49CHAPTER 3

The Role of Faculty in Curriculum Development and Evaluation

Sarah B. Keating

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of Chapter 3, the reader will be able to:

OVERVIEW

Chapter 3 discusses the critical role that faculty plays in curriculum development and evaluation. Since faculty is the ultimate developer, implementer, and evaluator of the curriculum, knowledge of the processes for development and evaluation is necessary. Seeing the curriculum as a whole and its purpose helps to direct the faculty’s activities to carry out the plan, assess its implementation, and recognize the need for revision of the current program, or perhaps, development of a new program. Both novice and experienced teachers collaborate with students and colleagues in the health care system to ensure the integrity of the curriculum and to identify when changes are needed. Faculty responsibilities to bring about curricular change from the course level to governance and administrative approval are reviewed. Additionally, the role of faculty related to program evaluation and accreditation activities is discussed. Suggestions for research leading to evidence-based practice in education are provided.

50LEVEL OF INDIVIDUAL FACULTY MEMBER’S KNOWLEDGE OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

New Faculty

With the current and projected nursing faculty shortage (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2014), schools of nursing are recruiting new faculty from health care institutions and recent graduates of master’s or doctoral programs. Many of these faculty members have little or no experience in academe and although they may have clinical expertise, they have little or no formal education in instructional design and strategies and in curriculum development and evaluation. It becomes the responsibility of the school administrator and faculty members to orient new faculty members to the curriculum and the processes of learner-centered education.

Orientation

Orientation programs usually take place prior to the first week of scheduled classes for new faculty to attend institutional meetings set up to familiarize them with human resources and personnel policies as well as to the mission and philosophy of the overall institution and the home college or department within which the nursing school resides. The nursing program has parallel activities and reviews faculty governance such as committee structures and membership, administrative organization, expectations for participation in meetings and other related activities, and introduction of the curriculum, program of study, and overviews of the courses that carry out the curriculum. Relative to the latter, the course and level assignments are reviewed along with teaching and reporting responsibilities. New faculty members meet with course and/or level coordinators to go over grading policies, testing and clinical supervision policies, and other course-related activities. The following studies describe some orientation programs that have been successful. However, for the most part, they describe strategies for orientation and do not necessarily link them to the importance of orienting new faculty to the total curriculum.

Mangum (2013) created an orientation program for experienced clinicians assuming the role as clinical faculty in an associate degree program in nursing. The Structured Orientation Development System program was based on the National League for Nursing (NLN) Core Competencies of Faculty (NLN, 2005) and Benner’s (1984) from Novice to Expert model. Faculty participated in pre- and post self-assessments of their competency in teaching. Although the study was limited to a small sample size and one geographical location, it provides a model for orientation of faculty to the NLN core competencies for nursing educators.

Horton (2013) conducted a qualitative study to investigate the perceptions of adjunct faculty in an associate degree program on orientation, mentoring, and faculty development programs. Through a survey, focus group, and interviews of faculty representing various disciplines at the college she found recurring themes. Part-time teachers wanted to be paid for orientation attendance since many had other jobs and family responsibilities and they indicated a desire to have an official 51mentor to help guide them in honing their teaching skills, and for managing students and their learning. Although the study was limited in number and geographical location, it has implications for administrative support for paying for faculty time for orientation and faculty development activities, and for the need for formal mentoring programs with experienced faculty members.

Forbes, Hickey, and White (2010) studied over a hundred adjunct faculty’s orientation needs in a school of nursing. They found that faculty members indicated that they felt the need for and would attend orientation sessions. An added incentive was to offer continuing education (CE) credits for attendance; however the majority indicated they would attend the sessions even if CE was not offered. One hundred percent (n = 60+) of those answering open-ended questions indicated they felt the need for and would attend formal courses on education. The survey listed topics of interest to them that included teaching diverse learners, test construction, technology (e-mail, BlackBoard, personal digital assistant [PDA]), developing a lesson plan, handling student issues, and evaluation and grading. Based on the study the orientation sessions were lengthened to 3-hour workshops and offered each semester. Useful information on the content of orientation programs for faculty is included in the authors’ recommendations.

