Three heads are better than one: Students, faculty, and educational developers as co-developers of Science curriculum

Authors

  • Lori Goff Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching McMaster University Hamilton, Canada Email: lgoff@mcmaster.ca Phone: +1 (905) 525 9140 ext. 24368 Address: 1280 Main Street W, Mills Library L504, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, L8S 4K1
  • Kris Knorr Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching McMaster University Hamilton, Canada Email: knorrk@mcmaster.ca Phone: +1 (905) 525 9140 ext. 24539 Address: 1280 Main Street W, Mills Library L531, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, L8S 4K1

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v2i1.3333

Keywords:

Students as Partners, co-creators, curriculum, learning modules, educational development

Abstract

Curriculum planning should be a shared responsibility that involves students. To encourage higher education students to actively participate in their own education, we believe in the idea of engaging students as partners in learning and teaching. We have developed an Applied Curriculum Design in Science course at McMaster University that is aimed at engaging students as co-creators of curriculum. In this course, upper-year students form partnerships with faculty and educational developers and work in groups to co-create learning modules that become key components of a foundational Science course offered to first-year students. We present a scholarly exploration of our rationale for the course, the implementation and critical analysis of the initiative, and ideas for sustaining the co-created pedagogical approaches and continued student engagement in co-creating components of the curriculum.

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Author Biographies

Lori Goff, Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching McMaster University Hamilton, Canada Email: lgoff@mcmaster.ca Phone: +1 (905) 525 9140 ext. 24368 Address: 1280 Main Street W, Mills Library L504, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, L8S 4K1

Lori Goff is the Associate Director of Program and Educational Development at the Paul. R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation, and Excellence in Teaching at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. Lori has previously conducted research and program evaluations on peer mentoring programs, and is currently interested in how partnering with students can enhance teaching and learning, curriculum development and review, and educational leadership, and academic culture

Kris Knorr, Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching McMaster University Hamilton, Canada Email: knorrk@mcmaster.ca Phone: +1 (905) 525 9140 ext. 24539 Address: 1280 Main Street W, Mills Library L531, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, L8S 4K1

Kris Knorr is the Area Lead for Faculty Development in the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation, and Excellence in Teaching at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.   Kris’ research interests have involved investigating professional development needs of faculty/instructors, identity as scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) researchers, and student partnerships in post secondary education.

References

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Published

2018-05-07

How to Cite

Goff, L., & Knorr, K. (2018). Three heads are better than one: Students, faculty, and educational developers as co-developers of Science curriculum. International Journal for Students as Partners, 2(1), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v2i1.3333

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Case Studies

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