Curriculum Review
The Chemistry Department is currently undergoing a curriculum review of its three main Chemistry Programs (Majors, Honours, and ChemMedSci). The objective of this review is to align our programs with the following four learning outcomes agreed upon by the Department in April 2014:
1) Acquire, articulate and apply a knowledge base in chemistry
2) Master practical skills
3) Develop intellectual skills
4) Develop professional skills
The curriculum review will consist of several phases which are described below (the current phase appears in red). Only after the final phase of the curriculum review is complete will implementation be considered; this may or may not lead to changes in existing programs and courses. The curriculum review is entirely distinct from any current changes to existing courses and programs, including changes associated with student workload.
Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the curriculum review to the Curriculum Review Steering Committee Chair, Dr. Cornelia Bohne.
Curriculum Review Phases
Phase 1: Establish learning goals.* This phase was based on multiple focus group meetings with teachers. The objective is to decide upon learning goals based on the four learning outcomes for our Chemistry Programs (completed June 2015).
Phase 2: Map established learning goals onto current programs and courses. This phase identified where the learning goals established in Phase 1 are currently achieved in our programs (completed February 2016).
Phase 3: Identify areas that require changes and set priorities. Data from Phases 1 and 2 will be analyzed to establish features of the current curriculum. The outcome of this phase will be a hierarchical list of topics and a prioritized list of action items (March-June 2016).
Phase 4: Identify possible changes to the curriculum. Workgroups will work on possible solutions for each action item (TBA).
Phase 5: Consult with other stakeholders. This phase will determine how well the curriculum features uncovered in Phase 3 align with the perspective of the stakeholders (e.g. students, employers, other departments) and also collect input on possible solutions (TBA).
Phase 5: Develop a course structure for the programs (TBA).
Phase 6: Map the proposed course structure to external factors (e.g. CSC accreditation, resource availability, transfer credits, faculty/staff/teacher/student workloads, etc.) (TBA).
*What is a learning goal, as opposed to a learning outcome? Each learning goal will be a more detailed part of one of the four learning outcomes listed above. A learning goal is sufficiently detailed that a chemist can identify how it relates to a particular area in chemistry. A learning goal is not so specific that it relates to the topics of the teaching notes for a particular course, nor is it so general that it can be applied to any area of study.