- NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 3 Curriculum Evaluation.
Curriculum Evaluation
Curriculum evaluation is one of the broad functions of nurse educators. It is defined as the systematic assessment of a course of instruction to determine its worthiness to achieve its intended objectives.
It consists of assessment for learning, which is the process of providing feedback while the learning is in progress, and assessment of learning, which occurs at the end of the learning activities only.
Curriculum evaluation is an essential process in learning institutions whose primary aim is to improve student’s learning experience, facilitate faculty satisfaction, and stay relevant to accreditation requirements as follows (Keating, 2022). Due to this factor, nurse educators need to assess curricula constantly to ensure they align with the current nursing profession, which evolves from changes in the theoretical aspect, technological developments, and progression in the health care system.
This evaluation process not only assures that our students get up-to-date, high-quality information but also equips them to handle the eventualities of the healthcare sector upon their deployment (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2020). Moreover, curriculum evaluation is essential in addressing the stakeholders’ expectations of the curriculum, including students, curriculum teachers/faculty members, healthcare employers, and accreditation bodies.
Importance of Ongoing Curriculum Evaluation
There are several reasons why evaluating an educational curriculum and its continuous assessment is important. First of all, it substantiates its appropriateness by providing quality assurance through strict educational standards. This enhances the curriculum by showing the strengths and weaknesses of the course in order to help the students develop good quality for the jobs that they have to face in the modern nursing field (Billings & Halstead, 2019).
Secondly, evaluation after the delivery assists in maintaining up-to-date implementation practices with the curriculum. The nursing field is highly evolved and has always been changing with the increase in the amount of newly acquired knowledge and advancement of technology in medical sciences and practices.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 3 Curriculum Evaluation
This kind of analysis facilitates the curriculum update regarding these changes over time so that graduates can be produced for the job market with the latest features (Keating, 2022). Thirdly, curriculum assessment is used effectively to improve student preparedness, and it is commonly tested every now and then. This helps ensure that the students are developing core competencies that would prepare them to operate in the healthcare sector, enhancing their performances and preparedness to deliver optimal patient care (Bernardo et al., 2022).
The last advantage of the continuing evaluation process relates to the matter of continuous improvement. This leads to continuous refinement of educational programs based on the discovery of areas of weakness in the program, which can be rectified, and the identification of impactful practices that can be gradually promoted in the program for general improvement (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2020).
Also important is continuous assessment and monitoring to check that the programs run according to the set accreditation standards, which provide credibility for the institution and the student’s credentials. Accrediting bodies expect campuses to demonstrate ongoing evaluation as part of fulfilling the requirements stated in their standards.
Important to Consider in Curriculum Evaluation
Assessing the suitability of the curriculum to the prevailing nursing practice is crucial to promoting the training of nurses who have relevant knowledge of contemporary advancements in medical knowledge, technology, and practice. This relevance ensures that nursing program graduates can handle the complexities of healthcare systems and standalone environments in the 21st century (Keating, 2022).
Outcomes gained by students are another important criterion that signifies the fulfillment of learning outcomes to ensure the customers acquire appropriate competencies to perform their professional tasks. This aspect of evaluation is crucial for ensuring that patients receive the best quality care while reducing risks that are inherent in healthcare delivery.
NCLEX review is important when it comes to the changes in healthcare, educational technology, and different societal aspects, and the flexibility and adaptability of the curriculum are vital components in this regard. One major advantage of a flexible curriculum is that it allows the integration of newer findings, technologies, and methods into the program as and when they are developed, thereby enhancing its currency and efficiency (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2020).
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 3 Curriculum Evaluation
There is reason to believe that the logic of such clinicality is effective in assessing the curriculum’s effectiveness and identifying the directions for its further development in accordance with the expectations of all stakeholders, including students, academics, employers, and other authorized parties (Keating, 2022).
It is imperative to ensure that effective assessment methods are used to determine how much the students have learned or how much the program they were subjected to has impacted their learning outcomes.
Accurate, balanced, programme-linked assessments help identify the students’ competence levels and the overall efficacy of the curriculum (Billings & Halstead, 2019). Also, the curriculum should approximate aspects of multiculturalism and diversity so that students are well-equipped to deliver care in different settings. This aspect can be evaluated to ensure that graduates can address diverse populations, as is the need in the modern world setting when providing health care services.
How and Why Pilot Testing Can Be Used in Curriculum Evaluation
Pilot testing is one of the methods of curriculum assessment that is effective in determining the gain and realistic testing of newly formulated or modified curricular parts before full-scale implementation. In this process, the educators will be implementing the changes to the curriculum before other students by conducting the experiment with a selected number of students so that they can gather information on different parameters such as students’ performance, students’ attitudes, and faculty norms, among others.
Thus, pilot testing eliminates some problems, establishes the feasibility of an approach, measures effectiveness, ensures user feedback, and mitigates risks. Pilot testing is beneficial because it can stem problems in the early appraisal stages.
This approach enables educators to make adjustments and improvements that may include changing the content of the lessons, the kind of assessment used, or logistical issues, which can improve the quality of the lessons offered to the class learners (Keating, 2022).
Also, pilot testing evaluates the practicability of the curriculum changes in order to integrate them within the existing format of the school and other educational institutions where educators may implement the change.
