A Curriculum Review and Mapping Process Supported by an Electronic Database System

Abstract

Curriculum mapping and review is now an expected continuous quality improvement initiative of pharmacy professional programs. Effectively implementing and sustaining this expectation can be a challenge to institutions of higher education and requires dedicated faculty members, a systematic approach, creativity, and-perhaps most importantly-demonstrated leadership at all levels of the institution. To address its specific situation and needs, the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy implemented a peer review process of ongoing curriculum mapping and evaluation. An electronic Pharmacy Curriculum Management System (PCMS) was developed to support faculty efforts to manage curricular data, monitor program outcomes, and improve communications to its stakeholders on 2 campuses and across the state.

Lessons Learned from Evaluating a Process for Systematic Curriculum Review

“…All courses within one semester were reviewed together with presentations on a day specifically designated for the effort. 6 Our program is similar to this example and other published course review procedures in that it uses a standardized data collection platform. 7 However, while some information (such as the instructor's responses to the questionnaire) can be extracted from the online survey for review, copies of syllabi and course materials are not retained as part of the online data collection process and the online system is not a searchable, robust database.…”

“…4,5 Britton and colleagues described a system for curriculum review and mapping. 6 To facilitate this process, the school designed a comprehensive, web-based curriculum management system to help course coordinators and peer review teams collect data on course policies and procedures, content and activities, skills, alignment and integration of the course within the curriculum, learning outcomes, and assessment. 6 Based on data collected, the peer review team presented a summary report to the curriculum committee.…”

“…1 Examples of published curricular quality improvement processes in the pharmacy and medical literature are growing, with several papers that describe processes to examine and make improvements to didactic and experiential courses. [2][3][4][5][6][7] Established, ongoing curricular review processes are imperative to ensure course materials, teaching strategies, and assessments are appropriate to adequately prepare practice-ready pharmacists. While published examples demonstrate the importance of curricular mapping to outcomes using course syllabi, formalized systematic review remains a challenge in higher education.…”

A Progressive, Collaborative Process to Improve a Curriculum and Define an Assessment Program

“…The review resulted in a resequencing of some core courses to improve advancement of knowledge and skills. 3 Based on the first two reviews, 8 longitudinal "streams" of KSAs developed across the four years of the curriculum were identified. 4 In 2008-2009, a third curricular review evaluated how the courses in each of these "streams" provided a foundation for knowledge and skill advancement, how each was integrated into the respective stream or streams, and how they helped attain programmatic outcomes.…”

“…The purpose was a peer-review evaluation of each course's content, delivery, and administration, academic load, expected student performance level, integration into the curriculum, and link to programmatic outcomes. 3 Based on faculty members' evaluation and recommendations, a second review in 2006-2007 focused on the effect of curriculum structure on course content, skill advancement, and expected student performance. The review resulted in a resequencing of some core courses to improve advancement of knowledge and skills.…”