Summary
The architecture of the curriculum of the various programmes at Fontys ICT has been redesigned and is valid from cohort 2019-2020. Important starting points are synchronisation of the various forms of implementation and flexibility for students. The architecture, learning outcomes, teaching methods and assessment will be explained in more detail.

The project group Curriculum Architecture (CA) has designed a future-proof curriculum architecture with input from the organisation. The project group understands curriculum architecture: the overall design of the different study programmes offered by Fontys ICT . Flexibility and synchronisation of the curriculum in all its implementation forms are an important starting point. We aim to make education more flexible in order to meet the varied demands of students and the labour market. Fontys ICT finds it important that every student can study in a way that suits him or her. This does not mean that it should be more flexible for all students, but that students who need it and are able to do so should be able to deal with their educational programme in a more flexible way.

Fontys ICT wants to offer the student flexibility in different ways:¹⁾

• Flexibility in teaching method. The student can choose a teaching method that suits him or her and switch between them at different times of the study.
• Contents. The student also chooses a content that suits him or her; choice of different profiles, specialisations or (from semester 2) own learning outcomes via the teaching method Open Learning.

In addition to offering flexibility, synchronisation of the curriculum in all its implementation forms is an important starting point for a future-proof curriculum architecture. It is particularly important that the curricula for international students and Dutch students are 'aligned', so that 'internationalisation at home' is possible in the main phase.

The draft was laid down in a management decision ²⁾.

The following principles apply to curriculum architecture:

• Size/level (ECs): In the new curriculum architecture, each unit of study is described in units of 30 EC (with the exception of units of study in the Accelerated programme ICT & Software Engineering).
• The current profiles: ICT & Business, ICT & Infrastructure, ICT & Media Design, ICT & Software Engineering and ICT & Technology
• Within Fontys ICT, four teaching methods will be supported: demand-based learning, course-based learning, research-based learning and open learning.
• Semesterly switching between the different types of teaching methods is standard after each semester.
• From semester 2 it is possible to opt for the open teaching method.
• Outflow profile of the unit of study: the level of a unit of study is expressed in terms of the HBO-i matrix.
• Learning outcomes describe the outflow profile of the unit of study and are the same for course-based and demand-based.
• Admission profile: the admission profile of the units of study is defined, so that students can make the transition from an open semester to a demand-based, course-based or research-based semester.
• Summative assessment takes place by means of an integral portfolio assessment and is organised independently on the basis of learning paths. This means that the assessment is designed in such a way that it can take place independently of the implementation form or teaching method. The content of the portfolio is determined by the learning outcomes. In the case of the open teaching method, the student determines this; in the case of the other teaching methods, this is determined by the study programme.
• Formative assessment is part of the learning process and therefore depends on the learning path.
• The broad AD-ICT is conducted in the demand-based teaching method, in Tilburg and Eindhoven.
• Semester 3 becomes a profile semester and semester 4 a specialisation semester.
• The implementation of Education for Professionals (Bachelor and broad AD) will follow one year later (implementation autumn 2020). Open badges and micro credentials play a role in this education.
• Broad orientation on ICT in the first semester: all professions in the broad ICT work field, all 5 layers of architecture, but also orientation on talent, professionalism, social aspects, ethics.
• One HBO-ICT internship and graduation for students (instead of one internship/graduation per profile or specialisation), the student gets acquainted with the professional practice that matches his/her chosen learning pathway.
• Internship takes place in semester 5 and graduation in semester 8.
• For internship/graduation, the student can choose between: external company or institution, a Fontys ICT research group or own company.
• The internship and graduation must take place in a fundamentally different working environment.
• Both the profiles and the specialisations guarantee the final level of the study programme.
• The education must be practicable. This is verified by the Management team (MO).

On the basis of the principles under paragraph 2, the Curriuculum development committee (OO) has developed an architecture. Below is an overview (picture, schematically represented in Figure 1, and links) of the different study programme structures.

• Bachelor Full-time;
  

Figure 1
Schematic representation of the Bachelor Full-time study programme structure .

• Accelerated programme ICT & Software Engineering;
• Brede AD full-time;
• Education for Professionals (OvP).

All students start with the first semester in which they are taught the Fontys ICT way of training. In this semester, the students focus on the ICT working area and the different profiles.

After the first semester, the student chooses one of the profiles (B, M, S, T, I) and whether he wants to continue his studies in the Bachelor or Associate Degree. During the propaedeutic phase (OE1 and OE2), a demand-based teaching method is offered in Dutch and a course-based teaching method in English. The student can choose to switch teaching methods after semester 1.

After the propaedeutic phase, education is offered in English (to promote internationalisation at home). Policy in this respect: English if necessary, Dutch if possible; material is always in English, individual contact appropriate and according to the preference of individual lecturer and student.

