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development and considers this process within six main areas of focus [ 4 ]. Each
area is important in its own development, but all six areas must be constructed from
and within the perspective of the other areas to establish a robust and comprehensive
curriculum:
- General needs assessment
- Targeted needs assessment
- Goals and objectives
- Educational strategies
- Implementation
- Evaluation and feedback
General Needs Assessment
A curriculum must address the needs of the learner in order to be relevant and sus-
tainable. Therefore it is critical to identify the focus of the teaching program and the
general needs of the participant. The difference between how the problem is cur-
rently being addressed and how it should ideally be addressed is the general needs
assessment. This characterization of the problem can be accomplished by assessing
the existing educational program and soliciting feedback from the learners and edu-
cators as to perceived deficiencies in knowledge and/or skills related to this learning
method. Also, soliciting and utilizing input and guidelines established by certifying
and credentialing boards and associations are important to this general process.
The current approach to the curriculum or program should be analyzed in detail
to highlight strengths and weaknesses. It is important to maintain the successful
components of the educational program or activity while addressing needed changes
or revisions to the less helpful aspects of the curriculum. Developing an outline of
the ideal curriculum or educational program can be a good initial step, recognizing
that some of these objectives may not be attainable or realistic due to educational
equipment, educator, and financial resources. However, from this framework, gaps
between the ideal educational program and the reality of the available resources
allow development of best options for teaching strategies and methods.
Other groups may also have a vested interest in the development of an appropriate
educational curriculum and thereby contribute to the needs assessment process. For
example, there is a perceived need for formal urology training guidelines by the
Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and they in turn
look to the Urology Residency Review Committee (RRC) to create these training
parameters. This has led to the development of the Urology Milestones project which
is a joint initiative between the ACGME and the American Board of Urology (ABU)
[ 5 ]. Ultimately the ABU defines the specific competencies required for subspecialty
training in urology and sets qualifying examinations to determine if candidates achieve
proficiency in these areas of knowledge and skill. It is the required competencies which
provide a basic road map for urology curriculum development. The Urology Milestones
project considers the education of the urologist in five categorical levels.
E.M. McDougall and B. Schwartz