I

CHAPTER T

BUILDING A CURRICULUM TEAM: VlSlON, R0LES AND

COLLABORATION

Leah Bosworth & Jonathan Smith

lntroduction
This chapter looks at tlie rvork of the Curriculum Tearn. Firsr of all, u'e describe the process of specif,ving
its aims and responsibilities. Vc rhen consider sorrle \yays of etrsuring the srnooth mnning of the team on a

day-to-day basis and focus on rhe issue of rhe relationships betrveen the Curriculum TLam and other teanis in
tfie institution - in rerms of encouraging a positive overlap benveen the n'ork of reams and, r'"'here necessar\'
disdng6ishilg clearlv berrveen rhe [Link] of different teams. We plovide some guiding principies ior
reams n,orking in odrer contcxrs anci finaliy present some documents rel,rted to the rvork of our orvn team,

Creating a team ethos

In order ro foster colrrmon approach to rire direction in rvhich the curriculurn is developing, it is rrorth
rr

agreeing on, and serring dorvn in rvridng, some funclamentals tbr the x'ork of the teatn. \Ve dccided ro do
tftis rvhen rire focus of our Curriculum Team rurned tnore to the impiernent ati<ttr of r]re curriculum and as the
tearn srariud to grow in sizc.

First of all, u,e srarted bv lisring ai1 the dai-to-da-v jobs rvhich u,e g,ere already invoived in and brainstorrned
orl-rer tasks *,hich x,ere felt ro Lre n'rissing frorn the rvork of rhe teatn. Then rve identified three categories inro

ri,hich drc tasks and [Link] could be organised, rvhici-r basicaily correspotrd to rhe three sections of
this guide: decision-n-raking, implernentatiorl and evaluation. This forrned the basis of orir Curricuium Team
Responsibilities doctunent rvhich fbrmaiises x-hat eractir-te .1m lneirbers' ,."e sponsibiliries are (see f)[Link]
1.1).

In conjuncrion rvirh drat,ing up this list of responsii--:riiiii.\. j.i .i ..r,.ilt. r-.-c iiso i<iellllled rtha! rve feh lrrere t]re
firnclamental principles rvhich govern our rvork; the or-e::ii ,il*: t:r ',':.roit oi ii're cr-iriiciilum, and the values
[Link] rinderpin our u'ork (see Document 1.2).

Benefits
Having rhese documenrs, [Link] sum up the vision and responsi'oiliiies of the team, has proven beneficial in
many \Yays:

. fhe process of drafting and {inalising these docuinents \\'as in itself inspiring and the result was that
team membcrs fclt a ne\y sense of direction'
. Thc list of responsibilities is usefui as a wa\- lbr potential rlcw ream mcmbers to have an ic'lea of ri'hat is

involvcd in the job and can be used as a frarlrer.'ork for orientating nerv membe rs.

Sabancr Unirrenity Schooi of Languages I School 0evelopment Seiies

 -

r--::::1f

. The documents act as a handv rerninder and can be used as a set of principles to returlt to u'het-t
rnaking curricular decisions.
c Having rhis statement of the re;rr:'ri vision and responsibilities leads to more transparettcy at-rci
accounrabiliry in rhe *,ork of the team. It x,as also used to l-reip dra*, up the questions for the
Curriculum Tearn evaluation qiiestionnaire (see Docurnent ZZ.3 in Chapter 22).

The work of the team

On a day-to-day basis, the *,ork of the team involves the fbllori'ing features,

. The team has a coordinator to organise rhe rvork of the tearl and to liaise [Link] the administlatiott.
There are periodic meerings *,irh rhe Director in rvhich rire coordinator and olle or rrvo other teatl
members raise any particular issues.
. Regular team meerings serve to disserninate information, make decisions aud to discuss issues
affecdng the rvork of the team.
. As u,e1l as rvorking in the team on the developrnent or evaluation of the curriculum, each team
member is also assigned to a particular ievel of rhe prograrrme to ri,ork u'ith the ceachers ar that lcvel
and to rake rcsponsibility for [Link]-spe cific aspects of the curriculum, such as collecring fbedback on
and up-dating the Gaching and Learning Programrnc etc. (see Chapter 1 5).
. Each rearn member acrs as a liaison person for other rask groups in the School of Language s. Ti-ris
involves meeting *,ith the relevanr group or dre group's coordinator on a regttlar b:isis and reirorting
back developmenrs ro the Curriculum Team as rvell as passing ot1 any issues ri4rich are being addressed
L,y rhc curriculum rcam ri,hich might overlap rvirl-r the remit of a parcicular rask group.
. The rvork of thc rcam is organised around the setting of objectives for the semester and for che
academic year. These are broken up into smallcr jobs allocate d to specific team [Link] and
cieadlines for these are entered inro an operational plan or calend,rr in order to keep track of thc n'ork
of the group mcmbers.
r As rhe team has developed it has begun to drarv rip checklists for processes or tasks that lcnd
thernselves ro being proceduralised, such as book ordering and obs to be donc at the end o{i cottrscs
.f

