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Use of Feedback in Curriculum Development

            Feedback remains an excellent way of developing a curriculum. This work develops a proposal on how and when to include stakeholder feedback into the development of curriculum. It starts off with the nurse educator’s role in soliciting stakeholder feedback for the creation and revision of curriculum followed by a highlight of the role of internal and external subject matter experts in curriculum development. The work then delves into the faculty members’ roles in curriculum development and how to use faculty and student feedback in the implementation, evaluation, development and revision of curriculum. It concludes with a brief overview of the value of piloting courses before their full implementation.

Nurse Educator’s Role in Soliciting Stakeholder Feedback

            The nurse educator performs several roles to solicit stakeholder feedback for the creation and revision of curriculum. Through formative (throughout the year) and summative (toward the end of the school year) assessments, nurse educators generate feedback from students which enables them to evaluate the curriculum (Staykova, 2013). Through a peer feedback model, nurse educators can observe one another and thus provide feedback and support to each other while identifying areas to be revised in the curricula (Gormally, Evans, & Brickman, 2014). For clinicians and nurse managers, the nurse educator plays a consultative role in soliciting their feedback concerning the curriculum (Belita, Carter, & Bryant-Lukosius, 2019). Hence, the nurse educator performs several roles to solicit stakeholder feedback for the creation and revision of curriculum.

Role of Internal and External Subject Matter Experts in Curriculum Development

            Internal and external subject matter experts play a complementary role in curriculum development. Subject matter experts (SMEs) have worked in a field long enough for their knowledge to be considered second nature. Thus, they help define objectives, provide content, identify likely scenarios, validate and refine the course material (Gumienny, 2017). The external SMEs however, have a separate vantage point and thus can easily spot errors not easily noted by an internal SME. Thus, they complement each other. Therefore, internal and external subject matter experts play a complementary role in curriculum development. 

Faculty members’ roles in curriculum development

            Faculty members play several roles in curriculum development. As Keating (2017) explains, nursing schools are recruiting new faculty, with little or no experience in academia, to address the nursing faculty shortage. Faculty members are thus tasked with the responsibility of orienting and mentoring such staff to familiarize them with the curriculum requirements for its effective implementation and development. By applying learner-centered theories, faculty members are also charged with the responsibility of effective teaching for the implantation and development of curriculum. Apart from taking part in curriculum accreditation activities, they are also expected to ensure the curriculum is up to date and in line with current educational trends. Therefore, faculty members play several roles in curriculum development.

Using Faculty and Student Feedback in the Implementation, Evaluation, Development and Revision of Curriculum

            For the best results, a two-stage process should be adopted in the use of faculty and student feedback. First, the feedback is analyzed. Do the faculty members or students find any fault with the curriculum? Is there need for a review? These, among other questions, are addressed in the analysis. Second, solutions are designed based on the feedback and the problems identified from the analysis. This ensures the views of key stakeholders (faculty members and students) are incorporated into the curriculum. Thus, a two-stage process should be adopted in the use of faculty and student feedback to ensure optimum results.

Use of Piloting Courses

            Piloting courses are very important before fully implementing them. As Hassan, Schattner and Mazza (2006) concur, the pilot courses help to identify flaws before the full implementation. Furthermore, it provides a better understanding of how to implement the courses. Hence, piloting courses are very important before fully implementing them. 

            In summary, feedback remains an excellent way of developing a curriculum. The nurse educator performs several roles such as student assessments, peer feedback and consultations to solicit stakeholder feedback for the creation and revision of curriculum. Internal and external subject matter experts play a complementary role in curriculum development as an external SME has a separate vantage point and thus can easily spot errors not easily noted by an internal SME. Faculty members are tasked with several responsibilities in curriculum development such as orienting and mentoring new staff, effective teaching taking part in curriculum accreditation activities and ensuring the curriculum is up to date and in line with current educational trends. A two-stage process, analysis and design of solutions, should be adopted in the use of faculty and student feedback for optimum results. Finally, piloting courses offer immense use in identifying flaws and better implementation procedures before their full implementation.