Chapter 4 – Step 4 in the Process
Action 12: Collect Meaningful Data
Implement the curriculum with appropriate supports
Every successful implementation process needs to build-in plans for information gathering and adjustment. Coordination is vital.
It can seem easier to gather administrative details (e.g., did the schedule work?). However, it is still necessary to find out if the learning experiences enabled students to graduate with the intended knowledge, skills, and abilities. If you check the effectiveness of your curriculum only by the number of graduates, student surveys, or anecdotal comments from faculty, you are unlikely to be able to pinpoint the causes of curricular problems.
Anticipate that your team and faculty will have miscalculated how long is needed to teach certain things, what students will struggle with, how many resources are needed, and which supports will be required for success.
Include a leader or administrator who has a substantial time allocation for managing the implementation and the authority to do so. This will be essential in the early years of implementation.
Information gathered should be:
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summarized in a way that is easy to understand
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actionable and regularly shared with the people who will act on it
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used to improve how the curriculum is being taught and assessed
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viewed in iterations, over time, so it is possible to see if changes make a difference
Process Tips ✔
- Establish the coordinating function, as with Step 1, Action 3 processes, with a committee structure and terms of reference.
- Gather evidence of student achievement and educational effectiveness.
- Consider adapting a curriculum mapping process or tool to support the implementation.
Good Signs! 🏁
Planning for information gathering and use is evident.
⊕ An individual has responsibility and authority to coordinate and monitor the implementation.
Information gathered is:
⊕ summarized in a way that is easy to understand
⊕ actionable and regularly shared with the people who will act on it
⊕ used to improve how the curriculum is being taught and assessed
⊕ viewed in iterations, over time, so it is possible to see if changes make a difference
Warning Signs 🏴
⊗ The individual meant to coordinate, and monitor has not or is unable to allocate enough time and attention to the role.
⊗ The process for ongoing discussion of teaching and learning is not intentional, not managed .
⊗ Faculty are resistant or unwilling to collect information about learning and achievement that can inform curriculum improvement.
⊗ Information gathered is largely administrative, anecdotal, in storage
