Determining 'curriculum viability' through standards and inhibitors of curriculum quality: a scoping review

• Published in: BMC medical education Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 336
• Main Authors: Khan, Rehan Ahmed, Spruijt, Annemarie, Mahboob, Usman, van Merrienboer, Jeroen J G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 05.09.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Accreditation; Accreditation - standards; Analysis; Core curriculum; Course Content; Curricula; Curricular diseases; Curricular problems; Curriculum; Curriculum - standards; Curriculum development; Curriculum evaluation; Curriculum Research; Curriculum viability; Diabetes; Education; Education, Medical - organization & administration; Education, Medical - standards; Educational assessment; Educational Environment; Educational Objectives; Educational Resources; Educational Strategies; Humans; Inhibitors; Instructional design; Learning; Learning Theories; Medical education; Metaphor; Methods; Organizational Innovation; Professions; Quality standards; Teaching Methods; Technology; Veterinary medicine; Pakistan; Quality standards; Curricular problems; Inhibitors; Curriculum evaluation; Curriculum viability; Curricular diseases
• ISSN: 1472-6920; 1472-6920
• DOI: 10.1186/s12909-019-1759-8

A curriculum is dynamic entity and hence, metaphorically, can be considered 'alive'. Curricular diseases may impair its quality and hence its viability. The quality of a curriculum is typically assessed against certain quality standards only. This approach does not identify the inhibitors impeding the achievement of quality standards. The purpose of this study is to identify not only standards but also inhibitors of curriculum quality, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of what we coin 'curriculum viability'. We performed a scoping review of 'curriculum viability', after which 13 articles were found eligible through a meticulous search and selection process. We first identified 1233 studies based on matching keywords, title and abstract; 36 of which met our inclusion criteria. After application of the Qualsyst criteria, two independent reviewers performed a thematic analysis of the 13 articles that remained. While all studies reported on standards of quality, only two studies described both standards and inhibitors of quality. These standards and inhibitors were related to educational content and strategy, students, faculty, assessment, educational/work environment, communication, technology and leadership. The framework of curriculum viability thus developed will help identify inhibitors adversely affecting the curriculum viability and remaining hidden or un-noticed when curriculum evaluation is done.