Welcome
Dr Peter Smith
University of Southampton
UK
From a multidisciplinary to an interdisciplinary
curriculum: a case study of curriculum innovation
Curriculum innovation is …
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There are many dimensions to curriculum innovation
but innovation invariably involves change
which must be managed.
What may be seen as innovation depends partly on
the starting point
• This paper has a narrow focus:
– How to introduce choice and flexibility into the curriculum
in a diverse & complex research-intensive institution
Curriculum evolution
• Traditionally, the curriculum has been disciplinebased
• The curriculum is a product to be delivered
• with a focus on content.
• Curriculum drift adds more content over time
– becoming more specialised
– development of subject silos
• Innovation can be seen as finding better ways to
deliver more knowledge more efficiently
– but it should be much more than this…
Interdisciplinarity, choice and flexibility
• Research is becoming increasingly
interdisciplinary
• Learning and teaching lags behind
• The subject silo may deliver what some
students want & need
• …but not for everyone
• How do we build in choice and flexibility?
Creating a flexible but rigorous curriculum
• Building a consistent curriculum architecture
• Making space
• Finding innovative ways of using opportunities for
student choice
– showcasing interdisciplinary research
– getting students from different backgrounds to work
together
– using innovative forms of delivery and assessment
• but allowing students to continue to specialise if they
wish
CI Phase 1 (1)
• Commissioning new modules
• 5 modules launched in 2011/12, attracting
124 students
– Global Health
– Living with Environmental Change
– Education for Health and Wellbeing
– Business Skills for Employability
– Communicating with Web-based Maps
CI Phase 1 (2)
• 2012/13
– 21 CI modules, with 800 students
– plus 350 students taking modules outside their
home discipline
– plus 350 students following a modern language
• 2013/14
– 28 CI modules
– so far, more than 1,000 continuing students
enrolled, compared with about 600 at the same
stage last year
CI Phase 2
• Having created space in the curriculum, some
programmes were able to deliver programme
outcomes for ‘single honours’ in 6 of 8
modules per year…
• creating the opportunity to build coherent
combinations of modules for students to
choose,
• leading towards a major/minor pattern
3 layers of choice in the curriculum
• Students may choose to specialise in their home
discipline, augmenting their core programme with
deeper specialist modules
• Students may broaden their horizons by taking some
specialist modules and some interdisciplinary
modules
• Students may follow a coherent minor subject or
theme in addition to their home discipline
• The third option is only available on some programmes.
Summary
• CI seen as successful in terms of student
uptake and feedback
• Success factors:
– strong leadership and support
– student engagement throughout
– planning and phasing of implementation
– Providing the right incentives
– Communication
– Harnessing the imagination of students and the
enthusiasm of staff
Any questions?
Thank you for listening…