Thinking about curriculum for university based paramedic programs: linking theory and practice

Paramedic science is rapidly emerging as a separate profession, with professional registration a likely requirement in the near future. Historically, paramedic education has been situated in the VET sector and focused on competency-based education, reflecting in part Tyler’s (1949) objectives-based model of curriculum design. As paramedic education moves into the domain of university academia, it may be time to look beyond such models; hence we propose a new paradigm, where graduates are suitably equipped to lead this new profession in ways beyond skills competency. This presentation will outline the repositioning of one paramedic science curriculum, from a product model to a partnership of inquiry. The new strategy is informed by a combination of approaches: social constructivism, connectivism, experiential learning models, transformational learning and threshold concepts, all brought together with the intention of increasing collaboration and what Grundy (1987) calls ‘emancipation’. As Lidstone (2011) suggests, innovation in curriculum means being more critical, being open, being able to engage with greater complexity, and being able to learn from the past in order to manage the future. A critical approach to curriculum is a required foundation for person centred health care that supports the emancipation rather than the manipulation of patients which in turn can improve patient outcomes and clinician satisfaction (Delany and Molloy, 2009, p28). Similar to Cousin in Land et al (2008, p268) and Cousin (2010), the proposed approach to curriculum is neither student nor teacher centred but a partnership in inquiry into disciplinary concerns