Developing and testing a protocol for curricula feedback in higher education

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and test a curriculum evaluation protocol to determine its validity, comprehensiveness, and usefulness for evaluating higher education academic curricula. While having application in other higher education environments, the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol was tested in the specific professional higher education environment of the United States Air Force's B-IB (strategic bomber) student academic curriculum.

This study of the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol included two independent groups composed of 183 adult students and curriculum development experts which were given an accompanying survey to determine the validity, comprehensiveness, and usefulness of the protocol. One group was composed of 129 students in seven separate student classes throughout one academic year. The students were requested to use the protocol in an academic setting prior to completing the survey, and 116 students returned completed surveys. The same survey instrument was given to a second group of 54 curriculum development experts, and 52 returned completed surveys.

Statistical analysis of the 116 student and 52 curriculum development expert survey resuhs indicate that both populations rated the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol, using a rating scale of 0 to 5, to be overall valid, overall comprehensive, and overall useful. Additionally, both populations rated the individual parts that comprise the protocol to also be valid.