UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM REVIEW

1. UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM REVIEW SCHOOL OF WOMEN’S STUDIES Tuesday, August 26

2. Welcome and Introductions • Introductions • Context for today’s workshop • Questions to keep in mind

3. Workshop Objectives • To collaboratively develop Program Learning Objectives for the undergraduate program • To foster community commitment to the new Program Objectives • To stimulate reflection about learning objectives for your own courses • To foster alignment of your teaching practices and assessments with program objectives

4. Detailed Agenda 9:30 Introductions 10:00 Develop a profile of ideal student learning in the program 11:00 Convert these into Program Learning Objectives 12:00 Working Lunch: Refinement of Objectives; Complete Curriculum Map 1:00 Curriculum Map Discussion 1:30 Overview of current program: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats 2:15 Student Survey Results 3:00 – 4:00 Setting Priorities for Change

5. Key Questions: ALIGNMENT • How can the curriculum support Program Learning Objectives? • How can teaching practices and assessments align with the Program Learning Objectives? A collective and evolutionary process ! (not a one-time thing)

6. Alignment

7. The Ideal WMST Student On your small yellow sticky notes, describe the ideal WMST student at the year level on your table: What does this student know? (knowledge) What does this student do? (skills) What does this student care about? (attitudes) Use one note per idea.

8. Discuss Discuss your ideas with others in the group. Add or merge ideas as you discuss. Determine large categories (large post-its) and sub-headings (smaller post-its) Don’t be critical at this stage, just get as many ideas out as possible.

9. Summarize by Year Level What knowledge, skills or attitudes would the ideal WMST have at each year level? First? Second? Third? Fourth?

10. BREAK 15 MINUTES

11. OCAV Guidelines Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations (UDLEs) • Depth and Breadth of Knowledge • Knowledge of Methodologies • Application of Knowledge • Communication Skills • Awareness of Limits of Knowledge • Autonomy and Professional Capacity OCAV Website: http://degree-expectations.apps01. yorku.ca/wordpress/?page_id=32

12. Sort and Re-write Sort your ideas under the OCAV headings. Put large categories onto large post-its Put sub-categories onto smaller ones. Write large! Re-write if necessary for legibility

13. Post to Boards Put your group’s post-its on the appropriate bristol boards, by year level if possible. Review what the other groups have posted. Re-sort or cluster if necessary.

14. Working Lunch First Task: • Re-organize into six groups (one for each OCAV objective). • Summarize, by year level if possible, the learning objectives for that poster. • Focus on what the students will learn: By the end of this degree, students will be able to… Second Task: Curriculum Themes • Please indicate which of the themes your courses addresses (must be a central focus of your course, you teach it, it is scaffolded, students can practice ungraded, and it is assessed.)

15. Summary of Learning Objectives Group reports on the draft of their Learning Objectives

16. Curriculum Map Handout: Curriculum Map - Table was generated from course outlines - Some information was missing, does not mean it was not there in the course Alignment Ideal: course learning objectives are • Taught (did they get it?) • Practiced (ungraded with feedback) • Scaffolded • Assessed

17. Curriculum Map Issues • Humanities/Social Science balance seems OK • Methodology should be more evident across the curriculum; perhaps more explicitly addressed in course outline • Application: weak on practical applications • Communication: Listening skills not profiled, weak on oral skills • Limits of Knowledge: not profiled • Professionalism: weak, especially on group skills and civil interaction

18. Student Enrollments in Core Courses Discuss handout: Course Enrollments Table

19. Overview of Current Program Organize into four groups: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Each table take five minutes to write down points, then chart moves to next table.

20. Discussion of Results Reports on each chart…

21. Student Survey Results What did we learn? • Students find out about the program from their first year courses, and recommendations from friends and faculty members • Drawn to the program by reputation, and course selection, and personal interest • Web site needs to have more detail about graduates (what they do?) and more detail about the program (anti-racism, etc.) • Mini calendar – students split. Some never use it, some prefer it to the web. Frustrated that it is not complete or outdated

22. Student Survey Continued: Advising: some never use it; some delighted; some access only the staff; frustrated with the schedule, feel rushed and faculty not knowledgeable about requirements. Career Goals: NGO, Graduate school, professional studies, teaching, government, private sector

23. Student Survey Continued:

24. Student Survey Continued:

25. Priorities for Change? Follow-up on Program Learning Objectives… ? Set Priorities for Change… ? Future meetings to develop alignment… ?