Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

One of the main reasons I was interested in this course was

because I had never critically considered how curriculum shaped my

knowledge. I knew I had a general base of knowledge that most people

do (in reading, history, math and science), but that was mostly it. I

attended a small liberal arts college in the Midwest that was mission

driven. After I graduate I became immensely driven by my own alma

maters mission statement to create a more just and human world

that I decided to join the Peace Corps and live abroad. Upon returning I

began working at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and

studying at Loyola University of Chicago. Loyola University was more

closely aligned with the identity of my alma mater. In only the first

semester of simultaneously attending both institutions, I have come to

realize the stark differences between both schools. As I begin to

explore the meaning of this, I am coming to consider the different

curriculum each of these two schools utilizes. To further examine these

differences in curriculum across institutions, I will be looking at five

distinct syllabi from various institutions. All of the syllabi are from

courses in journalism studies. The differential analysis of these syllabi

is informed by the assigned readings and by my own prior knowledge

and experience with curriculum at various institutions.

One of the most thorough syllabi in my analysis is from the

University of Florida. The course name is Journalism Studies. What

struck me most about this syllabus was its seemingly strong

Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

emphasize of being learning-centered, rather than teaching-centered

as described by Fink. In the course objectives Finks taxonomy of

learning (Learning how to learn, caring, human dimension, integration,

etc.) seemed to be considered. For example, the first course objective

listed on the syllabus is this: become educatedand alert

consumers of journalism and media. This is saying that one of the

course goals is learning how to take responsibility for your own

learning. Fink mentions that a concern of many professors is that

students do not do the readings and that in turn it affects the learning

process because people do not contribute to the discussions in

meaningful ways. This first course objective puts the responsibility

back on the student and acknowledges that a part of the course is

learning how to become educated and alert what the news that they

are consuming consciously or unconsciously.

Later on in this same syllabus, the course structure is described

as consisting of case studies and discussion with several videos and

audio clips incorporated into the class presentation. The professor of

this course also mentions that the students will lead presentations and

weekly topic discussions. Only two papers are assigned through the

semester. This course structure supports the learning-centered

approach to curriculum because it is not founded in the traditional

lecture style teachings. The professor does not state that they will be

lecturing. Furthermore, Fink also mentions that both faculty and

Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

students are sometimes pressured by the amount of required text and

required reading they have in class that they often become

unmotivated and even bored by materials. This course has no required

text. All assigned readings are posted for free on a school database

and students are required to have a Twitter. This also speaks to the

practical application of learning classroom knowledge that is applicable

and transferable to the real word.

The second syllabus I looked at was for a course titled Audience

Research in New Media and it was from the University of Texas at

Austin. This course also has no required text and all required readings

are posted on the schools Canvas platform. Again, this adds less

pressure of cramming information in a short amount of time, which can

enhance the learning process according to Fink. This course has few

assignments due and they are also far in-between. This course

assesses student grades based 25% on participation, 25% on

assignments and activities, and 50% on a final research paper. The

fact that a majority of a students grades are based on a final paper

seemly similarly to having a student takes a final exam at the end of a

course. Fink discuses how students will memorize and retain certain

information for text and exams but are then at a lost after they have

taken the exam. True learning and knowledge is not determined by a

paper or an exam, but by how a student learns to carry the learned

knowledge with them throughout their life. This approach to grading

Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

may be somewhat balanced with the assignments and activities

portion of the course. The professor mentions that part of the

assignments and activities will enable students to identify problems,

brainstorm new ideas, and track audience. This also speaks to the

ability to make students think critically, practically, and creatively

which Fink points to as an essential tool we should be teaching

students because they will carry that skill from class-to-class, work-to-

work, and life-to-life. The Nilson article also explains that students

learn socially by constructing knowledge in groups. The 25% portion of

assignments and activities seem to be done in groups or alone. I think

this is a fine balance since Nilsen also suggests that one-on-one and

self-teaching and learning is possible and crucial as much as social

learning.

The third syllabus in my analysis comes from the University of

Richmond and the course title is, Civic Journalism and Social Justice.

