Course and Subject Development: Criteria

Course development requirements

All new course proposals should address the following questions:

• What is the need for this course?

• What are the intended markets, their size and likely duration?

• What is the relationship between the objectives of this course and the mission of the University and the Faculty including internationalisation?

• Have the relevant peers, professionals, industry and informed community members inside and outside the University been involved in the development phases of this course?

• What scrutiny has this proposal had by peers within the University?

• What scrutiny has this proposal had by relevant peers, professionals, industry and informed community members outside the University?

• What expertise has the Faculty to develop and teach a course of this kind?

• Does the course have a clear rationale?

• Does the curriculum adequately represent the disciplines it draws upon?

• Is the course a conceptually coherent intellectual map of the discipline or field?

• Does the course observe accepted curriculum design principles?

• Is the course designed to take account of the different backgrounds and learning styles and preferences of different groups of students?

• Are the subjects (and practicum, work experience, laboratory and other related experience) sequenced to facilitate student progress through the course?

• Is the structure of the course consistent with University policy?

• Are minimum entry requirements clearly stated?

• Are credit transfer and advanced standing arrangements specified and consistent with University policy?

• Are the relationships between subjects clearly specified? Are pre-requisites clearly indicated, logically justified and generally supportive of successful student progression through the course?

• Are the academic standards of the course consistent across the course and consistent with academic standards in other universities?

• What kinds of learning environment and delivery methods are intended?

• What access to library, audiovisual, ICT, laboratory and classroom resources is required for the course?

• Is the view of student learning which underpins the course explicit and consistent with the University policy on student learning?

• Are the teaching methods to be used explicit?

• How are the Generic Skills endorsed by Academic Board to be taught and assessed in the course?

• Are subjects which emphasise particular Generic Skills clearly identified?

• How is the course designed and constituted to support the educational development of recognised equity groups?

• Have the suggestions from previous Course Reviews and any formal external accreditation processes been heeded in the course revision?

• Is monitoring for the next Course Review (date specified) indicated?

Subject development guidelines

All new subject proposals should consider the following issues in their development:

• Are the subject objectives clear, appropriate and consistent with the overall objectives of the course?

• Are the objectives framed to sponsor higher order conceptual development among students?

• Are appropriate Generic Skills endorsed by Academic Board included as objectives for this subject?

• Is the subject an intellectually coherent representation of the discipline?

• Is the subject distinctive and not duplicating the subjects or subject matters of other subjects already offered in the University?

• Does the subject illustrate the relationship between its content and current research in the field?

• Is the view of student learning which underpins the subject explicit and consistent with the University policy on student learning, as outlined in the Teaching and Learning Plan.

• Are appropriate opportunities for students to conduct their own enquiry utilised?

• Are any opportunities for students to engage in relevant work experience or professional practice appropriately utilised?

• Does the subject support the educational development of recognised equity groups and international students?

• Are the delivery methods (lectures, tutorials, print materials, on-line …) appropriate?

• Is the amount and difficulty of work required of students appropriate to their stages of development?

• Are the assessment practices and criteria an adequate reflection of the objectives of the subject?

• Do assessment practices and criteria adequately reflect the attainment of the Generic Skills endorsed by Academic Board?

• Do assessment practices conform with the Assessment Practices Policy?

Related documents, legislation or JCU Statutes

New Course Proposal Form - Part A: Strategic Assessment and Business Case

New Course Proposal Form - Part B: (Coursework Courses) - Planning and Handbook Information

See the ‘Coursework Subjects Database’ via StaffOnline for the New Subject Proposal Form.

Approval Details

Modification History