Mary A Swanaga Higher Education Unit 4
Curriculum in Higher Education
Mary A. Swanagan
Kaplan University
HE510: Foundations of Higher Education
Professor Heather Scott
April 15, 2014
Curriculum in Higher Education An effective curriculum is an important part of a university’s success, especially for first time students. Attending a university for the first time can be very overwhelming for a first year student. Studies show that 25% of students drop out in the first year. Studies show that this number can be decreased if the first year curriculum is designed to engage and empower the students (Bovill, 2011). In Thelin’s curriculum theme there doesn’t seem to be a set curriculum for higher education institutions. Professors tried to use their own work as a means for an academic curriculum. Yale and Harvard had their own ideas as to how a curriculum should be for their schools, while the university builders leaned toward a curriculum in specialized fields depending on what year of study the students were in at the time. Not being able to decide whose curriculum was the most important caused nothing but chaos (Thelin, 2011, Pg. 129,130). “The primary purpose of the Committee of Ten was to provide a national force for standardizing the secondary school curricula. The report advised high schools to implement a required core curriculum for high school students. The committee’s goal was to standardize the curriculum so that every student who entered college directly from high school had the same academic skills (The Committee of Ten, 2004). The purpose of the article chosen for my assignment is to ensure that first year students are comfortable with the curriculum facing them when they enroll into a higher education institution. Having a curriculum that allows them to feel empowered will enable them relax and enjoy their first year of college. Less stress in a first year curriculum will provide the confidence needed to continue in a four year program, so that they can obtain a
Mary A. Swanagan
Kaplan University
HE510: Foundations of Higher Education
Professor Heather Scott
April 15, 2014
Curriculum in Higher Education An effective curriculum is an important part of a university’s success, especially for first time students. Attending a university for the first time can be very overwhelming for a first year student. Studies show that 25% of students drop out in the first year. Studies show that this number can be decreased if the first year curriculum is designed to engage and empower the students (Bovill, 2011). In Thelin’s curriculum theme there doesn’t seem to be a set curriculum for higher education institutions. Professors tried to use their own work as a means for an academic curriculum. Yale and Harvard had their own ideas as to how a curriculum should be for their schools, while the university builders leaned toward a curriculum in specialized fields depending on what year of study the students were in at the time. Not being able to decide whose curriculum was the most important caused nothing but chaos (Thelin, 2011, Pg. 129,130). “The primary purpose of the Committee of Ten was to provide a national force for standardizing the secondary school curricula. The report advised high schools to implement a required core curriculum for high school students. The committee’s goal was to standardize the curriculum so that every student who entered college directly from high school had the same academic skills (The Committee of Ten, 2004). The purpose of the article chosen for my assignment is to ensure that first year students are comfortable with the curriculum facing them when they enroll into a higher education institution. Having a curriculum that allows them to feel empowered will enable them relax and enjoy their first year of college. Less stress in a first year curriculum will provide the confidence needed to continue in a four year program, so that they can obtain a
References: Bovill, C. (2011). Engaging and empowering first-year students through curriculum design: perspectives from the literature The Committee of Ten. (2004, January 1). . Retrieved , from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/PDFS/CCM/summaries/comm_of_10_summary Thelin, J. (2011). A history of American higher education (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.