Purpose: Higher education institutions have a significant role in preparing future generations for the world of work and sustainable development. This paper aims to present a curriculum model of an enquiry-based learning pedagogy and a sustainable development conceptual context as a mechanism for teaching skills in a geography module. Potential…

This dissertation explores the diversity and depth of scholarship at the intersection of feminist studies and science and questions where and how these inquiries might be taken up in the university curriculum. The dissertation theorizes a postmodern, reconceptualist curriculum as it intersects with critical and complexity theories that takes up a…

The school and college curriculum plays a crucial role in preparing students for higher education, but does it always leave them well equipped? This report, which has been kindly sponsored by the University of Chester, draws on fresh student polling and extensive research to show that, while most undergraduate students feel academically prepared,…

This paper describes the development of a three-phase approach our team of educational developers finds useful in curriculum projects in our Teaching and Learning Centre. Informed by the literature on the importance of flexibility and iteration (Knight, 2001; Wolf, 2007) and an orientation towards Appreciative Inquiry (Srivastra & Cooperrider,…

There is often little opportunity to think deeply about educational practice, and curriculum in particular in universities today, yet this is a much-needed conversation as graduates encounter an increasingly complex world. We propose ways of thinking and practising (WTP) as an idea to help frame these complex conversations. In this conceptual…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how a collaborative narrative inquiry focused on cultivating critical English Language Arts (ELA) pedagogies supported teacher agency, or "the capacity of actors to critically shape their own responsiveness to problematic situations" (Emirbayer and Mische, 1998, p. 971). Design/methodology/approach:…

In this article, the authors examine the potential in developing a model of curriculum design for Humanities/Liberal Arts courses in urban universities that focuses on cultural pluralism, community organizing, and collective inquiry as a means to foster university students' self-development and self-understanding as citizens, and active…

This book presents a range of possibilities and starting points for--and conversations about--meaningful journeys related to the exploration of visual arts content and the engagement of learning. The authors highlight and blend theoretical, practical, and flexible approaches to integrating curriculum inquiry and curriculum design. "Curriculum…

Universities around the world increasingly recognize the importance of offering high quality, high-engagement student learning experiences in their undergraduate and graduate programs. While the SoTL movement and literature has gained considerable recognition and momentum over the past two decades, much less inquiry has focused on institutional…

Many science educators know of the pedagogical benefits of inquiry- and research-based labs, yet numerous barriers to implementation exist. In this article we describe a faculty development workshop that explored interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations as potential mechanisms for overcoming barriers to curricular innovation.

This report fills a major gap in understanding the development of research-based curricula, focusing on college-based higher education (CBHE). Estimates suggest that, in England, somewhere between 8-10% of HE undergraduate students are taught in CBHE. In 2009, 17% of HE students in Scotland were enrolled in CBHE. In Wales this was 15% and in…

In the global higher education sector, government accountability initiatives are increasingly focused on degree-level competencies that may be expected from university graduates. The purpose of this paper was to examine the extent to which SoTL reflects this increased interest in student learning across the degree program. Articles (N = 136)…

This study addresses the methodological and conceptual challenges associated with the application of disconnected frameworks of organizational theory and case studies, focused on "efficiency, effectiveness, and economy" to investigate complex educational phenomena in post-Soviet higher education systems under the condition of…

This article reports on an interdisciplinary ecology degree that was redesigned to provide more research activity for undergraduates. A case study approach explored how the teaching team constructed a curriculum that used inquiry activities. The development of an inquiry curriculum was enabled by a University audit focusing on the links between…

Inquiry-driven learners anticipate, embrace, and adapt to disruptive change. Clifton Conrad and Laura Dunek advance a transformative purpose of a college education. They invite stakeholders from across higher education to engage in vigorous dialogue about the aims of a college education--and how to realize those aims. Increasingly influenced by…