The use of reverse engineering concept to develop education

• Author(s): Almeida, Patrícia ; Alves Lopes, António
• Date: 2023
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/47149
• Origin: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão
• Document Type: Conference object
• Language: English
• Contributor(s): Repositório Comum

Description

Background: Traditionally curriculum development follows 6 steps: needs assessment, determining content, writing goals and objectives, educational strategies, implementing the curriculum and, evaluating the curriculum (1). However, one of the common failure in programes is the inconsistency between content and assessment activities. Therefore, we advocate for the use of Reverse Engeneering Principles. Description: Reverse engineering is the interpretation of an already existing artifact by an analysis of the design considerations that must have governed its creation (2). Translating this concept into education, the existing artifact should be seen as the expected performance from students in specific activities. By determining in advance these performances and activities (assessment activities), we can more accurately determine which considerations are needed for this creation, which in educacional context will corrrespond to the development of learning environment, content and educational strategies. This was the approach used in a european project to develop a curriculum in Healthy Ageing. Importance: This approach resulted in 4 modules integrated in practice where the assessment activities are the so-called entrusted activities (3) which facilitated the selection of adequate content and learning environment in the context of a competence-based curriculum. This approach can be of relevance to other programmes aiming to contextualized education.