Standards for Curriculum Development

Technical Assistance to the Civil Servants Agency and Strengthening the National System for Training Coordination
This project is funded by the European Union This project is implemented by IPA (in full)

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Consortium led by the Institute of Public Administration and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

Table of contents 1. Principles 2. Approaches 3. Methodology

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9

4 4 5
6 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 10

Duration Training channel

Trainer approach Trainee profile Target number of trainees Delivery planning Material development Special requirements Cross-cutting issues

3.10 Evaluation

Principles and approaches Metodology

1. Principles
The project established basic principles for curriculum development during training delivery. These are:

x Ensure a variety of approach to take account of the different ways people learn all x

x x x

learning styles must be included in the course design so that no particular learning style will be missed A link needs to be established between the training design/approach and the purpose of the training. So, for example, skills or behaviour courses should include practice of the skills or the new behaviours. Similarly, knowledge courses should have an examination or test of the knowledge at the end of the course to measure whether the learning was achieved. Behaviour change courses like management development courses should be based on 360 degree feedback with measures taken before and after the training is provided. Providing for a recall for a half day to review progress sometime after a programme is delivered to measure long term progress/success. Frequent reviews of participant feedback should be undertaken and the continued relevance of certain programmes should be kept under review. The results of these reviews should be given regularly to the trainers providing the courses.

2. Approaches
The project also established the following approaches to good curriculum development: 1) Activities and approach should be aimed at all learning styles Learning by doing Learning by observing and reflecting Learning by experimenting 2) Asking and not telling starting for where the participants are 3) For skills training use modelling, practice and feedback normally improvements seen quickly with practice and focused behavioural feedback 4) For knowledge training use variety of approaches with reading, presentation, case study and possible test at the end 5) For attitude training (e.g. management or leadership development) a variety of approaches is required and it is often necessary to provide units with coaching, peer support and the creation of networks. This is the most difficult of all types of training.

Standards for Curriculum Development

Metodology 6) Length of time: dependant on process you need people to be awake so watch how breaks are managed.

3. Methodology
Every curriculum developed should begin with a statement of the training objectives. These should be set out clearly. They should state precisely what the participant may expect to have learnt at the conclusion of the course. These should be laid out in tabular form as follows: Objective/outcome Learning/action Standard

The curriculum should also set the level of knowledge or skill required of the participant. This should be as precise as is possible: E.g. Five years experience working in an accounting position at a senior level within their first six months employed as a civil servant. The curriculum should set out the topics that the course will cover and the depth to which they will be covered. This should be done in tabular form using the following approach. Topic Depth/level Learning outcome Constraints

Each topic should identify the depth to which it will be covered. These should build upon the overall objectives identified in the earlier table. The depth or level refers to the degree of knowledge e.g. introduction to the legislation on X. The learning outcome should flow from this and should set out what the person should know or be able to do afterwards: for example the participant will be familiar with the law concerning X and will know that he/ she should contact a superior officer should X arise. The constraints refer to any specific issues that the person developing the curriculum may feel will arise based on the topics covered and not the capacity of the likely participants.

Standards for Curriculum Development

Metodology For example, in certain situations people may need to practice to be able to complete a task and a constraint would be that they would be given the opportunity to practise in their work. Another common constraint will be that they have to seniority to actually put what is learnt into practice.

3.1 Duration
The curriculum should state the length of time required to deliver the training and how that should be ideally planned. For example, it should state the how many hours/days a course should last and how these should be distributed. This is a two day course which should be divided into two one-day sessions. There should be a gap of two weeks between the first and second day to allow the participants to complete an assignment. Training should aim to be structured around half-day training units. Each unit should be as stand-alone as possible while fully accepting that they may build into a longer component. The aim of unitisation is to create single entities that may form part of a bigger course but which could also allow attendees more flexibility in that they may be able to attend a single unit that they had missed at a later stage. Units that are delivered as stand-alone and also as part of a combined course should be developed to include components in common and use the same theoretical approach and methodologies.

3.2 Training channel

The curriculum should identify the training channel for which the course is designed. It should state whether it is for traditional classroom delivery or delivery through blended, distance or e-learning. Course material should be developed to allow for its use in a variety of training channels. The developer should note where the material is specifically for one channel. The developer should also identify where alternative material will be needed to adapt it to another channel.

