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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

Shuli Just-Michael

Nursing Education, SUNY Delhi

NURS-602

Dr. Quartuccio

February 12, 2023

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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

Abstract

The following paper is a review of a case presented by Iwasiw et al. (2020) regarding

choice appointments of curriculum development leadership. In chapter 6, Iwasiw et al. (2020)

present a synthesis activity in which the dean of the Northern Prairie College of Nursing, Dr.

Singh, must choose a faculty member or members to fill the role of undergraduate nursing

curriculum development. The following paper reflects on the pros and cons of each candidate,

the questions they may be asked by their appointing dean, and the favorable answers with which

they may respond. The paper considers people the dean may potentially consult to discuss their

choice of appointment and also includes this author’s thoughts on who the best candidates are,

how they should share their role, approaches to criticisms of their appointment, demonstrations

of competency in leading this curriculum development, and how the appointees may help

colleagues with their curriculum development skills.

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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

Introduction

The case study to be discussed follows Dr. Priya Singh, the dean of Northen Prarie

College of Nursing, as she embarks on appointing one of her own staff into the role of

curriculum leader. In this manner, the faculty member(s) appointed will also have a reduced

teaching load to concentrate on their responsibilities in this new position. Three candidates are

presented to be considered:

Dr. Lewen, is newest to the faculty, having only been there three years. She has a

background in curriculum development with a focus on integrating aspects of her specialty,

family nursing, into all nursing theory practice to allow nurses to view clients as a larger unit of a

family or community instead of as isolated cases. While still somewhat unknown on campus, Dr.

Lewen is well-liked and esteemed while showing a kindness in her interpersonal relationships

and gaining respect for her research (Iwasiw et al, 2020).

D. Rinaldo Suarez, is a tenured professor at the college with an extensive history of

participation in University level committees, including those that have set and approved

educational policies and programs. He is well-versed in the process of applying for research

grants and has strong presence on the research conference circuit through his work on pain

management. This has lead his peers to an immense amount of respect with little personal

knowledge and feelings of closeness to Dr. Suarez. Despite this seemingly distant approach to

the Northern Prairie Nursing community, when engaged in a one-to-one setting. Dr. Suarez is a

supportive and collaborative advisor and peer (Iwasiw et al, 2020).

Dr Muriel McKay, the elected chair of the undergraduate curriculum committee, has an

all-embracing history in curriculum development, mentoring newer faculty, and a hand in

committees throughout the College of Nursing. She has a strong relationship with peers and
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

former students, many of whom have gone on to hold high-ranking positions in nursing

organizations, and presents a strict composure that promotes effective and efficient work (Iwasiw

et al, 2020).

Dr. Sing has the honor and difficult task of meeting with each of these faculty members

to discuss their interests in the curriculum development role and deciding who is the best

candidate. This author will discuss all these factors and her thoughts on who should be placed in

the role, how that role will look, and why these decisions were made.

Question 1: Pros and Cons of Each Candidate

         Each candidate presented has strong qualities that, standing alone, could allow them to be

wonderful curriculum development coordinators. They also each have attributes that may be

potential drawbacks to placing them in this position at this college. For example, Dr. Lewen is

new to the school and not very well known by her peers. Therefore, if she were to be appointed

to the role, she may have the obstacle of proving herself to overcome. On the other hand, Dr.

Lewen has a background in undergraduate curriculum development and may therefore be well-

qualified to fill the role.

Dr. Suarez, while well-recognized and respected throughout the campus, also has a

somewhat aloof personality to the college’s faculty. If he plans to continue his investment in his

prior research while accepting this new role, Dr. Suarez would need to be willing to spend less

time away at conferences and more time present and active on campus.

Lastly, Dr. McKay is known and respected as a figurehead on campus with a no-

nonesense attitude that may be helpful in curriculum reform or potentially difficult for other

educators to work with. Alternatively, Dr. McKay’s openness about wanting to retire soon could
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

be an indicator that she does not want to invest in a new role and also creates the need to

preemptively be thinking about the next person to fill the role. Alternatively, this interest in

retiring may invigorate Dr. McKay for one final project that utilizes years of knowledge and

resources to leave behind as her legacy at the College of Nursing.

Question 2: Questions and Responses

As Dr. Singh meets with each of the candidates, she will be tasked with needing to assess

their interests in the role and their perceived capabilities and goals in pursuing this new role.