A planned orientation, mentoring, and instructional design and support services for faculty is essential for new and experienced faculty that are teaching online for the first time. Vaill and Testori (2012) describe in detail the program used at their college for faculty development, which applied adult and constructivist learning theories. Faculty who planned to teach online for the first time attended an online course the semester prior to the course. Through planned sessions online, participants developed an online course ready for presentation the following semester. Experienced online teachers acted as mentors for the learners and support for developing the course. How to utilize related technology was offered during the experience. A cohort-style program was developed owing to the large number of courses converting to online format and the need for increased numbers of faculty prepared for online teaching. The program has been successful and faculty reported high satisfaction with the experience.

A national survey of part-time faculty in baccalaureate nursing programs was conducted to determine what effects orientation, integration, and evaluation have on intent to stay in teaching. Results revealed that planned orientation, evaluative student feedback, adequacy of pay, mentor support, and completion of an education course were significant factors in the intention to continue teaching (Carlson, 2012). While not the purpose of the study, Carlson noted that a significant number of the respondents had baccalaureates (31%) as the highest degree and 37% had a master of science in nursing (MSN). Since recommendations are that faculty has at least a master’s degree, this is worrisome and bears attention to find solutions to the nursing faculty shortage and faculty’s educational preparation.

Mentorship

A planned orientation program for new faculty is highly recommended. Although reading faculty handbooks and reviewing each policy can be tedious, orienting the new faculty members to the most critical policies is essential and should be shared 52in formal or informal meetings with all new members and selected experienced faculty members. Individual mentoring for new faculty members provides a resource for discussing everyday teaching activities, relationships with students and peers, and organizational hierarchy. Planned meetings should be part of the mentor’s and mentoree’s calendar even if there are no pressing issues to discuss. This gives them the opportunity to share teaching experiences and issues and troubleshoot. Vital to the mentorship and orientation is the necessity to review the curriculum, the courses in which the new member teaches, and the relationship of the courses to the overall program of study. The orientation plan may assign mentors to new faculty on a one-on-one basis or several according to the needs of the faculty members and the program. Many times, as new faculty adjust to the new role, they will self-select a mentor according to academic or individual needs. These relationships usually last over time even after planned meetings are no longer indicated as they evolve into professional, collegial relationships with shared interests in academic and research/scholarship activities.

Barksdale et al. (2011) present a faculty orientation, mentoring, and development model for supporting faculty members in their teaching role and professional growth. At their institution, there is a formal program for faculty development participation. Faculty satisfaction with the program was high. Examples of the program include a formal assignment of a mentor for new faculty members with the option to change mentors as needed, meetings in which participants share ideas for scholarship and research, and workshops for developing and improving teaching and learning strategies.

EXPERIENCED FACULTY

Leadership

The role of experienced faculty in curriculum development and evaluation is multifaceted. The primary role is that of effective teaching and role modeling through the application of learner-centered theories, instructional design and strategies, and learner and program assessment. Based on experienced faculty members’ activities in helping to develop and implement the curriculum, it is their responsibility to ensure that the curriculum remains intact and, at the same time, current with changes and trends in education and the health care system that call for curriculum assessment and revision. Experienced faculty members serve in leadership roles within the curriculum including participation on curriculum and other academic committees, accreditation and program review assignments, institutional service that relates to curriculum development and evaluation, and service as course coordinators or level and specialty leaders. Additionally, it is expected that they serve as official or unofficial mentors for new faculty members.

Young, Pearsall, Stiles, and Horton-Deutsch (2011) interviewed nurse leaders to study how they became faculty leaders and found three major themes, being thrust into leadership, taking risks, and facing challenges. The descriptions of these factors indicate that experienced faculty members are often thrust into leadership positions without seeking them. For example, the need for developing a new track in a program resulted in the two experienced clinical experts assuming the 53leadership for developing the program. An example of taking risks was developing a new method for promoting student learning and skills that led to challenges from other faculty but proved to be an effective instructional strategy. Facing challenges by faculty led to the realization that overcoming challenges meant consensus building on the part of the leader and faculty. These themes illustrate how faculty members can become leaders, whether planned or not, in their role in curriculum development and evaluation.