In the bachelor's (full-time variant) from the propaedeutic phase, students can change teaching method after each unit of study, and in addition to the course-based and demand-based variant, they can also opt for the open teaching method. In semester 4 the students from the course-based and demand-based teaching methods come together in a specialisation semester.

In semester 5 the student does an internship, this is an HBO-ICT internship that is not bound to any profiles or specialisations. The student gets acquainted with the professional practice that suits his/her chosen learning pathway and carries out an internship assignment independently. The student can do an internship at an external company or institution, at an Fontys CT research group or at his/her own company. This also applies to the graduation in semester 8. The internship and graduation must take place in a fundamentally different working environment. Additional conditions have been drawn up for the “in-own- company” and “at an Fontys ICT research group” implementation options.

Semesters 6 and 7 are both offered in the teaching method research-based learning. In semester 6 (spring semester), if the admission criteria are met, the student can choose from various profiles, a minor or an open learning semester. In semester 7 (autumn semester), the student can - if he meets the admission criteria - choose a specialisation, a minor or an open learning semester. Once a minor is chosen in semester 6, the student can only choose a specialisation semester or an open learning semester in semester 7. In case of nominal advancement, the September intake always follows first semester 6 and then semester 7. The February intake always follows first semester 7 and then semester 6. Both the profiles, the specialisations and the open learning semester guarantee the final level of the study programme.

A pre-master's course is regarded as an external minor. For the pre-master at TU/e, the condition is that the student has obtained academic preparation in S4. For Tilburg University (TiU) and JADS, this requirement does not apply. If the specialisation Education (EDU) is chosen in S7, the condition is that the student completes the basic profile or meets the intended final level via open learning, because EDU in itself does not offer level 3 within the HBO-i framework.

It is possible for students to study a specialisation or a profile, because the student does different semesters in that direction. This profile or specialisation will then be leading. The diploma variant per profile or specialisation is phased out and replaced by an appendix to the diploma supplement.³⁾

Research certainly plays an important role in the higher semesters. A specialisation Academic Preparation and a Accelerated programme ICT & Software Engineering remain possible within the curriculum architecture. The student has the possibility to combine two semesters in semester 5-8 (for example, semester 6 and 7 through Open learning), whereby the student acts in at least two different contexts in S5-8 and remains within the same context for a maximum of one year. Both semesters must be assessed separately.

A student's study programme is a sequence of units of study of 30 EC each. This is the maximum legally permitted size. We want to work with the largest possible units:

• The student is then very anxious to make it all at once. After all, not achieving it will inevitably lead to a delay in your studies;
• The assessment will then take place over a longer period of time (longitudinal). The limited number of summative tests enables a development-oriented approach and a more integral, holistic summative assessment;
• It gives more freedom when changing the study programme. The large units of education are laid down in the education and examination regulations. The amount of educational activities that take place within these units of study is laid down in the programme guid(es) (which can be adapted more often).

Each unit of study has an entrance level and an exit level that are defined in terms of professional knowledge and skills. The exit level of the last unit of study, the graduation, determines the profile of the study programme.

The entrance level of a unit of study is - just like the exit level - expressed in the proficiency level of professional tasks from the HBO-i matrix, which the student must have demonstrated in the previous unit of study. The entry level of the first semester are the admission requirements as stated in the OER (Havo, MBO4 or 21+ test).

Learning outcomes are linked to a unit of study. By achieving the learning outcomes, the student demonstrates that he/she fulfils the professional duties.

During the study programme, students will work on professional tasks from the HBO-i framework. For this purpose, the following division has been made:

• In semester 1 and 2 students work on professional duties and PO-skills on proficiency level 1;
• In the semesters 3, 4 and 5 students work on professional duties and PO-skills on proficiency level 2;
• In the semesters 6, 7 and 8 students work on professional duties and PO-skills on proficiency level 3.

The PO-skills of the Bachelor and Associate Degree are based on a different framework. For the Associate degree, the AD-platform of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH) is used and for the Bachelor Degree, the HBO-i framework.

To ensure the final level of education, a student may graduate (master's thesis) if:

For the Bachelor:

• A minimum of 210 credits have been obtained (semester 1 to 7);
• For all competences (Advising - Analysing - Designing - Realising and Manage & Control) and the PO-skills proficiency level 3 has been demonstrated and in 4 other cells proficiency level 2 has been demonstrated. This should be done in an advanced semester of profile or specialisation, or the first open semester after the internship. Competences demonstrated in previous semesters are taken into account.

For the Associate Degree:

• A minimum of 90 credits have been obtained (semester 1 to 3);
• For all competences (Advising - Analysing - Designing - Realising and Manage & Control) and the PO-skills proficiency level 2 has been demonstrated and in 4 other cells level 1 has been demonstrated. This is secured in semester 3 by the study programme structure.

