Driving Change in Curriculum Design and Assessment in Higher Education: Inclusivity by Accidental Design

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Following a review of the first year of the new scheme data is presented, both quantitative and qualitative, gathered from students about their classroom based and assessment experiences and also from academic staff (specifically about timetabling and the integrated form of assessment developed). The results of this data are discussed in terms of how the lived experience of the redesigned processes met with the outcomes anticipated. The findings are discussed in the context of an ‘inclusive curriculum’.

Particularly for academic staff the challenges presented through the type of integration utilised both in terms of delivery and assessment created a number of significant difficulties in reconciling the way in which other schemes and awards which they teach on are organised and assessed.

The redesigned delivery and assessment modes enabled student to engage more effectively with the curricula and their assessed outcomes are considerably improved over earlier student cohorts.

Despite the logistical difficulties of delivering and assessing a curriculum in the way described the outcomes have exceeded expectations particularly in terms of the willingness to engage with the principles from academic staff and the enthusiastic ways in which students engaged themselves in the spirit of the approach. This has led to improved class based and assessed performance for the students and an opportunity to challenge timetabling conventions

Stream: Curriculum and Pedagogy; Student Learning, Learner Experiences, Learner Diversity

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

I lecture in human resource management and human resource development in particular. I head a research centre in Glamorgan Business School which carries out research into developments in learning and teaching and pedagogy along with other forms of people development for example vocational education and enterprise education. My PhD is in the area of educational psychology and I am now leaning toward a more anthropological view of people in organisations. I am very interested in undertaking cross country institutional comparisons and sharing our work with a international audience. Find me at http://people.glam.ac.uk/view/69/