How to Design a Higher Education Program Without Violating Education Law

Contents:

• Stage 1. Analysis
• Stage 2. Design
• Stage 3. Development
• Stage 4. Individualization of the curriculum

For several years, I worked at various universities in Moscow and noticed a negative trend. Many methodologists focus primarily on ensuring that their documentation, including curricula, work programs, assessment tools, and other methodological materials, meet technical requirements. However, they have no time to develop, implement, or improve the quality of their curricula. This leads to stagnation in the educational process and a decrease in its effectiveness. The need for a systematic approach to creating and updating curricula is becoming increasingly important.

I became familiar with modern methods of designing educational programs and understood how to effectively integrate current learning concepts while adhering to the technical requirements and standards of the Federal State Educational Standards (FSES).

When designing educational programs, the proven ADDIE model is typically used, which includes five key stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. These stages allow for a systematic approach to creating an educational program, ensuring its effectiveness and meeting student needs. Each stage of the ADDIE model plays an important role in creating a high-quality educational product, from needs analysis to learning outcomes assessment. The use of this model contributes to the creation of programs that can improve educational processes and achieve set goals.

At Skillbox, we tailor higher education based on the ADDIE model, but with our unique characteristics in mind. In this article, we will examine in detail the three key stages of the ADDIE model: analysis, design, and development. We will also highlight our fourth additional stage, which is not included in the standard ADDIE model: the creation of individual educational trajectories. This allows us to offer students a more personalized approach and take into account their unique needs and goals.

Stage 1. Analysis

For successful project implementation, it is important to carefully study the client's needs and requests. This will help determine key goals and expectations, as well as identify specific requirements that may impact implementation. Understanding the client's needs helps create a product that meets their expectations and contributes to the achievement of business goals. The primary focus should be on active engagement with the client, which will allow us to clarify details and propose optimal solutions.

The client of an educational program may be a partner university with which a bachelor's or master's degree is offered, as is the case with Skillbox. The client may also be a structural division of the university, contacting its own methodologist to develop a new program. It is important that cooperation between universities and their partners contributes to the creation of relevant and in-demand educational courses that meet the modern requirements of the labor market.

Study the key aspects of the subject area. Understanding the fundamentals and details will help you gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Explore current trends, problems, and solutions that exist in this field. Analyze existing research and practices to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject. This will allow you not only to expand your knowledge but also to apply it in practice to achieve better results. Immersion in the subject area is an important step for professional growth and development.

When developing a new higher education program, it is important to thoroughly analyze existing articles and publications in the field. These can include both academic and journalistic materials, as well as publications in the media and social media. Such analysis will help you gain context, understand current trends in the labor market, and identify prospects for graduates. It is essential for identifying in-demand skills in a specific professional field, which will allow students to prepare for market demands and successfully adapt after graduation.

Target audience and market analysis is a key step in developing an effective promotion strategy. Understanding the needs, interests, and behavior of your target audience allows you to create more relevant offers and improve customer engagement. Research the demographic characteristics, preferences, and key challenges of your audience. It is also important to study current market trends and competitors to identify opportunities for growth and development. This comprehensive approach will help you adapt your products or services, enhance their appeal, and increase sales. Effective target audience and market analysis not only improves customer understanding but also contributes to the creation of successful marketing campaigns.

The program's target audience includes the students and their needs, while the market represents the professional environment that students will enter after completing their studies. The program is designed to prepare specialists who meet the demands of the modern labor market and incorporates the relevant skills and knowledge needed for a successful career.

Work with your producer to develop a unique selling proposition (USP). This will help differentiate your product or service from the competition and attract the attention of your target audience. Your USP should clearly communicate the benefits of your offering, its unique characteristics, and its value to consumers. Open up new business opportunities by creating an engaging and memorable message that will resonate with your customers.

Make your program stand out from existing competitors in the market.

Defining learning objectives and outcomes is a key step in the educational process. Clearly formulated objectives help direct the efforts of students and instructors, creating a clear structure for achieving the necessary knowledge and skills. Learning outcomes serve as a benchmark for assessing the success of educational programs and help determine the competencies students should achieve. Effectively set objectives provide motivation, promote a deeper understanding of the material, and improve overall academic performance. A systematic approach to formulating learning objectives and outcomes also contributes to improving the quality and effectiveness of the educational process.

When developing a curriculum, it is necessary to rely on labor market research and expert recommendations. The more clearly defined the objectives, the easier it will be to formulate the program structure and tasks for the instructor. This will lead to a higher quality educational process and a better match with the needs of students and employers.

At this stage, it is critical to define methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the educational program to ensure alignment between the developer's vision and the expectations of the client and students. In the modern context of higher education, a competency-based approach prevails, in which learning outcomes are relevant not only within the educational system but also in the professional activities of graduates. This implies the need to begin designing an educational program with a thorough labor market analysis.

This stage is the most time-consuming, but ignoring it or implementing it poorly will negatively impact subsequent stages. As a result, the entire process may prove ineffective or produce unsatisfactory results. It is important to devote sufficient time and attention to this stage to ensure the successful completion of the entire process.

