Name
From Curricular Threading to Knitting: A Novel Approach to Pragmatic
Curricular Alignment in Health Professions Education
Date & Time
Monday, June 8, 2026, 2:08 PM - 2:23 PM
Location Name
Lamar C
Speakers
Authors
Crystalyn R. Richard, University of Texas Medical Branch
Lindsay Allen, University of Texas Medical Branch
James G. Walrath, University of Texas Medical Branch
Presentation Topic(s)
Curriculum
Description
PURPOSE: Poorly aligned curricula increase student cognitive load,
challenge mental health, and undermine learning effectiveness in health
professions education. Educators face mounting pressure to ensure curricular
relevance and integration while balancing heavy workloads. Curricular
threading, the comprehensive alignment of objectives, activities, and
assessments, represents an ideal but time-intensive approach. This work
introduces “curricular knitting” as a pragmatic alternative that achieves
meaningful alignment while minimizing faculty time investment. Using
affective domain content in a hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program
as an exemplar, we present a replicable model for efficiency-focused
curricular improvement.
METHODS: Three faculty members collaboratively mapped affective domain
themes across five selected courses. A structured Excel sheet documented
initial exposure, Krathwohl taxonomy progression, reinforcement points,
instructional modalities, and clinical linkages. The eight-week process
involved independent mapping, collaborative calibration, and pattern analysis
focused on professional identity formation. Faculty time was logged
throughout to quantify resource demands.
RESULTS: Mapping revealed core affective themes with inconsistent
progression across the 3-year DPT program. Collaborative synthesis identified
an average of five additional themes per course not visible during individual
review, demonstrating knitting's diagnostic value. Analysis showed implicit
connections, limited Krathwohl advancement, and themes inadequately preparing
students for clinical affiliations. This misalignment highlighted strategic
realignment needs. The knitting process forged collaborative faculty
development, identifying improvement opportunities and achieving meaningful
reform with manageable investment.
CONCLUSIONS: Curricular knitting, strategic mapping of generalized themes
across courses without granular alignment, offers a time-efficient
alternative to comprehensive threading. This approach supports incremental,
evidence-based improvement while preserving faculty bandwidth, making it
applicable across other health professions programs facing similar
constraints. Particularly valuable for hybrid programs and large-scale
curricula, it establishes foundations for education quality improvement where
full threading is impractical.
challenge mental health, and undermine learning effectiveness in health
professions education. Educators face mounting pressure to ensure curricular
relevance and integration while balancing heavy workloads. Curricular
threading, the comprehensive alignment of objectives, activities, and
assessments, represents an ideal but time-intensive approach. This work
introduces “curricular knitting” as a pragmatic alternative that achieves
meaningful alignment while minimizing faculty time investment. Using
affective domain content in a hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program
as an exemplar, we present a replicable model for efficiency-focused
curricular improvement.
METHODS: Three faculty members collaboratively mapped affective domain
themes across five selected courses. A structured Excel sheet documented
initial exposure, Krathwohl taxonomy progression, reinforcement points,
instructional modalities, and clinical linkages. The eight-week process
involved independent mapping, collaborative calibration, and pattern analysis
focused on professional identity formation. Faculty time was logged
throughout to quantify resource demands.
RESULTS: Mapping revealed core affective themes with inconsistent
progression across the 3-year DPT program. Collaborative synthesis identified
an average of five additional themes per course not visible during individual
review, demonstrating knitting's diagnostic value. Analysis showed implicit
connections, limited Krathwohl advancement, and themes inadequately preparing
students for clinical affiliations. This misalignment highlighted strategic
realignment needs. The knitting process forged collaborative faculty
development, identifying improvement opportunities and achieving meaningful
reform with manageable investment.
CONCLUSIONS: Curricular knitting, strategic mapping of generalized themes
across courses without granular alignment, offers a time-efficient
alternative to comprehensive threading. This approach supports incremental,
evidence-based improvement while preserving faculty bandwidth, making it
applicable across other health professions programs facing similar
constraints. Particularly valuable for hybrid programs and large-scale
curricula, it establishes foundations for education quality improvement where
full threading is impractical.