NURS 6321 Week 10: Approaches to Curriculum and Program Evaluation

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NURS 6321 Week 10: Approaches to Curriculum and Program Evaluation essay assignment

NURS 6321: Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Evaluation | Week 10 essay assignment

A good plan is like a road map: It shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there.

—H. Stanley Judd

What is the final destination of curriculum development? Is it to gain approval? Perhaps it is to produce a finished product? In curriculum development, your final destination may change with time and circumstances. This is because educators often make adjustments to their curricula to ensure that content is current, engaging, and continues to meet the needs of learners. The ongoing process of evaluation provides educators with a thorough plan to consistently evaluate the quality and relevance of curricula.

NURS 6321 Week 10: Approaches to Curriculum and Program Evaluation essay assignment 

This week you begin your exploration of curriculum and program evaluation.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Evaluate models used for educational programs and curriculum evaluation
  • Analyze how curriculum evaluations can provide data on quality
  • Apply theoretical concepts to nursing curricula
  • Evaluate congruence of organizational frameworks within a setting
  • Evaluate alignment between programmatic curriculum components and curriculum components of the setting
  • Develop end-of-program outcomes
  • Design a curriculum plan of study
  • Generate a concept map that illustrates alignment of concepts across a program

At the close of every quarter, you and your fellow students are asked to complete an evaluation form on your courses. The questions are usually simple in format but require you to evaluate many factors that influenced your learning experience. From the quality of your Instructor to the workload and engagement of weekly assignments, you are asked to provide your honest opinion about your learning experience. As a student, you should take great care when answering these questions because they are used to adapt, refine, and improve the learning experiences offered to you and to future students. As a nurse educator, you should take great care in selecting the evaluation approach that best aligns with your curriculum and your setting. As there are many approaches to evaluation, collaborating with other educators within the parent institution or agency is also a must.

To prepare:

  • Review this week’s Learning Resources to explore the diverse evaluation models nurse educators can use to evaluate the quality of their curriculum. Specifically focus on Chapter 16, “Program Evaluation,” in the Keating text.
  • Consider why nurse educators might employ an eclectic approach that combines one or more of the following evaluation models: conceptual, benchmarking, evaluation process, formative, and summative.
  • Reflect on your Course Project. Consider the internal and external factors that influence your setting, as well as the needs of the learner. What approach to evaluation might work best to assess the quality of your team’s proposed curriculum? Conduct further research as necessary.

Note: After each team member has received feedback on his or her posting, your team should meet to discuss the evaluation model(s) that you will incorporate into your Course Project.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the evaluation model(s) you would select for your team’s setting and why. Describe how the model(s) would help your team collect and analyze data surrounding curriculum quality. Justify your response by providing references to your Course Project and Learning Resources as applicable.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

  • Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.
  • Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
  • Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
  • Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.