The amount of knowledge is continuously increasing globally, and education has substantially improved over the last decades. Curriculums are a means of systematizing learning and making it efficient. Curriculum evaluation is a critical part of the educational process itself. Curriculum evaluation implies a proper assessment of the studying program (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2018). Such evaluation is required to define the effectiveness of the proposed study process.
Curriculum evaluation is a complex process that should involve feedback from both students and teachers. The involvement of both parties helps make the assessment process more objective, and it may provide two sets of different views on a problem in a curriculum. The study conducted by Zhao et al. (2017) shows that students find it extremely important to check if the data in the curriculum is constantly updated.
Students want their studying to be engaging and exciting. Another critical aspect is analyzing teacher approaches – their variety and ability to promote interaction between educators and students (Zhao et al., 2017). Different measurement tools may be used for study plans, such as an evaluation scale, which was successfully created and implemented to assess the quality of nursing education in a study by Akçakoca and Orgun (2021). The practice of combining several assessment tools with surveys and questionnaires makes the evaluation process even more integral and multimodal (Pender et al., 2021). The curriculum should also improve the students’ practical skills. OSATS score was used in a study by Davis et al. (2021) to assess practical skills after completing a specific educational course and make conclusions regarding the particular curriculum.
Curriculum evaluation constitutes an important step for providing education in all institutions around the globe. It is essential to understand how to assess study plans to mark the flaws in them and provide suggestions for future improvement.
Changing the curriculum is always challenging, especially when it comes to making education more digital. Implementing a new software promises many improvements in the educational process, although both students and teachers should understand that this software will need corrections and updates. Evaluation of the curriculum with such software is a must since it affects the studying process substantially.
Educators should be explained that the digitalization of education is inevitable, and it is already underway. A detailed conversation should be conducted with teachers considering these new changes in the educational process. Understanding the need for continuous evaluation of the software is crucial. The idea behind software should be thoroughly explained to teachers as well as students. Teachers should also see the relevance and usefulness of this program for their style of teaching.
Managers could also create a set of advice or instructions on implementing the software in the studying process. Successful implementation of the software is a key to making education for students more enjoyable. It also may help increase teacher-student interaction during the studying process. Evaluation of the software may also indirectly point to other flaws in the curriculum and correct them.
Like any other software, this program will need constant improvements. Teachers are the first to judge the efficiency of education with this software. Their look at the state of this software is essential for future improvement of its quality. A questionnaire or any other survey may be suitable to assess teachers’ opinions on the matter. Teachers may also propose and use other options to evaluate the curriculum with this software if these options are more comfortable. Implementation of this software should be slow and gradual. Managers of the software should encourage teachers to write feedback about the program’s user interface and, if possible, adjust it for them for better use. Probably, there will be a need to create an educational course about the software itself to help the teachers get acquainted with it and get preliminary reports on the program.
An open and continuous dialogue between teachers and software managers should be sustained. Teachers will be provided with the possibility to contact the software manager immediately. Reporting the issues with software and solving them immediately will help to evaluate the software and keep the educational process going. Subjective impressions about the program will become the first evaluation markers. If there is a need for profound changes in the program itself, it will be easier to update and distribute it during the initial implementation stage.
Although assessing the impact on students’ knowledge levels requires time, it should be another critical aspect of evaluation. Since the software implementation is gradual, it may be reasonable to divide teachers and students into two groups, where one will use the software and the other will not. Students’ marks for particular disciplines may be a fair and objective indirect indicator of the software’s efficiency. Two groups can be compared, and the effects on knowledge level can be evaluated. The role of such curriculum changes should be assessed in a period of one or two semesters. Combining the reports from teachers, results of questionnaires, and marks of students will make the evaluation multimodal and complete.
References
Akçakoca, B., & Orgun, F. (2021). Developing a measurement tool for evaluating the hidden curriculum in nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 97. Web.
Davis, H., Shah, A., Nayar, S., Basu, S., & Fernandes, R. (2021). Evaluation of a novel Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy curriculum with the use of animal models and live operation. Journal of Surgical Research, 261, 26-32. Web.
Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2018). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues. Pearson Education Limited.
Pender, T., Boi, L., Urbik, V. M., Glasgow, R., & Smith, B. K. (2021). Implementation and evaluation of a Novel High-Value Care Curriculum in a single academic surgery department. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 232(1), 81-90. Web.
Zhao, D., Ma, X., & Qiao, S. (2017). What aspects should be evaluated when evaluating graduate curriculum: Analysis based on student interview. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 54, 50-57.