussion among nurse educators and those in practice to bring about the needed changes for nursing education now and in the future.