What is Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum?

 

  • Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum is a cross-institution, cross-sector, and cross-disciplinary initiative that aims to support a learner’s academic, personal, and professional development. This website includes various skills-based content and resources that educators can embed in their courses. We believe that Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum will support student mental health, which was the initial motivation for this project. In addition, when educators engage in activities to uncover the hidden curriculum it humanizes learning and makes for more meaningful interactions with students.
  • Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum consists of 54 skills/topics that are categorized into 5 domains: executive function, communication, critical thinking, intra- and interpersonal, and social accountability. Each skill/topic is organized as a module that includes content and resources for both students and educators. The content addresses why it is important for students to develop the skill and how it links with mental health. The resources include strategies educators can share with students, tips for educators when designing and implementing their courses, and activities educators can do with students. The image below depicts the skills/topics and domains that are included in Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum.
  • When navigating the skills/topics, keep in mind that to uncover them is to embed them into teaching and learning spaces in explicit and meaningful ways. Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum supports, and in some cases becomes part of, existing course design and content. This process is a journey and any steps towards it demonstrate a commitment and engagement to students that won’t go unnoticed.
  • All content and resources related to Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum are licensed as Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike.
Circle Chart of all skills part of Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum. Critical Thinking: Asking questions, Brainstorming, cognitive bias, Critical reflection, cultivating creativity, Design thinking, Logical argument formulation, Problem-solving, Thinking outside the box. Executive Function: Evidence-based study skills, Goal setting, Identifying misinformation, Note-taking, Overcoming overwhelm, Perfection paralysis, Prioritization, Project and team charters, Project management, Time management. Social Accountability: Accessibility, Cultural awareness, Equity, Indigenization and decolonization, Privilege, Racial justice. Intra & Interpersonal: Academic entitlement, Emotional intelligence, Empathy, Imposter syndrome, Knowing your strengths, Leadership, Opposing Views, Personal growth and development, Reframing failure, Self-advocacy, Self-awareness, Self-care, Self-promotion, Working with others. Communication: Active listening, Audience engagement, Audience identification, Difficult conversations, Digital literacy, Giving and receiving feedback, Networking, Online communication, Online professionalism, Outlining drafting and editing, Public speaking, Reading comprehension, Summarizing and synthesizing, Writer's block.