UNIT 4

Curriculum Development,
Design and Review
By Eric Chisupa

Bachelor of Science in Nursing — Critical Care, Emergency & Trauma

Topics: Influencing Factors · Elements · Process · Approaches · Evaluation

 Unit Overview

4.1 4.2 4.3

Factors Influencing Constituent Elements of The Process of

Curriculum Development a Curriculum Curriculum Development

4.4 4.5

Approaches to
Curriculum Evaluation
Curriculum Development
 What is a Curriculum?

"Acurriculum is the totality of learning experiences provided to students so they

achieve broad goals and specific competencies in a defined field of study."

Planned Implemented Assessed

Intentional, structured What is actually Evaluated against
learning — not taught and defined outcomes
accidental.
Includes formal
experienced by to ensure students
timetables, objectives, students in meet nursing
and assessments. classrooms and competency
clinical settings. standards.
In nursing education: the curriculum shapes how students develop clinical competence in critical care, emergency, and trauma settings.
 4.1 Factors Influencing Curriculum Development

INTERNAL FACTORS
🎓 Philosophy of the Institution 👩‍🏫 Faculty Expertise & Resources
• Mission, vision, and values of the university/college • Qualifications and specialisations of teaching staff
• Commitment to evidence-based, patient-centred nursing • Availability of simulation labs, clinical equipment, ICU/ED
care placements
• Emphasis on critical thinking and professional ethics • Budget for teaching materials and technology

👩‍🎓 Student Characteristics 📋 Institutional Policies

• Entry qualifications, prior clinical experience • Academic regulations, credit hour requirements

• Learning needs, diversity, and readiness levels • Assessment and grading policies

• Student feedback and course evaluations • Quality assurance and accreditation standards
 4.1 Factors Influencing Curriculum Development

EXTERNAL FACTORS
🏛️ Government & Policy 🌍 Societal Needs
• Growing burden of trauma, road accidents, and critical
• National health policies and nursing education regulations
illness
• Ministry of Health standards for nurse training • Community health priorities and epidemiological trends

• Licensing requirements from regulatory bodies (e.g., GNC) • Demand for qualified critical care nurses

🔬 Advances in Medicine & Technology 🤝 Professional Bodies & Globalisation

• New treatment protocols in emergency and intensive care • WHO, ICN standards for nursing competencies
• Evidence-based practice updates (e.g., ACLS, ATLS
• International benchmark curricula and exchange programs
guidelines)
• Use of simulation, AI, and digital health technologies • Accreditation by regional/international bodies
 4.2 Constituent Elements of a Curriculum

Philosophy & Content / Subject

01 02 Goals & Objectives 03
Rationale Matter
• Broad goals → specific,
• Beliefs underpinning nursing • Topics, concepts, and clinical
measurable learning
education knowledge selected
outcomes
• Why this program exists and • Aligned with nursing • Sequenced from simple to
what it values competency frameworks complex

Learning Assessment &

04 05 Teaching Methods 06
Experiences Evaluation
• Activities designed to achieve • Strategies used to deliver • How student achievement is
outcomes content measured
• Lectures, simulations, clinical • Demonstration, case studies, • CATs, practicals, OSCEs,
rotations, PBL role play, e-learning written exams
4.3 The Process of Curriculum Development

Situation Analysis / Needs Identify health needs, societal demands, professional

Step 1 standards. Survey stakeholders: nurses, lecturers,
Assessment
employers, patients.
↓
Define what graduates should know, do, and value. Use
Step 2 Formulation of Goals & Objectives Bloom's taxonomy for cognitive, psychomotor, affective
domains.
↓
Choose relevant, evidence-based content. Sequence
Step 3 Selection & Organisation of Content logically — foundational theory before advanced clinical
skills.
↓
Match activities to objectives. Clinical placements
Step 4 Selection of Learning Experiences (ICU/ED), simulation labs, case studies, inter-
professional learning.
↓

Step 5 Implementation Mobilise resources, train faculty, schedule timetables.

Pilot the program; monitor delivery closely in first cycle.
 4.3 Curriculum Development Process — Step 6

Step 6: Evaluation & Review

What to Evaluate How to Evaluate When to Evaluate
• Are learning outcomes being • Collect student performance • Formative: during program
achieved? data (grades, OSCEs) delivery (each semester)
• Is content relevant to current • Employer feedback on • Summative: at end of a
clinical practice? graduate competence program cycle (3–5 years)
• Are teaching methods • External examiner and peer • Triggered: when new health
effective? review reports policies or standards emerge
• Continuous quality
• Are assessment tasks valid and • Graduate tracer studies —
improvement cycle — never
reliable? tracking career outcomes
one-off
• Are students satisfied with the • Regular departmental
program? curriculum review committees

💡 Curriculum review ensures nursing programs remain aligned with evolving critical care, emergency, and trauma practice.
 4.4 Approaches to Curriculum Development

Subject-Centred Approach Traditional

Learner-Centred Approach Progressive

Curriculum organised around academic Curriculum built around the needs, interests,
disciplines and content areas. and experiences of the student.
✔ Advantages ✔ Advantages

• Clear, systematic content structure • Promotes active, self-directed learning

• Easy to timetable and assess • Encourages critical thinking & reflection

• Familiar to lecturers and institutions • Respects adult learning (andragogy) principles

✘ Limitations ✘ Limitations
• May lack integration across subjects • Harder to standardise and assess
• Less responsive to learner needs • Requires experienced, flexible lecturers
• Can be rigid and exam-focused • Students may need more guidance/structure
 4.4 Approaches to Curriculum Development (cont.)

