Co-creating curriculum with students

What is co-creating curriculum?

Co-creating curriculum refers to the collaborative, reciprocal process through which teachers and students work together to develop components of the curriculum (Cook-Sather et al., 2014). These components can include learning activities, assessments, or resources (e.g. supplementary materials) used in the delivery of a subject or course. This approach represents a shift in the traditional role of both students and teachers. Students are no longer framed solely as the audience of learning but as partners or co-creators in the learning environment, while teachers assume the role of facilitators in the learning process, mutually co-constructing knowledge with students. It is important to understand that this change does not diminish the teacher’s expertise and their key role in facilitating learning (Bovill, 2014).

Co-creation of curriculum can take place in many different forms, and the way in which teachers and students engage in this process can vary across different learning contexts. It can occur on different levels and scales, either before or during the time that teaching and learning activities take place. Each co-creation or co-design activity should have a solid purpose and be designed to tackle a specific problem that requires the students’ expertise and collaboration.

Student roles in co-creating curriculum

Bovill et al. (2015) proposed a typology of four different roles that students may adopt in the co-creation of curriculum: representative, consultant, co-researcher, and pedagogical co-designer. Note that in practice, students may take one or more of these roles simultaneously or consecutively within one co-creation activity.

Venn diagram in cross formation overlapping at centre showing student roles in the co-creation of learning process: Co-researcher, consultant, psychological co-designer and representative.

The type of activity students undertake in each role, and the level of skills and knowledge they need to acquire to fulfil these roles, can vary significantly. Given such complexity, teachers should think deeply about the purpose of the co-creation process and identify the students’ roles in the collaboration during the planning phase (Bovill & Woolmer, 2019).

The following list provides examples of the activities students can perform in each of the roles in the co-creation process:

As a representative:

  • Gather and relay peers’ feedback and insights on learning experiences to teachers, through a working group or learning committee that focuses on evaluating student learning experience and implementing meaningful improvement for the subject
  • Participate in university-level student-initiated committees to provide feedback and input on policy changes that can impact student learning

As a consultant:

  • Work with teachers and evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching and learning activity, or the layout of subject materials on the LMS
  • Work with teachers to review and discuss potential modifications to assessment design that may improve accessibility

As a co-researcher:

  • Curate learning materials and artefacts for the subject, leveraging students’ unique experiences and perspectives to create a diverse, relevant curriculum
  • Research current industry trends and challenges, and consider how the curriculum can best prepare students for these

As a pedagogical co-designer:

  • Take a hands-on approach and work with teachers to design self-paced and differentiated learning activities
  • Design a personalised topic or focus area within the structure and requirements of a broader assessment task
  • Construct joint learning artefacts with teachers and peers which can be used in future iterations of the subject

Benefits of engaging students in the creation of the curriculum

Allowing students to play an active role in their learning by engaging them in the curriculum co-creation process has multifold benefits, including increased student engagement in learning and a positive contribution towards the learning environment (Bergmark & Westman, 2015).

As students take on an active participatory role in their learning and less of a passive recipient of learning, they begin to experience a shift in metacognitive understanding about learning and rethink the way they learn more deeply. Learning becomes more meaningful to students as they become responsible for crafting their own learning and the learning of others, alongside their teachers and peers. It is an opportunity for students to develop a strong sense of identity and agency in their own educational journey. These transformations can go beyond university and shape students’ approach to lifelong learning and professional development in their own fields (Lubicz-Nawrocka & Bovill, 2021).

Manor et al. (2010, p.5), in their research, captured a comment from a student who participated in a curriculum co-creation process that speaks volumes about its impact on student learning:

…the more I thought about it, the more it shook up everything I associated with education and learning; how I had done homework, written papers – everything has been completely turned on end. I had been watching my education pass me by without ever taking part…

This quote highlights how co-creation can genuinely change student experience and views towards education.

Engaging students in co-creating curriculum means that the learning environment will be filled with more diverse voices and opinions from both teachers and students on how to make learning more relevant and purposeful. Bringing new perspectives into the curriculum can both refine and challenge the existing way it has been taught, thus creating invaluable opportunities for discussions on how the curriculum can be reimagined (Bovill & Woolmer, 2019; Godbold et al., 2021). Co-creation of curriculum promotes inclusivity in education and allows universities to gain a better understanding of student learning needs.

Challenges and considerations

It is important to acknowledge that curriculum co-creation with students can be challenging to implement, as the process requires a rethinking of teachers’ and students’ roles in curriculum delivery, as well as significant planning and resourcing to make this a meaningful experience for both parties. Furthermore, there may be curriculum constraints due to accreditation or institutional requirements in specific subjects or courses that may limit the possibility of co-creation (Bovill et al., 2015).

Teachers considering inviting students into a co-creation partnership need to clearly define the partnership’s aims, particularly identifying the problem(s) that students’ unique expertise and experience can help solve. Think carefully about inclusivity and whether you want to pick a specific group of students or invite the entire cohort to participate in the collaborative journey. Additionally, consider the implications of co-creation on the individual participants, the cohort(s), and the wider institution.

Working in a co-creation partnership requires both teachers and students to step out of their comfort zones and adapt to a new working dynamic. It is helpful to assume that participants in both teacher and student roles may not be initially equipped with the skills and knowledge to facilitate this process. Teachers who are new to curriculum co-creation should consider implementing the idea on a small scale at first instance and consult with colleagues with experience in this area (Cook-Sather et al., 2014). They should also be aware of the skills students need to fully participate in the co-creation process, such as the ability to provide and receive constructive feedback (Kaempf & Stark, 2020). If these skills are lacking, they may need to be explicitly taught to students prior to their participation in the co-creation activity.

References

  • Bergmark, U., & Westman, S. (2015). Co-creating curriculum in higher education: promoting democratic values and a multidimensional view on learning. International Journal for Academic Development, 21(1), 28-40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2015.1120734
  • Bovill, C. (2014). An investigation of co-created curricula within higher education in the UK, Ireland and the USA. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(1), 15-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.770264
  • Bovill, C., & Woolmer, C. (2019). How conceptualisations of curriculum in higher education influence student-staff co-creation in and of the curriculum. Higher Education, 78, 407-422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0349-8
  • Bovill, C., Cook-Sather, A., Felten, P., Millard, L., & Moore-Cherry, N. (2015). Addressing potential challenges in co-creating learning and teaching. Overcoming resistance, navigating institutional norms and ensuring inclusivity in student-staff partnerships. Higher Education, 71, 195-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9896-4
  • Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C., & Felten, P. (2014). Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching: A guide for faculty. Wiley.
  • Godbold, N., Hung, T. Y. (Amy), & Matthews, K. E. (2021). Exploring the role of conflict in co-creation of curriculum through engaging students as partners in the classroom. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(4), 1104-1118. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1887095
  • Kaempf, S., & Stark, A. (Hosts). (2020, April 8th). How to involve students in the (re)design of your courses. [Audio podcast]. https://www.buzzsprout.com/813707/episodes/2488153
  • Lubicz-Nawrocka, T., & Bovill, C. (2021). Do students experience transformation through co-creating curriculum in higher education? Teaching in Higher Education, 28(7), 1744-1760. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1928060
  • Manor, C., Bloch-Schulman, S., Flannery, K., & Felten, P. (2010). Foundations of Student-Faculty Partnerships in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In C. Werder & M. Otis (Eds.), Engaging Student Voices in the Study of Teaching and Learning (3-15). Sterling: Stylus.