Short-Term and Long-Term Evaluations for Process Improvement
Within nursing education curriculum development, both short-term and long-term review applications are critical for demonstrating the effectiveness of educational programs and identifying areas of opportunity for ongoing assessment and enhancement.
In the short term, assessments center on producing specific performances and demonstrations of learning with practical results for educators. For example, at the end of each semester or module, questionnaires about the learnings and insights, self-observations, and focus groups to evaluate segments of the teaching approaches, student interactions, and curriculum applicability can act as formative evaluations (Keating, 2022).
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 3 Curriculum Evaluation
These evaluations are deemed necessary as they can inform educators about new issues that may be cropping up in the classroom or help them reflect on and improve their teaching lessons. Hence, through short-term evaluations, nursing programs can quickly modify the educational requirements to reflect the just, current, and efficient use of learning.
On the other hand, long-term evaluations have a wider perspective, focusing on the long-term consequences and effectiveness of changes in curriculum over an extensive period. Such assessments are commonly expressed in parameters like pass probabilities in certification examinations, graduates’ employment statuses, and accomplishments in professional practice areas (Billings & Halstead, 2019).
Long-term assessments assist in establishing whether the curriculum developed offers long-lasting value in fostering career success and adheres to accreditation requirements. They also aid in finding patterns and possible topics for future changes that may improve the curriculum and keep it current and of high quality for future updating (Oermann et al., 2022).
Importance of Both Types of Evaluation to Curriculum Development
It emphasizes the importance of designing the curriculum to achieve goals in nursing education in both the short term and the long term. This form of evaluation provides feedback within a short period and thus can be used to implement changes within the same period regarding the curriculum.
It also gives a clue to the current education objectives, hence the development of versatile methods for delivering the curriculum, enriching the student learning process, and addressing current issues as they emerge (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2020). It must be stressed that highlighting such prominences and deficiencies during the initial stage makes it easier for educators to introduce corrective measures to enhance student learning.
Evidence-Based Nursing Concepts, Theories, and Best Practices
Nursing concepts, theories, and best practices drawn from the evidence are some of the indispensable cornerstones that need to be embraced in an effort to build and develop a curriculum in nursing education.
Such principles ensure that educational approaches employed are evidence-based and in alignment with the best practices as awarded by available research, knowledge, and methods. Hence, an effective education will equip students to compete for the challenges of the professional world.
The process of applying evidence-based practice (EBP) in curriculum development, therefore, entails the integration of best practice principles and theories, findings from the literature, experiences of professionals, and patient values and preferences into courses to be taught in educational settings.
For instance, when developing a module for chronic disease management for educators, one can search for articles or publications to pinpoint what interventions and guidelines are best practices based on an empirical literature review. He observed that by using the above findings in the curriculum, students increased their knowledge of the current best practices in managing chronic conditions, exercising sound clinical judgment, and adopting patient-centered care (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019).
Appropriate Accreditation Body for a Selected Curriculum
It is crucial as it provides accreditation of nursing education programs, helping to attract quality students to the profession.
In the United States, some of the leading accreditation agencies include the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), whose standards aim to assess the nursing programs appropriately, and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), again having set standards that can be used to assess the nursing programs.
CCNE specifically assesses programs at the baccalaureate, graduate, and residency degree levels, emphasizing challenging standards regarding curriculum, faculty, students, and program impact (CCNE, n.d.). CCNE ascertains that the nursing curricula contain evidence-based practice that reflects the existing nursing standards and ensures that graduates will practice in many settings.
The faculty’s qualifications and educational resources are also reviewed to check whether the program meets the needs to deliver quality education for its intended clients. Reflection is an essential element of CCNE accreditation, which expects changes to educational practice based on evaluation results.
Application of Accreditation Results
Complying with the terms of accreditation entails the assessment and evaluation outcomes that are critical for nursing programs to establish the credibility of their programs. Nursing programs should ensure that results from such evaluation are used in a professional manner by planning and implementing key changes that will help the program in its pursuit of maintaining and improving on the set accreditation standards.
NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 3 Curriculum Evaluation
Recommendations listed in programs should be made known and followed as soon as possible to fill areas lacking proper curriculum development, qualified faculty, or adequate services to support learners. This will improve the quality of courses and the means through which learners are prepared for life.
The accreditation findings should be used in other relevant areas of strategic planning and Curriculum Development within the nursing education domain. Since programs can use evaluation outcomes to inform future modifications and enhance courses and educational initiatives linked to current societal movements and evidence-based practices in healthcare, it is critical to incorporate this activity routinely.
Incorporating accreditation results into educational management processes shows care and sensitivity to the institution’s quality and to the stakeholders, which include learners, teachers, employers, and even recognized and authorized bodies.
Conclusion
Curriculum evaluation in nursing education has benefits that act as a foundation for improving and accomplishing educational goals. The evaluation concept allows nursing educators to reflect on the outcomes and impact of choosing a particular curriculum design, teaching approaches, and student performance in enhancing the quality of future nursing education.
Therefore, curriculum evaluation is significant because it ensures that learning needs are being met in concordance with the existing standards, policies, and empirical literature in the arena of health care provision.
Revisiting and revising the contents of the curriculum within various approved nursing programs will help to meet changes in healthcare requirements, technologies, and society, as needed. This also ensures that graduates can meet the multifaceted challenges required in today’s healthcare setting. Read more about our sample NURS FPX 6107 Assessment 2 for complete information about this class.
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