Integrated / Interdisciplinary
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Competency-Based Approach
Approach
Most Relevant Outcomes-Driven Holistic

• Combines content from multiple

• Students learn through solving real • Curriculum organised around
subjects into unified learning
clinical problems/cases measurable nursing competencies
experiences
• Breaks down silos between
• Develops critical thinking, • Progress is based on achieving
anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical
teamwork, and clinical decision- competency, not time spent
nursing
• Highly relevant in emergency triage, • Promotes holistic patient care —
• Aligned with professional nursing
trauma resuscitation, and ICU physical, psychological, social
licensing standards
management dimensions
• Facilitator guides; students drive • Uses OSCEs, clinical assessments, • Mirrors real clinical practice where
their own learning inquiry and skill checklists disciplines overlap

Example: Students receive a case Example: Students must Example: A sepsis module
of a polytrauma patient and demonstrate safe IV insertion, integrates microbiology,
must develop a full management airway management, and triage pharmacology, critical care
plan. assessment before progression. nursing, and ethics.
 4.5 Curriculum Evaluation

Curriculum evaluation is the systematic process of collecting and analysing data to determine the
effectiveness, relevance, and quality of a curriculum — and to guide improvements.

WHY EVALUATE? TYPES OF EVALUATION

• Ensure graduates meet current clinical competency Formative — During delivery

standards
F
Ongoing feedback to improve curriculum while it is running
• Identify gaps between intended and achieved outcomes

• Keep content relevant to advances in critical care

nursing Summative — End of cycle
S
• Satisfy accreditation and regulatory requirements Overall judgment of program effectiveness after completion

• Improve teaching quality and student satisfaction

Diagnostic — Before starting
• Justify resource allocation and program continuation D
Assess student readiness and identify curriculum entry gaps
 4.5 Curriculum Evaluation Models

Tyler's Objectives Model CIPP Model (Stufflebeam)

💡 Most widely used. Simple and goal-focused — ideal for nursing competency
💡 Comprehensive. Evaluates the whole curriculum journey, not just outcomes.
programs.

Stake's Responsive Model Scriven's Goal-Free Evaluation

💡 Values real-world experience. Captures student, lecturer, and employer

💡 Avoids bias from predetermined goals. Reveals unexpected curriculum effects.
perspectives.
 4.5 Curriculum Evaluation Models

Tyler's Objectives Model CIPP Model (Stufflebeam)

• Define educational objectives • Context: Assess needs & goals
• Select & organise learning experiences • Input: Evaluate resources & plans
• Implement the curriculum • Process: Monitor implementation
• Evaluate whether objectives are met • Product: Measure outcomes & impact
💡 Most widely used. Simple and goal-focused — ideal for nursing competency
💡 Comprehensive. Evaluates the whole curriculum journey, not just outcomes.
programs.

Stake's Responsive Model Scriven's Goal-Free Evaluation

• Focus on stakeholder concerns • Evaluate WITHOUT pre-set objectives
• Collect qualitative & quantitative data • Observe all actual effects/outcomes
• Describe actual vs intended outcomes • Assess unintended consequences
• Share findings with all stakeholders • Provide unbiased, comprehensive report
💡 Values real-world experience. Captures student, lecturer, and employer
💡 Avoids bias from predetermined goals. Reveals unexpected curriculum effects.
perspectives.
 4.5 Curriculum Review — The Cycle

Curriculum review is a continuous, cyclical process — not a one-time event. It ensures the nursing
program evolves with healthcare advancements and policy changes.
1 2 3

Collect Evidence Analyse Findings Stakeholder Consultation

Gather student results, employer Identify strengths, weaknesses, and Engage lecturers, students, hospitals,
feedback, external examiner reports, gaps between outcomes and regulatory bodies, and alumni
clinical audit data standards

4 5 6

Recommend Changes Implement Revisions Monitor & Re-Evaluate

Update content, methods, Roll out changes in the next program Assess impact of changes; continue
assessment, or structure — supported cycle with faculty training the cycle to ensure continuous
by evidence improvement
 Unit 4 — Key Takeaways
A curriculum has 6 core elements:
Curriculum is shaped by internal forces
4.1 4.2 philosophy, goals, content, learning
(institution, staff, students) AND external
experiences, teaching methods, and
forces (policy, society, technology).
assessment.
Curriculum development follows a Subject-centred and learner-centred
4.3 systematic process — from needs 4.4a approaches differ in focus — content
assessment through implementation to delivery vs. student growth and self-
evaluation. direction.

PBL and competency-based approaches are Integrated approaches mirror real clinical
4.4b most relevant in nursing — building real 4.4c practice, where anatomy, pharmacology, and
clinical skills and decision-making. nursing care overlap.

Curriculum evaluation asks: Are outcomes Use established models (Tyler, CIPP, Stake) to
4.5a achieved? Is content relevant? Are methods 4.5b evaluate systematically. Review is cyclical —
effective? Use evidence, not opinion. never a one-off event.