Stage 2. Design

When developing software, it is impossible to do without interviews with experts or groups of specialists representing the labor market. This includes potential employers and experienced colleagues of students in our educational program. The competency-based approach mentioned earlier assumes that program graduates will have the competencies required by employers. This ensures that the educational process meets current market requirements and increases the competitiveness of graduates.

The study is aimed at creating a map of the competencies necessary for a graduate's successful career in the future.

Questions for experts when developing a competency map

Creating a competency map requires an in-depth analysis and understanding of the key skills and knowledge necessary for success in a particular field. To do this, it is important to ask experts a series of questions that will help identify relevant competencies.

What skills are critical for your industry? What knowledge is needed to successfully complete tasks? What are the main trends and changes in your field that may impact the required competencies? What are the most common mistakes made by specialists in your field? What methodologies and tools do you consider the most effective for your work?

These questions will help gather valuable information and create a detailed and relevant competency map that will serve as a guide for professionals and organizations seeking to develop and improve efficiency.

• What will be the main value of today's student when they become a specialist in a company?
• What will make them a valuable employee - profit for the company, creativity, the ability to create something new, change the company, or conform to traditions and preserve them?
• What should a future specialist be able to do to provide this value? How should his work differ from the work of his colleagues for the company to consider him competitive?
• What are the responsibilities of a future specialist? What types of tasks should he be able to perform to achieve a good result?
• What knowledge, skills, and abilities does he need to cope with these tasks?
• What tools should he possess for this?
• What should a future specialist understand about the specifics of the profession in order to independently cope with other tasks?
• What soft skills should he possess?

When interacting with experts, it is important to take into account the Federal State Educational Standards (FSES). This will allow you to compare the competencies specified in the standard with those identified in the research. This approach ensures that the educational process meets modern requirements and helps in the formation of high-quality educational programs.

According to the Federal State Educational Standards (FSES), competencies are classified into several categories. These categories help determine the level of knowledge and skills necessary for the successful completion of professional tasks. Each competency includes a set of skills and knowledge that students must master during the training process. The main focus is on the development of universal, general professional, and professional competencies, which contributes to the preparation of qualified specialists ready to work in a modern environment.

• universal (UC);
• general professional (GPC);
• professional (PC).

Curricula and educational programs are formed on the basis of Federal State Educational Standards (FSES), which define mandatory components, such as general competencies (GC) and general professional competencies (GPC). In contrast, professional competencies (PC) are developed by the university itself. The educational program details a list of competencies, which are skills that a graduate must master upon completion of training, as well as their characteristics, which helps ensure that the educational process meets the requirements of the labor market and modern standards.

The curriculum and educational program (CEP) include a list of competencies corresponding to a specific program. Each discipline contributes to the development of certain competencies necessary for the successful mastery of the material and the application of knowledge in practical activities.

Stage 3. Development

At this stage, it is necessary to develop the curriculum for the educational program. For this, it is important to use the research results collected in the previous stages. These data will help ensure that the program meets the current requirements and expectations of the target audience. The curriculum will become the basis for the successful implementation of the educational program and improve its effectiveness.

The curriculum is a structured list of academic disciplines and practical training, as well as the sequence of their study within the educational process. It includes information on which semester and which discipline is studied, how many hours are allocated to each of them, and what forms of assessment are used (credit, credit with a grade, or exam). A well-designed curriculum helps students effectively manage their time and focus on important aspects of learning, which in turn facilitates successful mastery of the course material.

The curriculum is formed based on the research and analysis conducted during the previous stages of educational experience design. Studying articles and publications provides insight into the professional and industry context. Competitor analysis helps create a unique selling proposition for our educational program, and market and job research helps identify the key skills needed for future graduates to succeed. This ensures high-quality education and alignment with employer needs.

• Decide on the field of study and level of education (bachelor's, specialist, master's).
• Rely on the research conducted in stage 1, especially regarding competitor analysis. Reviewing curricula for similar programs is always useful. There's nothing wrong with taking a peek at how someone else's course is structured. At the very least, you can understand what it shouldn't look like (if your competitors' program seems unsuccessful to you), and if you're lucky, you can catch a useful insight and come up with a profitable USP.
• Draft the curriculum in separate large blocks - something like a prototype or a blueprint for the future program.

At this stage, it is recommended to refer to the Federal State Educational Standard or study the educational standard of your university, if it has one. This will help you clarify the list of mandatory courses included in the core part of the curriculum.

• Collect the curriculum indicating the names of the courses, the number of credits, and the number of hours allocated for each course.

A credit is a measure of time allocated for the study of a specific course within an educational program. The complexity of the subject and the amount of information it includes directly affect the number of hours required to master it. The more complex and demanding the subject, the more time students will need to deeply understand and master the material.

When developing the curriculum, it is important to consider the logic of the program structure. The optimal solution is to create a diagram to help visualize the structure. We recommend using tools such as Miro or other convenient visualization programs. This will not only allow the methodologist to better organize the material but also allow experts to easily understand and evaluate the proposed curriculum structure. Visualization facilitates more effective communication and collaboration among all participants in the process.

