The Development and Implementation of a Competency-Focused Curriculum in Health and Exercise Sciences
Authors: MacNutt Meaghan , Connon Hannah , Sasso John , Forneris Tanya , Dumanoir Greg , Whitaker Gina 
Published: May 2024

Historically, undergraduate programs in Health and Exercise Sciences (i.e. Kinesiology) are rooted in common areas such as physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, motor control, psychology, nutrition, and rehabilitation. A typical four-year program offers a general education across these areas often delivering a breadth of knowledge in many areas, albeit often lacking in transferable technical skill that relates to industry. With many graduates now pursuing advanced training in professional programs there is a need to develop more competency-focused curricula to better prepare students for entry into professional fields. Further, overburdened healthcare systems worldwide combined with an ageing population find themselves with a gap in service delivery, given the growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of high-quality exercise training in the prevention, treatment and management of chronic conditions. In 2018, following feedback from provincial ministries, the University Senate, faculty, students, and community partners, the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia Okanagan underwent a strategic review. This review led to the development of a professionally focused, competency-based program, now known as the Bachelor of Health and Exercise Sciences. Within this program are three concentrations geared towards developing knowledge and skills in differing areas dependent on student interest and desired career path: Kinesiology and Allied Health, Health Behaviour Change, and Clinical Exercise Physiology. The development of the revised curriculum involved crucial components such as defining new program and concentration level learning outcomes, competency profiles, definitions, progressions, and practical assessment strategies. Additionally, each concentration integrates a community practicum designed to enhance mastery of competencies within a professional setting. Establishing these practicums necessitates ongoing collaborative efforts with both existing and new community partners, the formulation of standards, and the implementation of a process to ensure students possess a baseline skill level before engaging with the community. A substantial challenge in the revised curriculum is the instruction of technical skills in a lab environment, as well as effective practical skill assessment that meets industry standards, for upwards of 200 students. To this end a great deal of planning was required from a resources standpoint, onboarding of new faculty with industry experience, as well as alignment with pre-existing certifying bodies including the American College of Sports Medicine, Exercise & Sport Science Australia, and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Looking to the future we anticipate both challenges and opportunities as we continue to redefine professional competencies and remap them throughout the curriculum to enhance skill progression and ensure our graduates are fit for purpose. Further, we are excited to continue to work alongside provincial entities and existing certifying bodies as we look toward the professionalization of the field. Lastly, but up utmost importance, is the dissemination of our process to other organizations and institutions in hopes to build momentum in the quickly evolving academic and professional landscape of Health and Exercise Sciences.

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This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.