CORE DECISIONS 1
Curriculum Change Plan: Part 3 - Core Decisions
Wendy Ayers
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to WendyAyers
Email:
CORE DECISIONS 2
Goals and Standards
Goal development conveys what knowledge is intended for a course or curriculum and is
broad. Gordon et al. (2019) define curriculum goals as “a purpose or end stated in general terms
without criteria of achievement” (p. 161). I will create goals that meet the criteria learned in this
course and previous courses. After constructing curriculum goals, objectives or standards are
made. Objectives or standards are specific and measurable (Gordon et al., 2019). Objectives or
standards are aligned with curriculum goals and narrowly define what skill and knowledge a
student must demonstrate. Gordon et al. (2019) state that an objective identifies the skills and
knowledge learners must proficiently demonstrate, the level of proficiency, and the “conditions
under which the performance will take place” (p. 165).
The medical profession continuously changes, which requires constant review of new
medical research, changes in practice, and changes in accreditation standards. As the program
director of respiratory therapy (RT), I am responsible for assessing these components and
adjusting the curriculum to meet student needs. The three goals this researcher developed for the
proposed curriculum change plan are as follows:
1. At the end of the neonatal/pediatric course, RT students will describe the theory,
indications, and contraindications of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in infants and children.
2. At the end of the pharmacology course, RT students will identify the mechanism
of action, adverse effects, and clinical considerations of pharmacologic agents
used in the mechanically ventilated patient.
CORE DECISIONS 3
3. At the end of the pharmacology course, RT students will identify the mechanism
of action and clinical considerations of cardiovascular drugs utilized in
hospitalized patients.
The theoretical basis for these goals is the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and cognitive,
psychomotor, and affective learning domains. The significance of Bloom’s Taxonomy is
its assistance in choosing, organizing, or assessing most instructional activities (Nikolic et
al., 2023). The RT program’s accreditation agency defines the overall program goal. The
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) standard 3.01 mandates all
RT programs have the goal “To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the
cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains
of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs)”
(Entry into practice Standards, 2020). The cognitive domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy
encompasses understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating (Enoch et al.,
2022). The cognitive domain applies to the proposed RT curriculum change as knowledge
acquirement. Learners must comprehend the pharmacologic agents and neonatal/pediatric
content, understand the concepts, and apply the knowledge and concepts in the laboratory
and clinical practice. The psychomotor domain comprises embodying, articulating,
perfecting, manipulating, and imitating (Enoch et al., 2022). The psychomotor domain
applies to the proposed RT curriculum change as skills attainment. Students must be
aware of sensory prompts to direct motor activity and be motivated to perform complex
skills confidently and proficiently. The affective domain comprises characterizing,
organizing, valuing, responding, receiving, and attending (Enoch et al., 2022). The
affective domain applies to the proposed RT curriculum change as behavior expectations.
CORE DECISIONS 4
Students must have control of their behavior with the ability to prioritize values by
differentiating diverse values and be motivated and attentive. The RT program must
adhere to all CoARC standards for continuing accreditation. The curriculum change plan
does not need CoARC preapproval since the change does not augment the total program
credit hours, and the content meets the educational requirements of CoARC. The content
listed in the goals is currently squeezed into other courses because of time constraints in
pharmacology and neonatal/pediatric 8-week courses. The curriculum change will allow
us to move the content into the appropriate courses. My personal experience is that I
graduated from this program 34 years ago, and I remember the compressed
pharmacology and neonatal/pediatric courses. Today, there are approximately three or
four times more drugs than 34 years ago.
Organization Plan
A backward design entails three steps to construct the foundation of a curriculum.
When constructing the foundation of a curriculum with a backward design, it is essential to align
the course content with established learning outcomes to ascertain a consistent education setting.
The first step consists of developing student-centered learning objectives that are well-defined,
distinctive, and easily measurable (Davis et al., 2021). Student-centered learning objectives
should answer these questions: What skill or knowledge will students learn? When should the
skill or knowledge be completed? Furthermore, what level of mastery should students achieve?
After developing learning objectives that address these questions to provide the foundation, the
focus can shift to strategies for developing learning outcomes, assessments, and activities (Davis
et al., 2021). The primary focus of step one is to guarantee that learners receive the skills and
knowledge needed.
CORE DECISIONS 5
Step two is determining what assessment strategies to incorporate to ascertain the level of
mastery students obtain with obligatory knowledge and skills. Assessment strategies are more
than tests and require an ongoing assessment process as content is introduced (Davis et al.,
2021). Assessment tools should align with course content and enhance expected outcomes. A
pre-assessment to determine student knowledge may be appropriate, and ongoing assessments
while delivering content will garner student comprehension and progress (Davis et al., 2021). A
conclusive assessment will depict the level of content comprehension a student has obtained.
