Introduction Curriculum integration is widely discussed in medical education but remains ill defined. Although there is plenty of information on logistical aspects of curriculum integration, little attention has been paid to the contextual issues that emerge from its practice and may complicate students' knowledge integration. Therefore, we aimed to uncover how curriculum integration is manifested through context. Methods We collected data from the official curriculum and interviewed ten participants (including curriculum designers, facilitators, and students) in the bachelor's medical program at Aalborg University. We observed various learning activities focused on pre-clinical education. Inspired by grounded theory, we analyzed the information we gathered. Results The following theoretical constructs emerged after the inductive analysis: 1) curriculum integration complexity is embedded in the institutional learning perspectives; 2) curriculum integration is used to harmonize conflicting learning perspectives in curriculum practice; 3) curriculum integration creates tensions that self-organize its structure; and 4) curriculum integration becomes visible in collaborative learning spaces. Discussion These constructs provide a framework for analyzing curriculum integration in the context in which it is meant to appear, which may assist educationalists to gain a more specific understanding of the term. This may enable effective curriculum integration since contextual issues are addressed in addition to the goals specified in the official curriculum. Keywords Curriculum design · Curriculum integration · Problem-based learning · Grounded theory · Medical education What this paper addsCurriculum integration is considered of key importance for reforming medical programs across the world, yet many medical schools struggle with integrating their curricula. This is possibly a consequence of the confusion derived from diverse definitions of curriculum integration anchored in multiple learning theories. Moreover, the existing definitions pay little attention to the contextual issues of medical schools. Approaching curriculum integration through an extended theory that takes into consideration contextual issues may provide medical educators insights into contextually determined conflicts, tensions and learning perspectives influencing the curriculum practice.
This chapter describes an institutional Pedagogical Counseling program-assessment and systematizing initiative in terms of an adapted Community of Inquiry framework. An inquiry through pedagogical-counseling experience-exchange process was set up to analyze, assess and potentiate ongoing support activities by the staff members of the Center for Research and Development in Education (CIFE) in counseling projects of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry framework has been adapted to the authors’ pedagogical counseling process in order to conceptualize CIFE staff’s review exercise. The process includes ample opportunities to discuss and reflect on key counseling design questions, explore counseling programs from a pedagogical perspective and implement and evaluate new tutoring designs. This chapter describes the inquiry process and the lessons learned from the implementation of the pedagogical counseling inquiry exercise.
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