or in prcparation periods before courses start. These not clnly act as a uselul reminder but also hclp
rvhen ream rnembers are replaced by nerv rnembels n'ho are unfamiliar x,itir a particular procedure.

Working with other teams

Of course, the Curriculum Team does not *.ork in isolation, t'ork of rhe rean-r oftcn overlaps t'irh thc
as the
concerns of other teams and task groups. At times thcre can be fruitfirl collaboration, L,ut also there can be
circumstances rvhen misundersranding.s can [Link]. \X/hen *'e experietrced somc eritical incidents like rhese, it
prompred us to clarify some principles and procedures u,ith the aim of ensuring e{ficient liaison and fi"uitful
collaboration u,ith other teams (see Docurnenr 1.3).

At other times, there have been situations *,here there u,as a need to tiran a clear distinction betx'een the
roles and responsibilities of different tearns. One example of this is shor.n itr l)ocument i.4. Tiris docutlent
'Garn artd
lvas produced x,hen there u,as a need to specify cli{Ierent role s and responsibilities of Curriculum
Assessment Teams in the various srages of prepar:rtion ,rnd marking of n'riting ;.tssignrr-icnts attd assessmetrts.
 GUIDI$UG PRINCIPLES
Or-her insdtutions may wish to consider the following guidirg priaciples x,hen building a curriculum
team in
tJreir ovm context:

. Decide on overarching aims and values

These aimsandvaluescanhelptogive directionandguide theworkofrhe*am. The formuladonofthese
work best if they come &om dre team members themselves, rarher chan beingimposed from above as t-his
maximises ownership. The vision of the team need noc necessarily be se*led on *"iren rhe ream
is 6rst formed
but can be returned to later and may change or develop over rime as newprojecrs arise.

n Consider the work of other teams too

Just as the work of a team depends very much on the relationships wi*rin rhe teara arrd rela*enships buil
with teachers on the levels, there is also a need to nurrure dre relationships berween dte Curricr:l*m Team
and
other teams in the institution. An awareness ofhow the work of the team 6rs into rhe x,frcir sci:erne
of rJrings
may foster a more positive work environment and facilitate rhe meeting of the missioa
cf rlrr i*seicgdon 25 a
whole.

. Learn from critical incidents

' Occasions of misunderstanding or conflict can be welcomed as a potential oppomni:-v
te rs rcde6ne
-ii
roles or develop procedures which streamline rhe work of t-he team.

USEFUL PUBLICATION
Humphreys, T. (2006) The Mature Manager: Managing_{ronr the inside [Link]:
Dublin.

ACKISCIWLEDSEMENTS
lfe wish to *rank the Curriculum Team members for t}eir hard nork and commirmem
to rhe edrcs al-the
team, and Dr. Deniz Kurto$lu Eken, former Director of the School of Languages,
for allox,ing u: rhe &sedom
to explore and develop our yision.

Unirersity Srhsol of Languages; Setoot

Document !,,l: Curriculum Team Member Responsibilities

Taking a leading role in the curricular poliq. and decision-making proeess by:
>> Pr:oducing anc'[ periodically revising svllabus documents contained in the Curriculum Guide.
>> [Link] the Second I-anguage [Link] ir-i the production of syllabus documents ancl
revision in rhe light of feedback trs needcd.
> Conrributing to tire lr ork of the Inrer-Giorip Fomm and liaising rvith other task grotips ancl teatns as
necessary to further promote improvements to the [Link]'
> Collaborating closely u,ith drc level the coordinator and orher cerrm members at each ievel to
assessor,
ensure a coillmoll approach co dre teaching and learning cvcles.
> Liaising closely.,r,ith rhe Schooi of Languages Director through regular npdate tleetiugs and the
Prograrnme Coor<iinator ri4ren neccled.
> Updating School of Lar-rguages on t1're [Link] of the Curriculum teatn thlough regular e-m;rils,
sharcd drive s,vllabus folcicr, and [Link].

