Transforming the Curriculum to (Re)Imagine the Future

Educating students in ways that will empower them to change our world for the better has long been an ideal of higher education. In the face of recent global catastrophes, events, and changes how can educators ensure that the next generation of students believe in their individual and collective ability to bring about positive change?  Students’ learning experiences in postsecondary courses and programs can make a difference.  As educators we may need to think critically and creatively to ensure that our students can do the same. What makes a curriculum ‘relevant’ to students today as well as for their future?

Our curriculum is foundational to students’ learning experiences.  We can design and implement curricula with certain goals in mind, but students might experience these differently than we intended. Most of our curricula informs assessment choices that reveal what students gained through their learning experience.  Other aspects of our curriculum might be hidden and need to be made explicit to students, while other facets might be systemically excluded altogether (Dyjur & Skene (eds) 2022, p.11-12).* What dominant theories, perspectives, and voices are incorporated into our curriculum and who decides what those will be? How do we move beyond our ‘traditional’ disciplinary curricula to explore other perspectives, knowledge, and ways of knowing?

How do we (re)imagine curricula to inspire, engage, motivate, prepare, and empower students?  This year’s conference theme prompts us to consider the micro, meso, macro and mega levels of curriculum** – our courses, our programs and departments, and our institutions – to create transformative pathways to students’ exploration of new ideas and the creations of new worlds.

*DiPietro, C., Dyjur, P., Fitzpatrick, K., Grant, K., Hoessler, C., Kalu, F., Richards, J., Skene, A., & Wolf, P. (2022) Educational Development Guide Series: No. 4. A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Higher Education Curriculum Development, Review & Renewal Projects (P. Dyjur & A. Skene, Eds). Educational Developers Caucus.

**Eaton, Sarah. (August 27, 2020) “Understanding Academic Integrity from a Teaching and Learning Perspective: Engaging with the 4M Framework”, Learning and Teaching Leadership – A Blog for Educators, Teachers and Other Thinkers by Sarah Eaton, PhD.