Jacobs, C and Jacobs, K (2003) An integrated approach to curriculum at foundation level. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 1(1), pp. 89-101. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
The prospect of state funding for foundation programmes has heralded a new interest in such programmes in the Higher Education sector. Already the proposed funding frameworks appear to be influencing the nature of foundation curricula. Against this background Peninsula Technikon is currently implementing pilot foundation programmes in Mechanical and Civil Engineering. This pilot draws on an integrated, extended curriculum model emerging in the Engineering faculty, which uses a focus subject from the mainstream programme around which to build the foundation curriculum. This paper presents a multi‐level analysis of policy articulation regarding foundation programmes, from a mode 2 (Gibbons 1994) perspective which emphasises the need for learning to be applied in real‐life, problem‐solving contexts which transcend disciplinary boundaries and reflect issues of importance to society. It examines this policy and responses to it, at the macro level of state and the Higher Education (HE) sector, as well as the micro level of an individual HE institution and two academic departments. Finally suggestions are made as to why and how articulation from the micro to the macro level could enhance policy implementation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | foundation program; curriculum design; higher education; curriculum transformation |
| Index terms: | transformation, higher education, society, program, integrated approach, funding, boundaries, programme, policy implementation |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, communities and social development, business, educational institutions, economic analysis, software systems, policy studies, project controls, property law |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Digital Applications, Time Control, Governance, Education, Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here