Equality and Non-Discrimination in Curriculum Development

Promoting equality and non-discrimination is an integral part of high-quality, responsible, and accessible higher education. In curriculum development, the objective is to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to learn, participate, influence, and demonstrate their competence, regardless of their background, life situation, or personal characteristics. Equality and non-discrimination are part of Jamk’s commitment to responsibility, social sustainability, quality development, and a community-oriented culture.

What should be considered when designing a degree programme?

Who is the curriculum designed for?

• Are students’ diverse backgrounds, life situations, and learning needs taken into account?
• Have students been involved in the curriculum development process?
• Does the curriculum support equal opportunities for all students to participate and progress in their studies?
• Are stereotypes and one-sided perspectives avoided in teaching content, learning materials, and examples?

What kind of professionals does the degree programme develop?

• Do the programme learning outcomes include the ability to work effectively in diverse work communities?
• Does the programme help students learn to identify and promote equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, and accessibility in their professional practice?
• Are discipline-specific issues related to equality, ethics, and responsibility recognised and addressed?

What should be considered when designing courses?

• Enable learning and demonstration of competence for diverse learners
• Design teaching, learning materials, and learning environments to be accessible.
• Use appropriate and flexible learning and assessment methods.
• Apply clear and transparent assessment criteria.
• Take individual study arrangements and students’ diverse needs into account.
• Examine content from a diversity perspective
• Use examples, materials, and viewpoints that reflect the diversity of working life and society.
• Consider different genders, languages, cultures, life situations, and functional abilities.
• Identify and avoid content that reinforces stereotypes.
• Pay attention to the ethical use of artificial intelligence and potential biases that may lead to discrimination in teaching and learning materials.

Checklist for Curriculum Development

• Students’ diverse backgrounds and needs have been considered in the curriculum.
• The programme learning outcomes support equitable and responsible professional practice.
• Learning materials, examples, and learning assignments represent diverse perspectives.
• Teaching, learning environments, and assessment are accessible and as barrier-free as possible.
• Students have equal opportunities to demonstrate their competence.
• Students have been involved in curriculum development.
• Perspectives related to equality, non-discrimination, and inclusion have been incorporated into the development of programme quality and responsibility.

Reflection Questions for Curriculum Development

Take a moment to reflect:

• Who can recognise themselves in the course examples, learning materials, and descriptions of working life?
• Do students have more than one appropriate way to learn and demonstrate their competence?
• How does the curriculum support students’ ability to work in diverse professional communities?
• How are equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, and accessibility reflected in the programme learning outcomes?