Adapting Scenario-based Curriculum Materials to Community College Technical Courses

Abstract

Community college educators seek to infuse their workforce courses with more “real world” activities. This 3-year case study examined how 7 instructors and 78 students in California and Texas responded to the changes involved in implementing one type of reform program—the scenario-based curriculum (Schank, 1997 Schank , R. ( 1997 ). Virtual learning: A revolutionary approach to building a highly skilled workforce . New York : McGraw-Hill . [Google Scholar]). The study shows that the curriculum challenged both instructors' and students' conceptions of technical course instruction. It also showed that they could embrace this curriculum's blend of professional skills and technical education if it was adapted to help them manage teamwork, understand learning goals, and gauge the quality of students' professional and technical performance.