Abstract

GUZMAN DROGUETT, María Angélica; MAUREIRA CABRERA, Óscar; SANCHEZ GUZMAN, Alejandra  and  VERGARA GONZALEZ, Adriana. Curriculum innovation in higher education: How are innovation policies managed in (re-)designing undergraduate degree programs in Chile?. Perfiles educativos [online]. 2015, vol.37, n.149, pp.60-73. ISSN 0185-2698.

One of the ongoing concerns in the national agenda in Chile is ensuring quality in higher education. In order to strengthen quality, some institutions have implemented curriculum redesign processes as a selectivity criterion and for the purpose of allocating both internal and external resources. However, it is not clear whether the intended quality standards have been reached. This work started with a content analysis focusing on a variety of academic publications regarding curriculum innovation. This generated a set of analytical-comprehensive categories that were used to research seven undergraduate curriculum redesign experiences. Among other aspects, findings suggest that -against what the official discourse claims- curriculum innovation is only implemented partially, and also implies some weaknesses, such as lack of planning and very little collaborative work.

Keywords : Curriculum research; Curriculum models; Curriculum planning; Curriculum design; Educational innovation; Higher education.