Edinburgh Napier University

  This paper presents an account of curriculum development and change which is set in an institutional, national and international context. Parallels and divergences in principles and practices relating to curriculum development will be highlighted. Discussion is supported by both Scottish and international perspectives drawn from responses to the QAA Enhancement Theme activities, and from local and international responses to one of the Enhancement Theme Discussion Paper (Fotheringham, Strickland and Aitchison, 2012). Analysis and synthesis of the responses to the Discussion Paper and those gathered though Enhancement Theme activities were used to draw conclusions about the extent to which factors affect curriculum internationally and in a Scottish context. The paper explores how a theoretical model was used as an organising principle in an institutional context to shape the development of curriculum. Given the range of influences that are brought to bear on the development of the curriculum, the concept of ‘curriculum-as-vehicle’ (Fotheringham, Strickland and Aitchison, 2012) is utilised to recognize the possibility of over-burdening the curriculum with competing priorities. An institutional context is used to identify the interplay between internal agendas and external influences at the interface with the student experience. Three institutional case studies are used to illustrate different aspects of curriculum change, which takes the discussion beyond traditional conceptions of curriculum as product (Fraser and Bosanquet, 2006), presenting employer involvement, student engagement and student support as key institutional and curricular considerations.