Currency of Curriculum

Experienced faculty members observe changes in nursing and health care through their activities when reviewing the literature for current trends in their specialty, professional organization activities, academic responsibilities, and in clinical practice situations. Working with colleagues in the practice setting, supervising students or conducting research, and attending professional meetings and conferences are sources for identifying changes and future implications. These activities contribute to the faculty’s ability to assess the curriculum for its currency and to identify revisions that might be indicated. New faculty members are usually immersed in assuming the new role of educator and thus may not have the time or experience to observe these implications for curriculum development and evaluation. At the same time, experienced faculty can take the opportunity to mentor new faculty and demonstrate the importance of assessing trends and changes in the health care system or education that influence the curriculum. As mentioned previously, the role of mentor to new faculty is a responsibility of practiced faculty and can be an expected formal assignment as part of an orientation plan or, informally, as part of the expectations for faculty.

Samples of how faculty are involved in ensuring a current and relevant curriculum are available in the literature. Implementing the knowledge and skills related to evidence-based practice across the curriculum and into the practice setting to promote its use by nurses is an example (Moch, Cronje, & Barnson, 2010). The authors conducted an extensive review of the literature to identify evidence-based practice in nursing curricula and its implementation in the practice setting. They found little information on how this practice is shared with nurses in the practice setting where students are assigned. They identified the need for collaboration between education and practice to integrate evidence-based practice into the health care setting.

Faculty Development for Curriculum Development and Evaluation

It is the responsibility of the administrators and faculty in the school of nursing to build in faulty development activities to ensure the integrity of the curriculum and the quality of instruction in its implementation. These activities ultimately lead to the realization of the program goals and student learning outcomes that ensure a quality program in the preparation of professional nurses for the health care system. While orientation to the curriculum was mentioned previously as the first step for faculty development in a school of nursing, other topics include the provision of knowledge on faculty governance related to curricular activities; 54the processes of curriculum development, program evaluation, and accreditation; application of learning theories, instructional design, and strategies including technology; and student assessment methods. To meet the role expectations of service and scholarship, workshops can be offered to review service opportunities within the institution and in the community and skills for writing grants and preparing manuscripts for publications. Ideas that apply specifically to research related to curriculum development, program evaluation, and evidence-based practice in education can be shared in faculty meetings, workshops, and conferences that focus on the needs of the curriculum.

A comprehensive model for nursing faculty development is described by Drummond-Young et al. (2010). The model was initiated by a faculty work group to provide orientation, mentorship, and ongoing developmental activities based on the concept of teaching as scholarship (Boyer, 1990). The model presupposed the need for faculty members to link courses in which they teach to the curriculum and its plan of study. The model contains four developmental outcomes for faculty, that is, teaching, wisdom, discovery, and excellence. Within the outcomes are instructional, leadership, organizational, and professional development characteristics. Central to the components are exploring, reflecting, focusing, applying, mentoring, and evaluating activities that promote educational vitality.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY

Implementation of the Curriculum

Implementation of the curriculum is the responsibility of the faculty. Therefore, all faculty members should be thoroughly familiar with the total curriculum specifically, its mission, philosophy, organizational framework, student learning outcomes, and plan of study. Full-time faculty should have a working knowledge of these components for all levels of education within their program including undergraduate and graduate programs. While teaching activities may focus on graduate studies or undergraduate, it is necessary for faculty to know how they relate to one another and build upon the other. Part-time faculty may not need the details of the curriculum when compared to full-time faculty, but they should understand the relationship of the course(s) in which they teach to the curriculum and its framework and goals.

Schools of nursing curricula generally have one organizational framework that acts as the guide for all levels of degree work and demonstrates the rationale for preparing professional nurses at various levels. While it is not necessary to know the details of the courses that implement the curriculum, it is critical to its integrity for faculty to identify the place that the courses in which they teach has in the framework. Thus, the temptation to change course objectives and/or content is less likely to occur. The role of course coordinator is to assume the responsibility for new faculty’s orientation to the course and its relationship to the curriculum and also to periodically assess the delivery of the course to ensure its germaneness to the curriculum. Periodic meetings of faculty members in the courses to review teaching strategies, learning activities, and learning outcomes are vital to the implementation of the curriculum and to overall quality control.

55Need for Revision or New Programs

As the curriculum is implemented, faculty members observe and assess the effectiveness of learning activities, teaching methods, student learning outcomes, and the relationship of courses to the curriculum. When gaps or problems are detected, it is the instructors’ responsibility to report the observations to the course leader, or level coordinator. Together, faculty should investigate the situation and, with input from students and other stakeholders, bring the matter to the curriculum committee (or academic committee that has responsibility for curricular change) for their consideration. Suggestions for remediation of the problem should accompany the report to facilitate the expedient processing of the need for curricular revision, if indicated. Many times, faculty and students observe the need for new programs based on their experiences and interactions with the public and other professionals in the health care system. The processes for bringing the possibility to the attention of the curriculum committee are the same, that is, a summary of the need with documentation and possible plans for the development of a new track/program.

