DIGITAL LIBRARY
ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CURRICULUM DESIGN IN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES
Bialystok University of Technology (POLAND)
About this paper:
Appears in: ICERI2016 Proceedings
Publication year: 2016
Pages: 6680-6687
ISBN: 978-84-617-5895-1
ISSN: 2340-1095
doi: 10.21125/iceri.2016.0529
Conference name: 9th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Dates: 14-16 November, 2016
Location: Seville, Spain
Abstract:
Curriculum of study is a description of learning outcomes specified by the university, consistent with the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education, and the description of education process leading to the achievement of these results. Designing a curriculum should be first of all effective and matches assessment with what is taught on the courses. However, it also aims to give students a broader perspective. This approach to design is not only shaped by knowledge of subject but also by many internal and external influences that impact on the academic content of the university’s modules and programmes.

These influences include:
- Departmental and institutional learning and teaching assessment strategies,
- Broader debates in Higher Education and assessment strategies,
- Professional accreditation requirements,
- Internationalization of the curriculum.

An important element of the changes in curriculum is the necessity for the very rapid adaptation to current socio-economic needs. Great emphasis, especially in relation to the education programs for practical profile, must be placed on the involvement of employers and professional organizations in both the creation and implementation of the curriculum to better prepare graduates to the needs of labor market. Such activities require a multidisciplinary approach to the curriculum design, which should include modules learning the analytical thinking, developing teamwork skills and skills in design. Different factors determining the curriculum design were analyzed on the basis of technical fields of study.
Keywords:
Curriculum design, university regulations, accreditation, feedback from employers.