Standards for Curriculum Development

Metodology

3.3 Trainer approach

The curriculum should identify the mix of styles required for the course delivery especially in face-to-face training. It should give the mix of styles required such as learning by doing, theoretical knowledge input, participants experience, role-play etc. required and how the training should deliver these. The overall balance between facilitating and presentation should be described. The curriculum should specify how it envisages that participants will be encouraged to become involved with the topic. It should clearly set out the questioning policy to be used (by trainees) and whether the trainer should accept questions/comments during the training or whether these are to be kept to the end. The trainers own use of open and closed questions should also be set out. The curriculum should identify which components begin with an input and which will begin with discussion in response, for example, to an open question. This should be noted in the training plan.

3.4 Trainee profile

Each training course should include a profile of the type of person for which the training is developed. It may happen that the training will be used outside of this target group and a trainer will therefore recognise that further adaptation and tailoring may be necessary.

3.5 Target number of trainees

For face-to-face training, the curriculum should set out the ideal number of trainees to optimise the learning from the intervention. It should also set the maximum and minimum number needed. This should take account of the numbers that may be required for group-work or other activities.

3.6 Delivery planning

Trainings should have a delivery plan expressed in the course outline. This follows the agenda but is more complete. It is for the trainers information and should not be shared with the participants as the trainer may have to vary it to achieve the objectives set when actually working with the group. The plan is for the trainers benefit as an aid to delivering training more effectively.

Standards for Curriculum Development

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The plan should be set out as follows: Time 9.30-9.45 Activity Introduction

Metodology

Notes Get participants to give names and introduce themselves Establish groundrules Work through the agenda Give information on breaks and lunch arrangements Inform where toilets are Set questioning policy Check that there are no specific difficulties such as hearing or visual impairment/language that may reduce the participants ability to take part

09.45-10.00 Warm up exercise

Give task as set out in notes on page 4 Divide into groups giving each a flipchart and marker Allow 5 minutes for work Take feedback.

Etc.

3.7 Material development

The materials developed must match the training methodology planned. In general, notes should focus on the training topics and should avoid too much general reading. Most participants will only read the material at the time and within that what they are directed towards reading. Too many notes can be a distraction during a course and the course developer must decide what is given at the beginning of the course and what will be handed out during it. There should be copies of PowerPoint or other presented material made available at the course as participants in general prefer to have these in front of them. Complex exercises should be prepared on separate sheets. These should be prepared with the intention of handing out only when required. The developer should describe how the course materials should be presented. For example,

Standards for Curriculum Development

Metodology should there be spaces for people to complete questionnaires, fill in boxes, make notes, diagrams etc. Sample materials taken from real life situations are very useful but any examples must be copyright free and have permission from the organisation where the example originated. They should be free of the names of individuals or anything which may identify them in a negative light. The course developer should distinguish between material that the participants keep and those which will be have to be returned to the trainer. The curriculum should specify how the material should be presented that is where it should be bound, stored in a loose leaf folder, in a pack or any other way. It is recommended that paper materials are kept in loose leaf form to allow for the easy modification of the course at any future date or the addition or subtraction of any component. It is always useful to build in a small amount of redundancy in preparing a course. An additional exercise which may be used if participants become tired or if there is a gap that needs to be filled is useful for the trainer.

3.8 Special requirements

The curriculum developer should set out any special requirements that will be needed. These include:

x x x x x x x x x x

Requirement to purchase special books or texts Availability of equipment such as computers Materials for exercises or activities Special display materials Electronic equipment including a projector Material in electronic form Presence of a rapporteur Translation services Expert presence for specific aspects of the training Room and table layout.

3.9 Cross-cutting issues

The curriculum developer should take account of cross-cutting issues including involvement of all, environmental issues and the need to control costs.

Standards for Curriculum Development

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Metodology

3.10 Evaluation
The curriculum developer should establish the methods to be used for evaluation. These may include:

x x x x x x x x x

Participant immediate review Participant reviews delivered after the course A knowledge test at the end of the course A knowledge test at a later time but set as part of the course Demonstration of an actual skill under test conditions Supervisors/peers structured feedback on changes in the participants behaviour Post training group review either immediately or a set time afterwards Participant interviews Presentations by participants on what they have learnt

The curriculum design must explain how the evaluation method proposed is appropriate to the course developed. The evaluation must be proportionate to the participants and the CSAs investment in the course. Simply, you do not recommend carrying out in-depth interviews with participants who have only spent a half-day in the training being evaluated. Where possible, the evaluation process should move towards electronic information gathering.

Standards for Curriculum Development