The vast majority of educators at the college level make semesterly adjustments to their course curricula, according to a study recently conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
The study interviewed 1,068 professors from 20 public and private institutions of higher learning across the nation.
About 86.6 percent of educators make some sort of revision to their syllabi, including new readings and assignments, according to the study. Additionally, 37 percent of educators implement new methods and pedagogies in their approach to the material that they teach. The study also noted that female educators were far more likely than males to employ these changes.
The study was conducted for the AAC&U's Bringing Theory to Practice program, which "encourages colleges and universities to reassert their core purposes as educational institutions not only to advance learning and discovery, but to advance the potential and well-being of each individual student," according to the program's website.
The study also explored the limitations of curriculum innovations.
Of those surveyed, 59 percent cited institutional service as a limit to course innovation. Institutional service was defined as various activities such as "campus committees faculty serve on, advisory roles or outreach to students and/or the community. Essentially these are tasks faculty engage in above and beyond research & teaching responsibilities," stated Ashley Finely, director of assessment and research at AAC&U, in an e-mail.
Furthermore, 36.2 percent of professors said research inhibits innovations and 35.5 percent gave family as a reason for less innovation. Sixteen percent said they were not sure of what more could be done to innovate their curricula. Three percent of those surveyed reported "almost never" or "never" making any annual changes to their curricula.
The results of the national study are consistent with trends at the University, Politics Department Chair David Leblang said.
"I would say that most everybody adjusts their syllabus every time they teach the class," Leblang said about his colleagues. "Most people adjust the books that they use, the topics that they cover and most importantly, the way in which they address the content."
Leblang noted four primary reasons that necessitate adjustments in curriculum. Pedagogical changes from semester to semester allow educators to refine their courses, and changes in the disciplines also are regularly implemented into courses. Additionally, professors amend their lectures to focus on topics that interest students, as well as real-world applications for their subject matter.
"We learn what works and what doesn't work in a particular class," Leblang said.
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