The curriculum consists of three key components. The first element is the course content, which defines the materials and topics to be covered. The second element is teaching methods, including the approaches and strategies used to convey knowledge. The third element is performance assessment, which measures the level of material assimilation and student success. All these elements are interconnected and contribute to the creation of an effective educational program that ensures high-quality learning.

• The core part includes disciplines and practical training that develop both universal and mandatory professional competencies. This part includes mandatory disciplines listed in the Federal State Educational Standard (FSES), such as philosophy, foreign language, history, life safety, and physical education. This part of the curriculum also includes disciplines that form the foundation of a future profession. They develop general professional competencies and serve as a foundation or springboard for the study of highly specialized subjects (for example, discrete mathematics and the theory of algorithms are core subjects for the Applied Informatics program).
• The optional part—here, building on the foundation laid in the first part, several possible specializations (focuses) are created. The track for each specialization is built on grades: the training program within a specific specialization gradually becomes more complex. Students can choose a specific specialization or explore several specializations at a basic level.
• Electives are elective courses that students can choose to study. Electives allow for a more personalized educational trajectory. At Skillbox, we typically offer three types of such courses in each higher education program.

Electives are additional classes that help students deepen their knowledge and develop skills in specific areas. There are different types of electives, which can be categorized by topic and format.

Popular electives include courses in foreign languages, where students can improve their communication and language comprehension skills. Also in demand are electives in programming and information technology, which help develop technical competencies and prepare students for the demands of the modern labor market.

Other common areas of focus include arts and culture electives, including music, painting, and theater, which foster creative development. Additionally, there are sports- and health-focused electives that promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

Electives can be offered both in-person and online, making them accessible to a wider range of students. Participating in electives not only enriches students' knowledge but also develops personal qualities such as responsibility, self-organization, and critical thinking.

Thus, electives play an important role in the educational process, allowing students to expand their horizons and prepare for future professional activities.

• Additional specialization: the student chooses subjects that are not directly related to his or her specialty.
• Cultural elective: participation in a cultural project (for example: theater, musical group).
• Elective courses in soft skills: this allows you to work on weaknesses that are unique to each student (time management, public speaking, effective communication).

The final plan must be discussed with the client and experts for its approval. After this, we begin creating and filling the content.

Stage 4. Individualization of the Curriculum

An Individualized Educational Trajectory (IET) represents each student's unique path, allowing them to independently choose their academic subjects. This approach promotes the development of specific skills, deepens their knowledge in their chosen specialization, and broadens their overall horizons. IET allows students to tailor the educational process to their interests and career goals, making learning more effective and personalized. As a result, each student has the opportunity to shape their educational program, taking into account the current demands of the labor market and their professional aspirations.

• We design the curriculum so that students can choose either a narrow specialization or a broad profile, that is, master the basic tools of each specialization and decide which direction is closer to them.

In the Bachelor's program in Web Development at RANEPA, students have the opportunity to choose one of three tracks: in-depth study of Python, PHP, or web design. They also have the opportunity to experiment, trying their hand at each of the specializations. Each semester, students can choose courses from different areas, allowing them to acquire a variety of knowledge and skills in the field of web development. This program provides a flexible approach to learning, which helps students adapt to rapidly changing market demands and develop their professional competencies.

Not all educational programs offer the opportunity to choose from various specializations. Master's programs, as a rule, are highly focused. In this context, a single learning track can be more effective. For example, in our joint Master's program with Moscow State Pedagogical University (MSPU), dedicated to training specialists in educational experience design, all students are enrolled in a single track. This ensures in-depth acquisition of the key competencies and knowledge necessary for successful professional work in this field.

• In developing the IET, we adhere to the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard (FSES): the standard stipulates the inclusion of "elective disciplines" in the curriculum, which are used to develop specializations.

Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) should not be perceived as a restriction on freedom in education. On the contrary, with the right approach, FSES can become a powerful tool for promoting the educational process. If you learn to benefit from it, it will work to your advantage, improving the quality of education and promoting effective learning. Applying standards to educational practice can lead to a more structured and focused process, which will ultimately impact student success.

Designing educational programs in higher education is a complex and multifaceted process that requires strict adherence to standards and norms. However, this process always leaves room for creativity: interacting with experts from various fields, developing individual educational trajectories that contribute to the development of competitive specialists in demand in the labor market. This approach helps develop interesting and well-rounded individuals. By participating in the creation of a high-quality educational product, we contribute to positive changes in society and the future of education.

Reading is an important part of our lives. It not only develops thinking but also enriches vocabulary. Books, articles, and blogs help us better understand the world around us and broaden our horizons. It is important to choose high-quality materials that promote learning and self-improvement. Moreover, reading helps relax and take a break from everyday worries. Regular reading can improve concentration and attention, and enhance creativity. Consider creating a list of books or articles you'd like to read. This will help you organize your time and make reading more focused and productive.

• The practice of forming the Federal State Educational Standard based on professional standards will change