Some pointed questions Dr. Singh may ask will alter based on the candidate. For example, Dr.

Singh may ask Dr. Lewen if she feels she is ready to take on a role of this capacity as a newer

faculty member and if Dr. Lewen would be willing to step away from some of her graduate

nursing course development to focus exclusive on the undergraduate curriculum. A fovorable

response to this may include Dr. Lewen recognizing her limitations in being new to the staff but

still being able to identify helpful faculty members- such as those on university led committees

surrounding curriculum development, and others such as tenured professors with positive faculty

relations- as resources during the initial process. She may also note that while she is not well

known yet, those who do know her seem to appreciate and respect her and her work.

Next, Dr. Singh will speak to Dr. Suarez. She may ask him if he will be willing to be

more present on campus and thereby potentially step away from some of his focused research on

pain management. Dr. Singh may also ask how Dr. Suarez feels about engaging with so many

educators as he tends to be more of a one-on-one communicator. A constructive response on Dr.

Suarez’s part would include his willingness to scale down on his time away from campus, his

recognition of his strengths in one-on-one conversations as a way to work with each department
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

head or even educator on a very individual level, and his willingness to present a more

approachable persona to the faculty on campus.

Lastly, in speaking with Dr. McKay, Dr. Singh may ask how Dr. McKay views this role

as she is on track to retire soon. She may also ask how Dr. McKay feels about scaling back on

her teaching opportunities to focus on curriculum development in these last few years and how

Dr. Mckay will be able to set up the next person in this role for success. A productive response

from Dr. McKay would include the dynamics of how her past contributions to the schools’

faculty, such as school committee memberships, positive relationships with staff members of

healthcare agencies, and her research on nursing education methods and outcomes. These

combined together may allow her the unique opportunity of supportive relationships mixed with

an intimate understanding of the problem at hand leading to a smooth and respectful shift when

changes are put into place. By understanding the system so closely, Dr. McKay can present as

someone with an ability to enact seamless changes. Current research found that the capability to

successfully work in an interdisciplinary capacity was strongly respected by faculty working in

sciences departments (Knapke et al., 2021).

Along with all of these very specific questions, it is also important that Dr. Singh gauge

each potential appoitnee’s interest level in the role as this is a big undertaking that could change

their current career course.

Question 3: Consultations

Dean Singh may be the once considering these three candidates, but her decision does not

need to be made alone. She has the opportunity to consult others regarding her potential

appointment of the role. One reason to consult with other faculty members might be to instill a

sense of commitment and communication to the faculty as a whole on behalf of the school by
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

allowing for opportunities of shared governance in settings where the outcome will affect the

faculty allowing faculty to have a heard voice and a feeling of support by the institution (Culver

et al, 2020). As Iwasiw et al. (2020) note that consulting with other faculty members allows

Dean Singh insight into how these candidates are viewed by their peers and what types of

interpersonal relationships they are able to build. These are important factors when considering

an appointment for a new role as they must be able to garner respect as well as share their goals

with others.

Question 4: Best Candidate / Question 6: Role Sharing

While in some Asian countries, the promotion process relies heavily on a quantifiable

amount of published research and byline titles on articles (Yeh et al., 2022), this specific

appointment has the great opportunity to be much more personalized. If the position had to go to

one single candidate, this author thinks that the best choice for the role would be Dr. Lewen. Her

extensive background in curriculum development and her desire to make an integrated approach

to healthcare put her in a special position to be able to present a few different types of leadership.

One specifically would be a bridge leadership as Dr. Lewen would take a specific idea, such as

teaching the importance of engaging with patient’s families and support systems, and find ways

to apply that to different client groups.

However, while this may be the case, this author actually feels that at the early stages of

the creation of this role, a shared approach may be most appropriate. Instead of pushing one

person to take on this large task alone, by sharing the burden, they could create and define the

roles’ needs in a fluid manner. Each candidate brings a uniquely special skillset to the role, and

together they may create a powerhouse while still allowing each to have time to pursue their

other endeavors.
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

In creating a new beast with three different heads, it is important to identify roles and

leadership. This author feels that working on each individual’s strengths will generate success on

the whole. For example, Dr. Suarez works well in a more intimate setting. This style of a three-

person team may be just the right type of team to motivate him. Dr. Suarez can also then help

individual teachers who may struggle with the overall larger rollout of changes. This could also

allow him to continue his research on pain management in a more comprehensive way than if her

were spearheading the role alone. By including Dr. McKay in the assembly of this position, the

group can generate a sense of structure. Hew wealth of knowledge regarding the inner workings

of the faculty of the school and her earned respect make her position on the team immeasurable.