Ensuring the smooth irnpleuetttation of the curriculum by:

> Producing and periodicallv revising TLaching & Le arning Programmes fbr Foundation Development
Year Engtrish courses.
> Liaising rvith publishers and, dre bookstor-e to place and follo'or-up orders for core and supplemcntar)'
books.
> Overseeing the disclibution and colle ction of course -books each eollrse.
> Overseeing the choice of prompt, feedback mode aird logistics of the implementatiou of short ans\\rer
x,riting assigtrments in each level.
> Nlanaging tl-ie shared drivc foider for tl-re lcvcl and adding ne*. materials produced by dre group ac

convenient regular intcrvais'

> Promoring alyareness of curriculurn issues [Link] expioitation of syllabris doettmeuts through rveekll'
level rneetings, da1-to-day individuai support, sessions and nerr'teacher orietrtation.
> Meering as the Curriculum Team on a regular basis ro ensrlre rhe l1ox'of inforrnation bct*'een the
curriculum team aud levels.
Actively seeking and acring upon feedback on the curriculum from all relevant stakcholders by:
> Identifying and investigating specific arr:as of the curriculum through ret'ieu, of relevant iiterature ,

research and evaluating the practices in other instittltions.

> Collecring f'ocrised systernaric liedback on Foundation Developtneut Yeai'and second language
programmes ti'om students ir: order to infonn decisions abotrt the cnrriculutn'
> Collecting reguiar systematic feedback from reacirers on all elements of the curriculum in order to
further improve the curriculum.
> Organising tire evaluarion, revierv and piloting of books *,irh input frorn botir teache rs anc{ students
in order to decide future booh needs.
> Follorving up changes ro the curriculum through data collecrion and close li;rison rr'ith the relevant
teams and rasli groups.
 20

Document 1.2: Curricutum Team Vision

The Curriculum TLamt vision is to develop a curriculum for Foundarion Devel*prnenrYear English and
Second Language programmes which enhances teaching and learningbv:

> providing the linguistic and independent learner competencies needed bs leamers fbr cheir academic
studies;
) defining realistic and achievable objectives which are borh easy ro irr:plen*zr &r reachers and readily
accessible t<l learners.

The Curriculum Team contributes to teaching and learning in Foundadon Develqp*enr }?:ar Eagiish and
Second Language programmes by:

, taking a leading role in the curricular policy and decision-making process;

> ensuring the smoorh implemenmrion of the curriculum;
> evaluating the curriculum by actively seeking and acdng upon feedback frcre aX} reie-**nr scakeholders.
In doing this, we yalue;
> the teachers' and learners' role in informing curricular innovarion;
)) the role of research in curricular renewal;
> collaboration
other teams;
) sharing our ideas wirh and learning &om others both inside and outside rhe inxi*ad*::-

Document 1.3: Col[aboration between Curriculum Team and other Task

Groups

bear in mind the followingprinciples:

> The Curriculum Teamt'Vision" document emphasises that'we ualue... eolkfwr**,*re arxd ".- 5f. [Link]*
groil?s alrd other tearus... fandJ..sbaring our ideas with and learningfom ot*rrli.
> All task groups and teams share the same overall goal of improving teaching and iexrz*qg s? &e
School of Languages and che best resul* will result from a spirit of murual cc*Ferarie:.
> Feedback from all groups that have a stake in a curriculum innovation at di&rrslr s{ESi}$ k: d}e
development is essential to ensure boch the optimal quality and widest possible
> The work of others deserves acknowledgement and there is a need for sensirirtrt w,&*: m&}*btxating
with orhers.
> All curriculum documents are to be viewed as "work-in-progress" and theref*re {ry€& c* fuback and
suggesdons for improvement from all teachers, ceams and task groups.
> Aldrough a main aim of a task group in some cases is to carry our research be$*m *;ereemeg
improvements ro the curriculum in the long-term, rhere may be dmes whex r&e C"ffi:frliiiil*l Tram
may ask for a task groupt insight into jointly producing a temporary solud+n {*.&
F€€${sas Fr*blem.

