Implementation of ABC Learning Design for curriculum development in an African context

This paper reflects an interest and effort in reforming higher education (HE) study programmes through
ensuring curricula that are highly relevant to Africa's modern economic and social needs, thus equipping
graduates with skills and competences for employability and self-employment.
The context of the paper is the EU funded Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project EEIS-HEA, which has the
overall aims of firstly, developing study programmes which are aligned with local, national and regional
needs and secondly, integrating entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability into curricula that are
delivered with the use of e-learning through student-centred learning approaches, such as, problem
based learning. The project is based on cooperation between HE Institutions in East and West Africa and
in the EU.

The ABC Learning Design (ABC LD) is a toolkit developed for curriculum revision at course level, but in
this case, it was modified to a study-programme level. ABC LD enables a high level of engagement,
creative informed dialogue and group reflection on curriculum design among time- prioritising
academics. Empirically, this study is based on observations, reflection journals, surveys and focus-group
interviews with participants from different ABC LD workshops conducted in five East and West African
universities.

The aim of this paper is to investigate to what degree the ABC LD is applicable in an African context as a
tool for instigating a problem-based learning (PBL) approach within subjects such as Entrepreneurship
and Innovation, and Sustainability. The end goal will be new practical knowledge on the applicability of
the ABC LD toolkit and recommendations for further development to fit a PBL approach in an African
context.