1. Curriculum Development
Program Directors 101
Curriculum Development
Michael Roscoe
Sandra Banas

2. Objectives
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:
Explain the principle of backward design
Plan and implement a curriculum development project
Describe potential obstacles to planning and implementation
Identify resources for effective curriculum development

3. Curriculum Defined
The planned and unplanned experiences that students have while taking part in an educational program

4. Backward Design Model

5. Curricular Foundations
Derived from Intentional Items:
ARC-PA Standards (Primarily section B)
Core Competencies for PA Profession
NCCPA Blueprint
Clinical Experience of Educators and Physician Partners
Service Area (local, regional, national)
Self-study
Educational theories
Others ??

6. Curricular Influences
Unintentional Items:
Personal experiences of educators
Resources (to be accessed directly and as a component of independent inquiry)
External forces, including practice

8. Where Are You in the Process?
This group is creating from “scratch”

9. Curriculum Development
Begin With Your Destination In Mind !

10. Curriculum Development – Step 1
Determine goals, outcomes & competencies:
Does your program have a “niche” ?
What are your curricular threads ?

11. Curricular Development – Step 2
Determine how you are going to measure items in Step 1:
GPA
PANCE Performance
Graduation Rate
Depth of clinically relevant knowledge
Ability to access resources for continued learning
Ease in implementation
Convenience
PAEA Budget Baker & Davison

12. Curricular Development – Step 3
Determine Sequencing:
Clinical Medicine before Pharmacology
Pharmacology before Clinical Medicine
Clinical Medicine with Pharmacology
Integrated (across organ systems)
Traditional/linear
Other ideas ?

13. Curricular Development – Step 4
Determine your delivery methods / curricular style:
Direct Instruction-Lecture
Lab/Simulation
Small Group
Experiential
Technology (computer, simulators, SPs)
Distance (synchronous vs. asynchronous)
PBL/Hybrid
Flipped Classroom/Team-based Learning (TBL)
Inter-professional or PA specific

14. Curricular Development – Step 5
Other Influences:
Institution
ARC-PA
Community
Faculty abilities

15. Who Should Be Involved Core faculty Medical Director
Includes medical, PA, Allied Health, Basic
Scientists, etc
Medical Director
MUST be involved !
Faculty within the school
Dean
Curriculum committees and curricula experts
Graduates / Current students
Preceptors / Employers
Core faculty - easy for established programs. Challenge for new programs - new programs can utilize faculty from other professional programs, from University and PA’s from community.
Medical Director – must be involved in both new and established programs
Faculty within school – established programs  good to include; new programs  may be a necessity
Dean – Should be involved in both new and established programs
Curr Comm – should be involved in new and established programs
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16. Curriculum Mapping
Helps faculty understand what is planned for instruction. Several models available. This is ONE example of what curr map may look like
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17. The Hidden Curriculum….
Student learning is influenced by:
Classroom / laboratory environment
Clinical rotation environment
Culture of the program
Faculty modeling
Peer interactions
Extra-curricular events (planned and unplanned)
Above interactions can have significant impact on learning
Classroom / lab / clinical rotation environment = what happens in classroom and lab and clinical rotations
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18. Curriculum Assessment
PANCE Performance
Subsections
Summative Exam
Preceptor Feedback
Employer Surveys
End of Program Surveys
OSCE’s
Oral Boards
Resource Utilization
Data Driven Parameters
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19. Curricula Assessment Quantitative Items Qualitative Items
Listen to all voices to determine reality (triangulation)
Listen over time
Some will always criticize the curriculum
Everyone will tell you what is needed (or not)
It will never be perfect

20. Curricular Revision Inevitable Necessary
Products represent the time in which it exists
Best done as a group process even if more cumbersome
Systematic approach is better than trial and error

22. Application Exercise
You are developing a new MS PA Program at your institution. The hope is to enroll your first cohort in 12 months
What are your first questions?
What data are needed?
Who should be involved?

23. Resources
ARC-PA, Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education, 4th edition.
Kern, D. Curriculum Development for Medical Education A Six- Step Approach.
Pascarella, E. & Terenzini P. (2005). How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. Jossey-Bass.

24. Acknowledgements
The presenters acknowledge contributions from previous workshop facilitators including:
Matt Baker
Bridget Calhoun
Tony Miller
Brad Schwartz
Marvis Lary
Dawn Morton Rias
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