In my experience, I think there is something to be said by the fact that

I found this course being taught at a private liberal arts college. I

attended a small liberal arts intuition for undergrad. At my institution

we focused heavily on social justice teachings. When I was looking at

journalism syllabi at other intuitions I found courses with titles like

Journalism in Marginalized Communities and Media and Race, but

some of the public state school I looked at did not have a course title

with social justice in it. During my time at UIC I have noticed that this
Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

public state-run institution is more research based and a bit more

traditional in its teaching mentions that might be considered part of

the old paradigm in Finks book. This means that many professors on

campus see themselves as a source of knowledge from which student

must attain their knowledge; rather than creating a space where

student are on the same learning and experiencing field. I mention this

because the identity of different institutions, I believe, affects the

curriculum of the institution itself. In this instance, the syllabus I

obtained from the University of Richmond (a private institution)

incorporates community-based learning projects, few required texts,

and reflection exercises. This is comparatively different from the

previous two syllabi examined, which were from public universities.

The fourth syllabus I looked at comes from the University of Iowa

and the course is titled, Principles of Journalism. This syllabus

compares to that of the one at the University of Richmond in that it

incorporates reflection in its learning outcomes. Specifically the aim of

the course hopes to get student to reflect on the institution of

journalism and its role in society. This is also something that speaks to

the real life tangible benefits of learning something like this. Media is a

powerful influence in our society and learning how to digest news in an

ever-growing social media world is sensible and practical. Nilsen also

encourages reflection as it can sometimes evoke emotions for some

people, which signify that something about the material was moving
Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

enough to be memorable and thus life-lasting. This courses, however,

seems to take a teaching-centered approach in the evaluation of

students. It depends heavily on three exams each worth 100 points to

determine the students final grade. With 500 total points possible in

the course, exams seem to be a big factor of determining a students

grade. The structure of this course is unclear, as it does not explain if

the course is lecture or discussion based. My fear with this is that its

lacks of structural explanation might signify a failure to fully consider

learning outcomes because the professor doesnt explain how those

goals will be achieved.

The fifth and final syllabus is from New York University and the

course is Internship in Journalism. By nature the experience of

internships is very experiential, but depending on the structure of the

internship and the requirements it may be less beneficial to students if

it is left unstructured. Based on the syllabus this course seems to be

successfully structured. It allows students to self-assess their own work

and progress throughout the semester. This is something mention in

the Bransford readings. Bransford mentions this as metacognitive

learning where student are asked to reflect, self-asses, and predict

their own knowledge. Bransford argues that by doing this students

track their own work and witness the progress they have ultimately

made making them more confident learners. In an experiential learning

experience such as this internship course I think this is a very

Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

appropriate approach to learning. Although the syllabus is somewhat

short in length compared to the others it has a solid structure that lays

out clear expectation of the students. Nilsen argues that structure

makes for a more inviting and productive learning environment. This

syllabus, and the first one I examined from the University of Florida,

seems the most thorough in terms of assignment detail, expectations,

and structure. With reflection essays due and 1:1 meetings with a

faculty member, this course seems heavily metacognitive learning

focused.

Across the board all the syllabi incorporate positive and

innovative forms of teaching, which may be considered new paradigm

shifts in education. The University of Floridas syllabus seems the most

innovative to me, but others such as the University of Richmond,

University of Iowa and New York University incorporate or engage

different facets of learning from group work, to experiential learning

and self-assessment too. As mentioned previously, there is something

to be said about the curriculum at public versus private institution. Its

easy to see a component of reflection and mission integrated at

private institutions such as the one I attended and the one examined in

the analysis of the University of Richmond. Once piece of knowledge

mentioned in the readings that I do not think any of these courses

incorporated deals with prior knowledge. The Bransford reading argues

that students come into the classroom with preconceptions about how
Jonathan Salamanca Curriculum in Higher Education 1/24/17

the world works. They may have preconceptions about a course

material or subject they are taking. Branford states that if their initial

understanding of the material is not engaged then they may fail to

grasp new concepts and information. Although, I believe professors

may focus on this minimally during their presentations or discussions, I

think this need to me a major focus. We need to intentionally talk

about our preconception. I believe that many students will not

participate in discussion because they are afraid to engage their prior

knowledge for the fear of being wrong.