The Active Curriculum
We are working with ARU to deliver the 'Active Curriculum', a bold and comprehensive curriculum framework that will provide a distinctive approach to course design, pedagogy and an enhanced student experience at ARU founded on the premise of ‘active and collaborative’ teaching approaches and students being ‘active’ agents in their own learning.
How is the Active Curriculum being delivered?
The Active Curriculum Steering Group
The Active Curriculum Steering Group is driving forward the concept at institutional level. It is chaired by the Deputy Head of Anglia Learning and Teaching, Adam Longcroft. The Active Curriculum Steering Group has endorsed the establishment of a series of small working groups that will focus on specific strands and literacies.
Research-led Teaching & Learning Working Group
- Students are exposed to the research of their module tutors and other examples of research, engage with our staff and with each other in a dialogue about research, and participate in and undertake research-related activities and assignments.
- Staff draw on their own research to inform their teaching, engage students in a dialogue about research, integrate examples of research into the delivery of modules and provide students with opportunities to undertake research-related activities and assignments.
Placement and Practice-based Learning Working Group
- Students engage with opportunities to apply their learning and their skills in practical contexts and work-based placement and/or clinical settings.
- Staff create and support opportunities for students to apply their learning and their skills in practical contexts and work-based placement and/or clinical settings.
Co- & Extra-curricular learning Working Group
- Students engage with opportunities provided by ARU to develop their learning and skills outside of the formal curriculum.
- ARU provides opportunities and support for students to develop their learning and skills outside of the formal curriculum.
Pedagogic Literacies, Assessment Literacies and Independent Learning Literacies Working Group
Pedagogic Literacies
- The capacity of our students to understand why they are being taught in particular ways, and to develop insights into pedagogic practices, pedagogical research and principles, as well gaining insights into their own learning strategies and preferred learning styles.
- The capacity of our staff to build effective alignments between module outcomes and the pedagogies they employ to support students to achieve and demonstrate mastery of them.
Assessment Literacies
- The capacity of our students to engage in a dialogue relating to the rationale and purpose of assessment, and to understand the criteria on which they are assessed, and to understand and relate their own performance in relation to the descriptors set out in ARU marking scales.
- The capacity of our staff to build constructive alignments between module outcomes and assessment, to design relevant and authentic assessments that have clear marking criteria and that drive high levels of student engagement. Staff effectively employ formative and summative assessment.
Independent Learning Literacies
- The capacity of our students to develop both the attitudes and skills of the independent, autonomous learner.
- The capacity of our staff to employ pedagogical strategies that encourage and empower students to develop and apply their skills as independent learners.
More information on the role of the 'Co-chair' is available here