Davis (2011) reports on a conceptual model developed by an associate degree program faculty when it identified the need for a curricular revision. Faculty believed that a change to learner-centered instruction was indicated owing to the NLN’s call for nursing education transformation and declining National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) results. In order for all faculty members to be involved, the conceptual model helped them to organize their work to review the current curriculum, revise it according to needs identified, and design the new curriculum. The conceptual model was built upon learning as central with the curriculum, faculty, students, and resources interacting to achieve program outcomes. It proved successful with faculty using the model as a guide, which led to a plan to assess the curriculum every 3 years using the same model.

D’Antonio, Brennan, and Curley (2013) describe a 3-year process for re-designing a baccalaureate curriculum. The undergraduate curriculum committee acted as a steering committee for mapping the curriculum from the mission and vision to the organizational framework and courses. All faculty members were involved in each step of the process and constituents were invited to participate as well. The authors report that the process generated excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment of the faculty to the program. They offer it as a model for other faculty considering curriculum revision.

Another model for involving faculty in curriculum revision and for faculty development was the cognitive tools scaffolding model used to revise an undergraduate curriculum (Hagler, Morris, & White, 2011). The levels of function for the cognitive tools included those of Erkens, Prangsma, and Jasper (2006), that is, task, metacognitive, and sociocommunicative levels, and served to involve faculty in the process for developing the new courses. Tables and models to facilitate the use of the cognitive tools provided the guide for faculty. The involvement of cross-specialty, full-time and part-time faculty, and teamwork caused faculty to increase their knowledge and interest in instructional design and in formative and summative evaluation activities.

56Activities Related to Curriculum Development, Evaluation, and Accreditation

Many of the roles and responsibilities of faculty in curriculum development have been reviewed. They include, on an individual level, familiarization with the components of the curriculum; developing and carrying out instructional designs and strategies that are congruent with the curriculum; observation, assessment, and reporting of needs for either curricular revision or development of new programs; participation on curriculum/academic/evaluation/accreditation committees; and developing or participating in scholarly activities that relate to curriculum development and evaluation. As a group, faculty members should participate in the orientation of new faculty members to ensure the integrity of the curriculum, review faculty governance structures to maintain faculty ownership of the curriculum, form research/scholarly groups to identify trends and issues in curriculum development and evaluation, generate research ideas, identify program development grants, and build on ideas for evidence-based educational practice.

Accrediting agencies such as the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (2014) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (2014) standards/criteria include the educational preparation and qualifications for nursing faculty. As part of their role, faculty members should be familiar with these expectations and assure that they meet the qualifications and expectations for the role of faculty. A model for tracking faculty accomplishments can be found in the article by Pettus, Reifschneider, and Buruss (2009). The model provides for the maintenance of current information on faculty members resulting in documentation of faculty achievements as well as a record for accreditation purposes.

Participation in accreditation activities and program evaluation activities is expected for all faculty members. Leadership roles include chairing committees for program review and accreditation and coordinating and presenting evaluation and accreditation reports for the nursing faculty as a whole and with other approval bodies on the institutional level, for example, graduate school, senate committees, academic administrators, and so on. Program evaluation for the academic institution usually takes place every 5 years, while accreditation takes place from every 5 to 10 years, depending upon the program’s history and type of program. For example, new graduate programs receive initial accreditation for 5 years and renewed accreditation every 10 years. Exceptions also depend upon the accreditation status such as full accreditation, placed on warning, or denied accreditation. Faculty members’ roles in evaluation and accreditation include knowing the curriculum components such as the mission, vision, philosophy, organizational framework, student learning outcomes, and the program of study. They should be able to articulate where the courses in which they teach fall into the curricular model. Identifying needs for revision and bringing it to the attention of faculty and curriculum committees is an important role for all teachers and, finally, participation on committees that evaluate and develop the curriculum is an additional responsibility. Chapters 16 and 17 discuss evaluation and accreditation for academic nursing programs in detail.

57RESEARCH IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

Issues and Trends

Major issues and trends in nursing education as they apply to the nursing faculty role in curriculum development and evaluation are as follows:

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