Constructive alignment

Abstract: Two lines of thinking are becoming increasingly important in higher educational practice. The first derives from constructivist learning theory, and the second from the instructional design literature. Constructivism comprises a family of theories but all have in common the centrality of the learner's activities in creating meaning. These and related ideas have important implications for teaching and assessment. Instructional designers for their part have emphasised alignment between the objectives of a course or unit and the targets for assessing student performance. “Constructive alignment” represents a marriage of the two thrusts, constructivism being used as a framework to guide decision-making at all stages in instructional design: in deriving curriculum objectives in terms of performances that represent a suitably high cognitive level, in deciding teaching/learning activities judged to elicit those performances, and to assess and summatively report student performance. The “performances of understanding” nominated in the objectives are thus used to systematically align the teaching methods and the assessment. The process is illustrated with reference to a professional development unit in educational psychology for teachers, but the model may be generalized to most units or programs in higher education.

Abstract: Medical Education 2012: 46: 58–70 Context Interprofessional education (IPE) is not a recent phenomenon and has been the subject of several World Health Organization reports. Its focus is on health professionals and students learning with, from and about one another to improve collaboration and the quality of patient care. The drivers for IPE include new models of health care delivery in the context of an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of long-term chronic disease, in addition to the patient safety agenda. The delivery of complex health care requires a team-based and collaborative approach, although teamwork and collaborative practice are not necessarily synonymous. The rationale for IPE is that learning together enhances future working together. Discussion Systematic reviews of IPE have shown some evidence that IPE fosters positive interaction among different professions and variable evidence that it improves attitudes towards other professionals. Generalisation across published papers is difficult because IPE initiatives are diverse and good evaluation methodology and data are lacking. In terms of constructive alignment from an education viewpoint, there is a need for educators to define learning outcomes and match these with learning activities to ensure that IPE demonstrates added value over uniprofessional learning. Assessment is difficult as pre-qualification professional education focuses on the individual and professional accreditation organisations mandate only for their own professions. Conclusions Interprofessional education draws from a number of education, sociology and psychology theories, and these are briefly discussed. The most pressing research questions for the IPE community are defined and the challenges for IPE explored.

Abstract: There is little doubt that constructive alignment has had a major impact in higher education curriculum development. Before the formulation of constructive alignment by John Biggs (1996), curriculu...

Abstract: In this article, we articulate five principles of curriculum design and illustrate their application in a third‐year undergraduate course for environmental and ecological scientists. In this way, we provide a practical framework for others wishing to enhance their students’ learning. To apply the five principles, we created a learning environment consisting of a broad range of learning resources and activities which were structured and sequenced with an integrated assessment strategy. The combined effect of this ensured alignment between the learning environment we created, the thinking approaches students used and the learning outcomes they achieved. More specifically, the assessment activities guided students by requiring them to recognise when their understanding was limited – and then to engage them in thinking approaches that would develop their understanding further. By providing a framework of thoughts, ideas and information, we sought to progressively enhance the sophistication of our learners’ th...