A goal-based framework on contextual requirements modelling for agent-mediated continual quality improvement (aCQI) in curriculum design

Abstract

It is a lecturer's task to ensure that the delivery of a subject complies with the syllabus and curriculum design. In most cases, lecturers have their own way of managing their classes, aided by a personally prepared lesson plan. Usually, the contents of the lesson plans change from one semester to another, either due to a change of the lecturer in charge or improvement in delivery and assessment. These changes, if tactfully traced, could explicitly show the improvement made on the subject, which is beneficial for curriculum design review. Since curriculum review is part of the key performance indicator (KPI) of the Programme Coordinator, who offers the subject, it is necessary to keep track of the changes for better analysis and consideration of improvement in the curriculum. Due to time constraint and possible communication breakdown, it is suggested that a multiagent system is developed to mediate the tasks of the people involved in curriculum design review. Software agents are capable of intelligently performing tasks on behalf of their human counterparts in managing explicit data, information and knowledge. In this paper, the Get-Understand-Share-Connect (GUSC) Model has been adopted due to its potential in guiding the design of the system using the TROPOS methodology. It then presents the results of the transformation from traditional processes at users' personal level to the proposed agent-mediated continual quality improvement (CQI) system design focusing on curriculum design review. The results are applicable to other institutes of higher learning that are managed in a similar organisational structure.