Re-designing a curriculum to achieve integration and reflect the values of student and client centeredness: The NUI Galway Speech and Language Therapy Team’s experience

Background: In 2007, the first cohort of students graduated from the new four-year BSc. (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy programme at NUI, Galway. On reflection, the team recognised that while the ethos of the programme team was a developmental psychosocial model the structure of the programme reflected a medical impairment and disorder-based focus, which was not integrated.Purpose: The core aim of the curriculum review was to design a high quality, integrated, transparent curriculum which would provide the student with a clear pathway to becoming a competent clinician.Methodology: Process mapping was used as the methodology for the process of redesign. This was undertaken firstly with 16 speech and language therapists in training and secondly with a group of ten stakeholders (8 university staff and two practicing clinicians). The programme team subsequently formulated and delivered on a project plan to write the new curriculum.Results: The process mapping exercises indicated the need for a more transparent, integrated curriculum which reflected the values of the team. The project team developed a sharedvision of the curriculum with a focus on a more client-centred inclusive social model. Gaps in the curriculum have been addressed and there is now continuity across the curriculum. Duplication of teaching, content and assessment for both students and staff has been reduced. The team has designed a curriculum which will facilitate integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes required to be a competent clinician across modules for each year.Conclusion: The curriculum re-design allowed the team to develop a curriculum that truly reflected the group’s ethos and mission statement. This process and learning contributes in teaching and learning in higher education at all levels local, national, disciplinary and internationally. The curriculum design process challenges assumptions about integration of learning across disciplines.