Curriculum and assessment for the knowledge society: interrogating experiences in the Republic of Ireland and Queensland,Australia

The ‘knowledge society’ has become a central discourse within educational reform. This article posits that the impact of the knowledge society discourse on curriculum and assessment has led to the emergence of what the authors term a new-form/re-form curriculum, and it asks whether what is transacting in contemporary movements in curriculum is less the reform of curriculum and more the emergence of a new-form/re-form curriculum. What is emerging is well beyond the discussions of outcomes and curriculum alignment that characterised much curriculum reform effort in the late 1990s. In this new-form/re-form curriculum ‘content’ is displaced by ‘skills’ and ‘knowledge acquisition’ by ‘learning’. Curriculum coverage is replaced by learner engagement. In this context, assessment also begins to take on new-form/re-form. Assessment now engages and promotes learning as process rather than as product. Two cases – the Republic of Ireland and Queensland, Australia – are analysed and compared to illustrate this shift in the conceptualisation of curriculum and assessment. Consideration is given to the possibility that this new-form/re-form curriculum represents a settlement in the contestation associated with learning outcomes and their perceived technical rationality and market focus. The paper concludes that the new-form/re-form curriculum is emerging in locations as diverse as Ireland and Queensland.     

Will the Academy survive 9/11? Scholarship,security, and United States Government policy

This paper examines the direct and indirect impacts of 9/11 on the academy. The USA Patriot Act and other legislative and administrative responses are discussed in relation to previous actions in times of crisis. Cases involving free speech and academic freedom are examined. It is concluded that requirements and procedures for tracking overseas students, along with long delays in processing visas, have had the most direct impact on the academy in terms of on-going administrative requirements and reduced applications and enrollments by international students. Self-censorship appears to have chilled free speech from within the academy. Outside, critics increasingly question the concepts of academic freedom, tenure, and the underlying values and autonomy of the academy. The passing of time without additional terrorist attacks in the United States may result in reduced levels of fear and some relaxation of restrictions; however, this could be offset by continued high level security alerts. The acceptance of increased surveillance in all aspects of society and terrorist attacks throughout the world make it too early to predict the long-term outcome of 9/11 on the academy in terms of enrollment, speech, and academic freedom.     

Evaluation of evidence-based medicine search skills in the clinical years

The librarians of the Health Sciences Library worked with the director of the Primary Care Clerkship to reinforce the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) searching, taught during the first two years of medical school, through an intensive workshop. The purpose of the program was to ensure that students apply EBM principles in a timely and effective manner in clinical situations. Working in teams led by a resident and librarian, students researched real cases and then evaluated the effectiveness of their approach to the problems. This paper outlines the rationale for the team approach, reviews the administration of a computer-based workshop, and discusses the evaluation process. Evaluation focused on both the current workshop and its implications for the informatics program presented to students during years one and two.