' i;6;iliil;ffi,ryt;',;;i;i Languages I Sclrcol Dewlopment Sedes

 We undertake ro make the fbllowing procedures part of our habitual *'orking practice to encoulittge the
srnooth florv ofinformation, and that we request other teams reciprocate:

a\ > fu{inutes of meetings are uploacled to the sha-red drive.

> \X/henever an issue thar has [Link] co anothel teain, the minutes (or relevant secaions) are also .sent
b),rhe relevanr Ctirriculum Team iiaison person [Link] coordinator of rhat tcam, r..'i'ro then sharc-. lhe
information rvith ream members.
)> Regular update meerings rake place [Link] rhe Curriculum Tlata liaison person [Link] each rask
group or its coordinator and thc outcorne of these is repoltecl ro rhe tcam meering andlor shared by
e-mail.
> \fhen relevant and if feasible, representatiyes of another ceam can be invited to the teamt meeti,tg.
> When relevant, arry updates or reporrs to the School of Languagcs Direcror are "cc"-cd to tire
coordinator of the relevant tearn.
> When documenrs resulring frorn coilaboration are to bc shared r.-,,itlr rhe Scirool of Langu-ages, the
contributions of all are acknorvledged, preferably in a joint e-mail.
>> When the need lbl a nerv project or task group arises, all the relevant teams ancl task grollps alre
informed ar rhe earliesr srages so that rhc project benefits ful\. from dreir input :rncl contributions.
 I

Document 1.4: The Roles of curriculum Team Mernbers, Assessment

Team Members and Teaching Teams in writing Assignment (wA) And
Writing Exam (WE) Cycles

SHORT ANSWER OUESTIONS (SAA) LONGER WRITING

Assignrntnrs Assignmcnt ;uid Ecrrt.r
(}rrriculrrnr'lranr i(l'f ) \lcmbcr' r rcsl:r-insihilirirs Assessmcnt ilarn (AT') Ilrnrbcr'r rcsy>nsilrilines
Recognition Tasks and SAG Se[ection Text selection
> meetingwith the AI mernber to discuss the content of the > meedng with rhe CT member to discuss tie conrent of the
writing assignmenr and rhe wriring exam wriring assignment and rhe writing exam
> facilitating the preparation of !(A recognirion tasks by the > facilitating the work ofr:he team in selection oftexts to be
team when necessary ar basic and intermediate levels used in the writing assigrmenr and rhe writing exam in lhe
> faciliating the team work on selection ofVA SAe(s) in the level
level meetings > sending teachers all the assignmenr/exam rexs selected by
> deciding together with the levei teachers which unit topics dre team to be read unril the next level meering
the SAQ(s) can come from in the'$fA > leading the team discussion on finalising rhe text selection in
>> se*ing a deadlinefor the ream to produce possible prompm the meeting
for the \?'A based on the topics in the Teaching and Learning > preparing the readingpack after the text selection is
Programme finalised by the team
> leading the feedback session on the recognition tasks in the > sending the final version of rhe reading pack to the CT
level meeting member ro bepur on the shared drive
> .[eading rhe discussion in rhe team on the selectioa of SAe(s)
> finalising the SAQ(s) rogether with the team in the level Task
meeting
> aliocating tasks to rhe reachers based on dre assignment/
exam texrs to be practised during the lessons
> sending all the tasks and answer keys prepared by rhe reachers
to the CT member to be put on the shared drive
> asking the team to check and give feedback to rhe tasks
> leading a &edback session on the rasks prepared in the ievel
meedng
> collecdng rhe Gnalised versions ofthe rasks from the teachers
and preparing the task pack
ofboth the reading pack and the task pack
ln Prind::g and Photocopl,ing Centre and to be released
srudents on *re day the writing assignment/exam ropic will
be inaoduced in class
sending rhe 6nal version of the rask pack ro the CT member
to be pur cn dre shared drive

WA Task Sheet Formutating the writ;ng Prompt{s}

> finaiising the recognition rasks taking the teamt feedback
asking the teachers co e-mai1 set ofpossible promPrs
inro consideration
based on the texts [Link] the llext level mee rin.
> preparing the 6nal version of the writing assigament task > finalizing the prompr selection together r;irir :; ill
-:.
sheet and the answer key.
in the level meeting
> putdng rhe 6nal version of the writing assignmenr and > preparing for and leading the WA;"SIE sra*riasdizarion
the answer key on the shared drive.
sessions in the level me erings
> preparing for and leading the IIA standardization
[Link] in tire [Link] rne e tings

Sabancr Unirnity School of

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