Step three is the instructional design and directed activities to establish the process of the
curriculum and decide the specifics. While establishing the organization of the curriculum during
the final step, teachers should ask these questions: How will course content be taught? What
learning activities will accomplish the desired knowledge? What resources do teachers need to
facilitate desired knowledge? (Davis et al., 2021). How course content is taught may be concepts,
theories, or an exercise, and learning activities may include simulations, group work,
presentations, worksheets, demonstrations, or portfolios. Resources needed may include high-
fidelity manikins, task trainers, laboratories, computer programs, virtual reality, augmented
reality, or other forms of technology.
The main stakeholders in the proposed curriculum change are the students, faculty, and
CoARC. A backward design will provide stakeholders with a curriculum design that will affect
student outcomes. Stakeholders can visualize the course layout and how it will benefit students
and their performance because of the association between the activities and learning outcomes
(Ziegenfuss & LeMire, 2019). The backward design starts with determining the desired end and
then aligning course content to achieve the learning goals. Stakeholders will better understand
the rationale of the activities concerning the learning objectives. The purpose of standards set
CORE DECISIONS 6
forth by CoARC is to ensure that all RT students receive the same instructional content to
produce competent RRTs. The Annual Report on Current Status (RCS) submitted to CoARC by
every RT program for continuing accreditation includes feedback from graduates, students,
employers, faculty, and the program Advisory Committee. This is followed by an action plan to
address any weaknesses or areas of poor performance.
Evidence Plan
In healthcare education, evidence of learning is assessed using various methods to track
progress in reaching set goals. An evidence plan incorporates assessments to garner evidence of
student learning. The importance of listening and knowledge retention is supported by the Bible.
“Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life” (English Standard Bible,
2001/2016, Proverbs 4:13). The verse explains how understanding what you learn and retaining
that knowledge is essential.
The curriculum change aims to respond to student feedback consisting of time restraints
in pharmacology and neonatal/pediatrics. For the past six years, students have complained about
how much educational material they must learn in the eight-week neonatal/pediatrics course and
how advanced pharmacology is spread over multiple courses. In response, the decision was made
to streamline pharmacology in two back-to-back eight-week courses and change the
neonatal/pediatric course from eight weeks to 16 weeks.
The neonatal/pediatric change proposal entails one additional goal in conjunction with
existing goals. The best assessment methods for the neonatal/pediatric course are ongoing
through the 16-week course and should contain direct evidence (Evidence of learning, n.d.).
During the course, laboratory competencies are completed, and clinical performance evaluations
are conducted mid-semester and end-semester to determine progression and assess theory
CORE DECISIONS 7
application and knowledge retention while caring for neonatal and pediatric patients. Student
presentations and a group project will also provide evidence of learning and a comprehensive
exam at the end of the semester. Student presentations are presented to the class, followed by a
class discussion. Group work consists of problem-based cases that the group presents to the
class. The presentations and group work must contain treatment plans, which include CPAP and
NIV. The assessment measures ensure that students have various ways to learn the material and
be better prepared at the end of the semester.
Direct measures should align with specific learning outcomes and offer faculty valuable
evidence (Evidence of learning, n.d.). The second eight-week pharmacology course will include
advanced pharmacology, such as cardiovascular medications, sedatives, anesthetics,
neuromuscular blocking agents, analgesics, and benzodiazepines. Laboratory competencies are
completed, and clinical performance evaluations are conducted mid-semester and end-semester
to determine progression and assess theory application and knowledge retention while caring for
mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Group case studies will include
medication management for various patient issues, and the group will present their case to the
class, followed by a class discussion. Students will complete worksheets on medications and
medication management. Conducting tests throughout the semester is also essential to assess
progression. The assessment measures ensure that students have various ways to learn the
material and be better prepared at the end of the semester.
CORE DECISIONS 8
References
Davis, N. L., Gough, M., & Taylor, L. L. (2021). Enhancing online courses by utilizing
“Backward Design”. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 21(4), 437-446.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2021.1924922
English Standard Bible. (2016). Literal Word. https://esv.literalword.com/ (Original work
published 2001)
Enoch, L. C., Abraham, R. M., & Singaram, V. S. (2022). A comparative analysis of the impact
of online, blended, and face-to-face learning on medical students’ clinical competency in
the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 753-
765. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03777-x
Entry into practice Standards. (2020, November 27). CoARC – Commission on Accreditation
for Respiratory Care. https://coarc.com/accreditation/entry-into-practice-standards/
Evidence of learning: Direct and indirect measures. (n.d.). Uwm.edu. Retrieved November 19,
2023, from https://uwm.edu/academicaffairs/facultystaff/assessment-of-student-
learning/evidence-of-learning/
Gordon, W. R., II., Taylor, R., & Oliva, P. F. (2019). Developing the curriculum: Improved
outcomes through systems approaches (9th ed.). Pearson.
Nikolic, S., Suesse, T. F., Grundy, S., Haque, R., Lyden, S., Hassan, G. M., Daniel, S., Belkina,
M., & Lal, S. (2023). Laboratory learning objectives: ranking objectives across the
cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains within engineering. European Journal
of Engineering Education, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2023.2248042
Ziegenfuss, D. H., & LeMire, S. (2020). Information literacy and instruction: Backward design:
A must-have library instructional design strategy for your pedagogical and teaching