Meanwhile, Dr. Lewen could be more supported by well-known and respected faculty if she

were to share the role with her peers.

Lastly, Iwasiw et al (2020) discuss the importance of a shared leadership which includes

humility and an ability to relinquish authority. By working together, each educator has the

opportunity to listen to the others to build the most productive curriculum. Iwasiw et al (2020)

also reflect on the positive outcomes of shared team leadership and its importance in curriculum

development. No one person can lead every aspect of the work. Each individual can therefore

take their competencies and expand on them using the generalized plans in smaller, more

specific settings.

Question 5: Overcoming Criticisms of Chosen Leadership

Both the appointed and the appointer may face criticism after the announcement of the

new role and the person or people filling the role. Dr. Singh, as the person creating and filling the

role, must remain strong and supportive of her faculty in the decision she made. Some people

may be upset that she did not choose based on quantity of research (Yeh et al., 2022), while
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

others may feel that not appointing based on tenure defies the respect of dedicated time to a role

(Bunton & Mallon, 2017). It is important for the success of the role and its appointee(s) that Dr.

Singh continues to support them throughout any backlash. By showing this trust in her faculty,

Dr. Singh exudes a sense of leadership and support for her staff. According to research by Culver

et al (2020), when faculty feel included, supported, and respected, they feel their institution is

dedicated to their well-being.

Question 7: Demonstrating Competence in Leading Curriculum Development

Some ways this group of appointees could present expertise in leading curriculum

development alter based on each persons strengths and their role within the team. For reference,

there are three categories of responsibility and accountability within the role of curriculum leader

which include: relational, curricular, and organizational/managerial (Iwasiw et al, 2020). With

the appointment of three people to the role, each person may be able to absorb one identity on

which to focus their strengths. It is important that these roles can compensate for the challenges

of curricula redesign including the capability and the agency required of those working with the

curriculum (Sinnema et al., 2020)

The relational leader is one who utilizes some of the leadership techniques previously

mentioned (i.e bridge leadership). They have strong interpersonal skills and a sense of self-

confidence while still engaging with school leadership and committees to foster creativity and

promote task completions (Iwasiw et al, 2020).

Next, the curricular leader strongly understands the process of curriculum development,

its development, its dissemination, limitations, and opportunities. The curricular leader engages

with new ideas about curriculum, recognizes what types of matters must be further investigated,
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

and works through real and potential curricular issues that may go against institutional policies,

up to date practices, or student population acceptance (Iwasiw et al, 2020).

Lastly, the organizational and managerial leader delves into the logistics and strategics of

the role. They ensure that strategy is well developed for the role-out of new curriculum, that

aculty feel supported by new ideas and are welcome to present ideas and concerns of their own,

and make sure newly designed curriculum is properly publicized to faculty, students, and other

educational entities (Iwasiw et al, 2020).

Question 8: Appointment Announcement

As Iwasiw et al (2020) explain, it is in good form for a school leader, such as Dean

Singh, to make a formal announcement regarding the appointment of the new curriculum leader.

This announcement should be shared with members of the school, including students and faculty,

and the healthcare community at large including any supportive partners with whom the school

may have relationships. This announcement allows the position an added sense of legitimacy and

helps others understand the role and reason for appointment (

Question 9: Developing Curriculum Leadership Skills through Curriculum Development

As previously mentioned, the role of curriculum development is not purely to create

curriculum but also to share the changes in curriculum throughout the institution. This requires

faculty outside of the appointed role to be open to curriculum reform. This can be a difficult

thing for educators as they take pride in the education they build for their students. Therefore,

being told it needs to be changed can be upsetting, scary, or frustrating at times. It is important

that the curriculum development leaders are present and able to help make transitions simpler

and well-accepted among peers. It has been seen that many teachers respond negatively to

education reforms if they do not have a feeling of self-efficacy in their own teaching (Peskova et
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

al., 2019). It is therefore very important that the faculty in this new role of curriculum

development find ways to support and contribute to their peers’ own leadership and curriculum

development skills so that the educational standard can remain up to date with the ever growing

evidence of new and improved approaches to education.