In order to ensure that a student shows sufficient growth each semester, a student works per semester:

• On a minimum of 12 to 15 professional duties from the HBO-i competency framework, of which a maximum of 10 professional tasks have already been demonstrated in a previous semester;
• A previously demonstrated professional duty is always demonstrated again from a different context and/or environment;
• A student has demonstrated a proficiency level if at least half of the professional duties from a cell have been demonstrated.

Learning outcomes are pre-defined in the demand-based teaching method, course-based and research-based teaching method by the study programme and linked to the HBO-i competence framework. In the open teaching method, the student defines his own learning outcomes. Students define their own dynamic competence profile under supervision (exit level). In doing so, they draw up their own criteria for challenges (projects), which contribute to growth within the competence framework.

By a learning outcome we mean the following:

• a description of visible functioning;
• a measurable result of an (independent) learning pathway;
• on the basis of which it can be determined at which level and in which context the qualification has been developed.

For more information on the why of learning outcomes and the formulation of learning outcomes see the Learning outcomes page.

Teaching methods provide structure to student learning pathways as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Overview of four possible teaching methods within the curriculum of Fontys ICT

For more information on these teaching methods, see the page Teaching methods.

If a student wants a combination of learning outcomes that cannot be achieved with course-based, demand-based or research-based education, then this is possible with open education. In the case of open learning, the student may formulate learning outcomes entirely by himself. All teaching methods start from an authentic question or problem and work towards a certain degree of self-regulation that prepares for graduation.

The existing assessment policy will be maintained. For flexible education, however, it is necessary for the assessment organisation to be set up in a flexible manner. This can be done by making assessment independent of the learning pathway. The assessment policy is based on student centred education in which the student is challenged to show as much as possible in the set time and receives feedback on his work regularly and has the opportunity to improve. The development-oriented feedback is linked to the learning pathway that the student follows. The educational activities within a unit of study lead to a portfolio. The portfolio contains products and descriptions that show what the student's contribution has been and what has been validated by the lecturer and provided with feedback. This can result in one or more formative assessment indications in terms of Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Good, Outstanding. More information about portfolio reviews is included in the assessment policy.

The assessment of this portfolio:

• forms the closure of a unit of study, whereby the integral summative assessment is determined (Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Good, Outstanding);
• takes place on the basis of the learning outcomes. These can be determined by the study programme or by the student himself during the course of the study programme (Open Learning);
• leads to a determination of the level achieved or not achieved in terms of the HBO-i matrix. On this basis, admission to other units of study is possible;
• is set up independently of the learning pathway followed by the student.

For more information on advancement, see the wiki page Advancement Full-time Dutch- language.

Principles Bachelor:

• After the propaedeutic phase, the student has access to OE3 (profile) and OE4 (specialisation).
• In order to be able to properly plan the internship preparation process (prognoses, allocation, finding an internship) students receive at least six months prior to the internship, internship permission.
• A student has access to semester 6 and 7 if both semester 4 and 5 are completed and the student meets the admission criteria.
• Admission criteria of semester 6/7 in a profile or specialisation are equal to the exit criteria of semester 3 or 4 of that same profile or specialisation.

Rules:

• A student receives internship permission if semester 3 and an approved internship assignment has been acquired.
• Internship preparation takes place in OE4.
• A student who does not obtain semester 4 can follow semester 4 again immediately or after semester 5.
• A student receives graduation permission if semester 1 to 7 have been obtained and an approved graduation assignment has been acquired.
• Graduation preparation takes place in semester 6/7.

Principles Associate degree:

• The advancement standard is OE1 > OE2 > OE3 > OE4.

Students who started in the current CA (both in Dutch and in English), but who are going to lag behind and therefore end up in the new CA, will be offered a customised semester in which they will be prepared as well as possible for an intake in the new curriculum architecture. The size in EC of this customised programme will correspond to the missing number of EC of the student. With English Stream students this course is offered if they are not admissible for a unit of study that is offered for the last time. Assessment of courses that are no longer taken care of due to the phasing out will be offered twice after the last performance.

• Aanscherpen focus FHICT 20190204 [Letter]. Accessed on 18 February 2018.

• Dochy, F., Berghmans, I, Koenen, A.K. and Segers, M. (2015). High impact learning. Utrecht: Lemma/Boom.

• FHICT. (2016, 13 July) Onderwijsvisie. Accessed on 18 January 2018, from Educational vision.

• Original CA document 'Curriculum Architectuur FHICT 2019 DEF'. Accessed on 18 February 2019.

• Opleidingsplan CA. Accessed on 25 March 2019.