Course Design, Assessment and Evaluation



Overview

Educational strategies to develop a course and design assessment of learning and evaluation.

This module provides an overview of the principles of curriculum development in medical education and the critical issues in course design and assessment, with a focus on implementation at the course/module level, the coherent planning of learning activities, and evaluation of teaching and learning. Through a mixture of lectures, individual and group activities, students will learn to summarise the steps taken in the process of course design, discuss the options available at each stage, and apply their learning to the design of a new module or course.

Whilst this module is offered as a short course it should be noted that it also sits within the MSc in EBHC Teaching and Education and the PgCert in Teaching Evidence-based Health Care programme and as such there is an emphasis and focus on the broader principles of course design, assessment and evaluation in the context of this specific topic area. 

The last date for receipt of complete applications is 5pm Friday, 25th April 2025. Regrettably, late applications cannot be accepted.

This course will enable students to:

  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principles of course design and curriculum development
  • Design a module/course, and individual sessions, demonstrating an appropriate selection of teaching, feedback and assessment strategies
  • Assess factors that influence course design
  • Critically evaluate the different educational approaches to curriculum development
  • Summarise the steps that should be undertaken in the process of course design and the discuss the options available at each stage
  • Critically analyse the various components of a course, including educational philosophy/strategy, rationale, content, organisation, implementation, assessment and evaluation

Programme details

This module is run over a thirteen week cycle using a Virtual Learning Environment where the first week is spent working on introductory activities, then there are eight weeks of online teaching (this takes place on the dates advertised), which are designed to help you write your assignment. You then have 4 weeks of personal study and you will be required to submit your assignment electronically the following week (usually on a Tuesday at 14:00 UK Local Time).

 

Fees

Description Costs
New Students enrolled on PGCert Teaching EBHC £2570.00
New Students enrolled on the MSc in EBHC Teaching and Education £2570.00
Short Course in Health Sciences £3175.00

Funding

Details of funding opportunities, including grants, bursaries, loans, scholarships and benefit information are available on our financial assistance page.

Discounts

If you are an employee of the University of Oxford and have a valid University staff card you may be eligible to receive a 10% discount on the full stand-alone fee. To take advantage of this offer please submit a scan/photocopy of your staff card along with your application. Your card should be valid for a further six months after attending the course.

Tutors

Dr David Nunan

Module Coordinator

David Nunan is Director of the MSc EBHC (Teaching and Education) and Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care awards. He has a central role in the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine’s teaching and education activities at undergraduate (Oxford medical school) and postgraduate level. His research interests include meta-epidemiology, research bias, nonpharmacological interventions for chronic disease, primary care and public health and medical education. He is a Fellow of Kellogg College.

Dr Adrian Stokes

Module Coordinator

Dr Adrian Stokes is Fellow Emeritus at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. He was Director of the CPD Centre, Graduate School and Interim Director of the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford until his retirement in 2022. His previous post was as Director of Masters Programmes and Continuing Professional Development at the Institute of Clinical Education, Warwick Medical School, with overall responsibility for a wide range of educational programmes including diabetes care, trauma and orthopaedic surgery, child health, public health, psychiatry, palliative care, dentistry, medical leadership and medical education. 

Assessment methods

Assessment will be based on submission of a written assignment which should not exceed 4,000 words.

Academic Credit

Applicants may take this course for academic credit. The University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education offers Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points for this course. Participants attending at least 80% of the taught course and successfully completing assessed assignments are eligible to earn credit equivalent to 20 CATS points which may be counted towards a postgraduate qualification.

Applicants can choose not to take the course for academic credit and will therefore not be eligible to undertake the academic assignment offered to students taking the course for credit. Applicants cannot receive CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points or equivalence. Credit cannot be attributed retrospectively. CATS accreditation is required if you wish for the course to count towards a further qualification in the future.

A Certificate of Completion is issued at the end of the course.

Applicants registered to attend ‘not for credit’ who subsequently wish to register for academic credit and complete the assignment are required to submit additional information, which must be received one calendar month in advance of the course start date. Please contact us for more details.

Please contact cpdhealth@conted.ox.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Application

This course requires you to complete the application form and to attach a copy of your CV. If you are applying to take this course for academic credit you will also be required to provide a reference. Please note that if you are not applying to take the course for academic credit then you do not need to submit a reference.

Please ensure you read the guidance notes which appear when you click on the symbols as you progress through the application form, as any errors resulting from failure to do so may delay your application.

Selection criteria

To apply for the course you should:

  • Be a graduate or have successfully completed a professional training course
  • Have professional work experience in the health service or a health-related field
  • Be able to combine intensive classroom learning with the application of the principles and practices of evidence-based health care within the work place
  • Have a good working knowledge of email, internet, word processing and Windows applications (for communications with course members, course team and administration)
  • Show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and an employer's commitment to make time available to study, complete course work and attend course and university events and modules
  • Be able to demonstrate English Language proficiency at the University’s higher level. 

IT requirements

Please ensure that you have access to a computer that meets the specifications detailed on our technical support page.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support