Viewed from a broad perspective, curriculum is the combination of educational strategies, course content, learning outcomes, learning experiences, assessment, facilities and resources, and the individual student’s learning style, timetable and workload. 

​What are the essential elements of a George Brown College educational road trip? 

​1. The Destination

Where should their journeys take our students? For most Ontario college certificate and diploma programs, the desired end result is our students’ reliable demonstration of government-approved program standards. The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development’ program standards contain three elements: 

Vocational standards: a.k.a. program learning outcomes, these are culminating demonstrations of learning and achievement and ensure consistency across the province.

Essential employability skills: skills vital to any job: communication, numeracy, critical thinking and problem solving, information management, interpersonal, and personal.

General education requirement: typically 3-5 courses in at least one discipline outside the main field of study.  Different rules apply to graduate certificate and degree programs. 

2. The Point of Departure

Where are our students starting from? Their journey should account for the prior knowledge, skills, work experience, etc., that are required to enter a program. The admission requirements for George Brown College programs can be found online on the program information page.

 3. The Itinerary

What route do our students take from their point of departure to their ultimate destination? Our students’ destination may be pre-determined in the form of program outcomes but the way we get them there is left to the discretion of the individual colleges. Are they visiting content and skills in an appropriate sequence? Do they encounter unnecessary roadblocks? Detours? One-way streets? Are they taking a memorable, scenic route, or one that is unremarkable? Do they actually reach the destination? 

There are a number of people you will make contact with over this process, either directly or through your curriculum specialist. Below is a list of those stakeholders and their relationship to the curriculum development process.

Program Advisory Committee (PAC) 

This is a group of industry stakeholders you have put together to advise you on the development of this program and the continued currency of the graduates your produce. During the curriculum development process, you will meet with these stakeholders to inform and review your program outcomes and review the program map.

Credential Verification Service (CVS)  

The Credential Validation Service (CVS) provides validation of programs of instruction to the colleges, which supports every college’s ability to respond swiftly to community and employer requirements.

The CVS service is consistent with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Binding Policy Directive, Framework for Programs of Instruction. The mandate of the CVS, given by government includes:

• providing reasonable assurance that all programs of instruction, regardless of funding source, conform to the established Credentials Framework and are consistent with accepted college system nomenclature and/or program titling principles; and,
• maintaining the integrity of the credentials and protecting the interests of students and employers who require a reasonable guarantee of consistency and quality in Ontario’s programs of instruction.

We follow an outcomes-based credentialing model, which guarantees that colleges work to educate students in full accordance with pre-established outcomes required for each certificate, diploma and degree. The Credentials Framework represents the minimum provincial requirement for credentials awarded and applies to all programs of instruction, regardless of funding source. Outcomes are established through rigorous consultations and cooperation between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, industry, individual colleges and our organization. (About CVS, 2019, Retrieved from:  https://www.ocqas.org/credentials-validation-service/about-cvs/)

The CVS will need to review and approve the work you're doing on your program outcomes, course outcomes, course descriptions, etc. There are an extensive set of forms to complete and your Curriculum Specialist will guide you through the process of completing them and will submit them to CVS on your behalf. Your credential can't move forward unless CVS has approved your paperwork.

Curriculum Specialist (CS)

Curriculum Specialists work within the Office of Academic Excellence. Your assigned Curriculum Specialist will help you through the process of creating the curriculum for your credential. They will guide the process to help ensure quality, integrity, and make sure all the necessary boxes are checked. They're here as a resource for you if you have any questions while you're building your curriculum.

This short video on backward design was created by the Office of Academic Excellence to give you a framework for how the curriculum development work will progress.

Hopefully, this brief overview has helped you understand the process of curriculum design. This New Program Development Assistant will walk you through the process of curriculum design using this backwards design approach. The deliverables you develop as you work through these modules will position you to work with your Curriculum Specialist to develop a high-quality curriculum with your graduates in mind.

Outcomes-Based Learning

What is Outcomes-Based Learning?

Below is a brief overview of the OBL approach to curriculum development. The college adopted this as the way to develop curriculum in 2004 to align our credentials with the expectations of the government and the credential validation service. Workshops in OBL are required in the new faculty orientation and can be accessed by all faculty through our professional development portal. If you feel you need a deeper refresh of this approach: you can find lots of information on the internet; take the opportunity to start a conversation with your peers; as your Curriculum Specialist for resources; or best yet, contact the Teaching and Learning Exchange (TLx) and book a seat in the OBL professional development series.

Brief Overview of Outcomes-Based Learning

Outcomes-based learning (OBL) is a framework for teaching and learning. “Outcomes” are statements telling learners what they will be able to do upon successful completion of the course. They are the minimum expectations for every student who passes. 
Effective planning starts with the end in mind! Once the outcomes are identified, the assessment tools needed to evaluate the satisfactory demonstration of each outcome should flow naturally: the learners must demonstrate each outcome. If the outcomes reflect skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will be used outside the classroom, the assessment tasks should similarly parallel what learners will do later in life with what they learn, be it solving problems, creating products or documentation, demonstrating processes, giving a presentation, or completing projects. 

The Outcomes-Based approach could be visualized as follows:

[INSERT obl-pic_orig.jpg IMAGE HERE]

Each credential in the Ontario College's system has different requirements and restrictions. It is important to keep these in mind as you work through developing your curriculum. Each credential is differentiated by:

The following Qualification Descriptions:

1. Overall Program Design and Outcome Emphasis
2. Preparation for Employment and Further Study
3. Typical Duration
4. Admissions Requirements
5. Provider
6. Qualification Awarded

And the following Qualification Standards:

1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge
2. Conceptual & Methodological Awareness/Research and Scholarship
3. Communication Skills
4. Application of Knowledge
5. Professional Capacity/Autonomy
6. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

You can find the specific requirements for your credential here: www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-qualifications-framework