Health science curriculum reform: Outcome evaluation

Th e Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney has recently undertaken signifi cant undergraduate curriculum reform aimed at reducing the number of similar, overlapping units of study and increasing the opportunities for disciplinary mingling at an undergraduate level. Th is paper presents some preliminary fi ndings concerning the impact of curriculum change in the context of a single cross-disciplinary unit of study in introductory research methodology that replaced fi ve similar units taught in a mono-disciplinary format. Th e fi ndings indicate that a signifi cantly higher proportion of students reported satisfaction with the cross-disciplinary unit, although the student outcomes in terms of grades were not signifi cantly diff erent. Within the revised unit, a signifi cantly higher proportion of students who carried out group projects with students from disciplines other than their own reported that they had developed their ability to work with people enrolled in other degree programs. Th ese changes occurred in the context of reduced staff time required for administering several versions of similar units of study.