Core Curriculum Analysis: A Tool for Educational Design

Abstract

This paper examines the outcome of a dimensional core curriculum analysis. The analysis process was an integral part of an educational development project, which aimed to compact and clarify the curricula of the degree programmes. The task was also in line with the harmonising of the degree structures as part of the Bologna process within higher education in Europe.

An electronic core curriculum analysis matrix was designed for describing scientific and professional knowledge and skills. The generation of the descriptions was supported by the application of a participatory working process. The resulting descriptions were stored in a database and available for all the teachers to redesign the curricula. The descriptions were analysed in order to assess their usefulness in curriculum design. The teachers had described their courses in qualitatively different ways. The emerging description categories were named as implicit, explicit, brief and extensive.

Our study emphasises the benefits of core curriculum analysis and of a course description database as a tool for curriculum design. The study also points out the importance of teachers’ description strategies and the challenges arising during the process. The regularly updated electronic database of the core curriculum of courses is a very useful means for curriculum design, as well as student guidance, mobility support and the orientation of new staff. The analysis process enhances educational design on all levels of education. It offers support for documentation and participatory curriculum development.

Keywords:

• Core curriculum analysis
• Curriculum design
• Curriculum development
• Educational development

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Dr. Asko Karjalainen from the University of Oulu, Finland, for his support during the restructuring project. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their very useful comments.