Reflection

In reflecting on this case study, it is apparent to this author the difficulties of creating a

new role, staffing it successfully, and rolling out its tasks effectively and efficiently. Many

different personalities can play a role from the creation and acceptance of the position’s

existence, to the appointment of appropriate faculty, to the support of said faculty in the role.

This case study reflects on the importance of interpersonal relationships in the creation of

curriculum development. Not only must the curriculum developers have positive relationships

with each other, but they must also be able to be trusted by the staff to whom they teach their

new approaches, and trust the research from whence they built the new curriculum. The role

cannot be one of solitude because without support, the newly developed curriculum will fail.

This can be a result faculty responding negatively to change because they do not feel supported

by the change makers. It can also be a result of the curriculum developers not feeling supported

by their administration and institution. A new position has much opportunity for backlash. The

appointed must stand their role in conjunction with the support garnered for them by the

appointee supporting the role and the developer.

This case study also delves into the idea of different attributes of leadership. Not

everyone has the same leadership styles and capabilities. However, some approaches are

particularly important for different curriculum development scenarios. Iwasiw et al. (2020) bring
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

the idea of a trifold leadership of relational, curricular, and organizational leadership. These three

differing leadership styles have a lot of overlap but each one has a few specific parts that require

their specialness in fulfilling this exclusive role. What this author found interesting in exploring

these leadership styles was how each applicant for the role can somewhat fit into each style of

leadership, meaning no single applicant on their own would be a bad appointee. However, the

strength provided by allowing each individual to focus on their strength supports a stronger

curriculum development with a better supported infrastructure. These differing styles can also

reflect the college’s faculty as a whole. Where one developer may come off as too strict, or too

aloof, or too soft-spoken, to one faculty member revising their curriculum, that same person may

be the exactly right type of approachable for someone else working through their educational

changes.

Lastly, the importance of asking questions has come to this authors attention. Whether it

be Dean Singh interviewing her perspective curriculum leaders, consulting with other faculty

regarding these specific educators filling the role, or the curriculum developers themselves

working through the struggles of successfully changing a pre-established infrastructure. By

utilizing clear communication and strong resources, there is a profoundly higher chance of

success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this author supports the sharing of the role of curriculum development

leader at the Northern Prairie College of Nursing. By sharing the burden and dividing the roles

according to strength, interest, time investment, and longevity of intended time in the position,

the team making up the curriculum development role has the opportunity to support a college-

wide curriculum reform based in integrative research and faculty investment as supported by the
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

development team and the college administration. In addition, by sharing this role, more faculty

may be able to be engaged in the reform based on personalities and a shared voice.
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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review

References

Bunton, S. A., & Mallon, W. T. (2017). The Continued Evolution of Faculty Appointment and

Tenure Policies at U.S. Medical Schools. Academic Medicine, 82(3), 281–289.

https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0b013e3180307e87

Culver, K. C., Young, R. L., & Barnhardt, C. L. (2020). Communicating Support: Examining

Perceived Organizational Support among Faculty Members with Differing Appointment

Types. Innovative Higher Education, 45(4), 299–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-

020-09503-z

Iwasiw, C. L., Andrusyszyn, M.-A., & Goldenberg, D. (2020). Curriculum development in

nursing education. Jones & Bartlett Learning. 

Sinnema, C., Nieveen, N., & Priestley, M. (2020). Successful futures, successful curriculum:

What can Wales learn from international curriculum reforms? The Curriculum Journal,

31(2), 181–201. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.17

Knapke, J. M., Schuckman, S. M., & Lee, R. C. (2021). Interdisciplinary Collaboration in

Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Criteria: Does It Matter? Higher

Education Policy, 35(4), 894–908. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-021-00238-w

Peskova, K., Spurna, M., & Knecht, P. (2019). Teachers’ acceptance of curriculum reform in the

Czech Republic: one decade later. peDOCS. https://www.pedocs.de/frontdoor.php?

source_opus=17443

Yeh, J. T., Shulruf, B., Lee, H. C., Huang, P. H., Kuo, W. H., Hwang, T. C., & Chen, C. H.

(2022). Faculty appointment and promotion in Taiwan’s medical schools, a systematic

analysis. BMC Medical Education, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03435-2

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Assignment 1: Case Study: Roles in Curriculum Design, Development, and Review