Curricular Development/Review

Curricular Development/Review Partnership Model

Definition: Industry professional provides occupational expertise to assist with program, course, and/or outcomes development and review.

Examples: Course content review, focus groups, DACUMs, gap analyses, curriculum crosswalks, program outcomes review.

Implementation Strategies

Being respectful of industry experts’ time
Communicating specific expectations when approaching industry experts
Demonstrating return on investment to experts for assisting with curricular development and/or review
Recruiting industry experts from a variety of sources: advisory boards, professional organizations, local businesses, entry-level technicians, etc.
Using feedback loops to verify industry experts’ input is accurately captured, deployed
Providing food and beverages
Bringing in a trained, professional facilitator(s)

Reported Impacts

Deepened relationship with industry
Established industry-informed and aligned curriculum
Recruited industry experts for on-going involvement with project, center or program
Maintained curriculum currency through regular/annual reviews
Provided with real-world problems or challenges for courses from industry experts
Shortened pathway to employment/increased access to skilled workers

Reported Challenges

Finding qualified experts willing, able to donate time
Handling logistical issues (including travel time, costs related to meeting)
Managing industry experts’ expectations around timing/implementation of curricula
Ensuring feedback is accurately captured in the resulting curricula
Recruiting industry experts with relevant experience, expertise, and knowledge

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Curricular Development/Review Case Study

Release Pending

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The Working Partners team is based at Bellevue College and the Internet Scout Research Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with support from an advisory committee made up of education, industry, and professional association experts. The project was originally funded by the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education program, under DUE 1501176 and continues under DUE 1931215. The material on this site and any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.