Reflective Writing on Curriculum Development

Curriculum Development



Incidence

    The purpose of writing this incidence is to enhance critical thinking skills in order to develop higher cognitive abilities which include but not limited to analyzing, explaining evaluating, and synthesizing (Gabennesch, 2006,para.6 ). Through writing I will also develop academic writing skills which are a requirement in higher educational institutions.   For purposes of confidentiality no names will be mentioned and hence no need to seek for permission to use the incidence for learning purposes

A description of the incidence

    I was invited to a curriculum development workshop for two weeks in a nursing educational institution on the basis of having specialized in the area for which the curriculum was being developed. As (Harden, 1998) suggest curriculum development bring together professional with specific abilities in the area of concern and the team works together up to the end. The team was made up of ten professionals who were working in that institution. My role was to guide the team on the core content issues and how to implement the curriculum. Though I had the knowledge and had undergone the specific course, I had not participated in curriculum development there before but most of the other members had been involved in one way or other.   Roles were not very well defined though there was a lead person.

Weihrich and Koontz (2005) suggest that for effective accomplishment of work, tasks should be divided among team members which in this case did not happen. The exercise took a period of two weeks and went through three phases   These phases included the development of the first draft, which was the hardest phase and involved selection of important content and putting it together in a meaningful order. This draft was presented to the stake holders for scrutiny who gave in their feedback verbally and out this feedback the second draft was developed. The draft was presented to the institutional curriculum...