Underestimated Challenges Adopting the Conceptual Approach.

Although faculty have the best of intentions when a concept-based curriculum is developed and implemented, this process requires more than just designing a curriculum based on concepts. The full benefit of a concept-based curriculum occurs when faculty adopt conceptual teaching methods, where the roles and expectations of instructor and learner are different than in a traditional paradigm of teaching. Within the structure of a concept-based curriculum, conceptual teaching translates to conceptual learning and conceptual thinking. The term conceptual approach captures this comprehensive focus and is the preferred way to think about the process.