SIMPLICITY (including the social emotional dimension of de-implementing)
—
RECEIVE A CALL TO DISCOVER MORE
‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
La semplicita e la perfetta raffinatezza. / Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’
Leonardo Da Vinci
“If you can’t explain it simply,
you don’t understand it well enough”
Albert Einstein
‘It is very simple
to be happy,
but it is very difficult
to be simple.’
Rabindranath Tagore
“You must avoid that the curriculum gets overloaded and all lose sight of its coherence. That’s why we need a regular ‘curriculum cleansing’ - and we do it way too little” Sluijsmans 2023, Openbare les / Accepting her chair University of Applied Science Rotterdam
If you can’t explain it simply,
you don’t understand it well enough.
Albert Einstein
'Ha um gosto de vitoria e encanto na condicao de ser simples.
Nao e preciso muito para ser muito.'
'There is a sense of victory and delight in the condition of being simple.
You don't need a lot to be a lot.'
Lina Bo Bardi / Italian Brazilian architect,
winner Venice Architecture Biennale’s
Special Golden Lion award 2021
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
(...) a time to plant and a time to uproot.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2, a poem read out loud by Waelen in the workshop ‘Opruimen van curricula: ontwerpen van rituelen', [Cleaning up curricula: the design of rituals], Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 13 November 2025
Are you curious for more? Would you like to get in touch? Feel free to contact our lead directly for any questions or inquiries you may have. tikvah@studioblended.com +31 6 42 47 29 69
Imagine you and your team want to introduce innovation to the curriculum. Where can you find the space in the current curriculum, for such innovation? This is a real problem (see e.g. OCW 2019, p. 79-80). And, if budget cuts come, and you must reduce the lenght of your course or degree, or the contact hours, what can guide you in decision-making of what stays and what goes? How can you ensure the various subjects still align well? How do you align the teaching team around the required changes?
One of the ways, is through simplicity and decluttering. However, removing, and cleaning up proves really hard in practice. As the OECD (2020, p. 9) reports: ‘Curriculum reform is one of the most politically sensitive and high‑stakes reforms undertaken in education systems, and resistance to change is often much stronger than the desire to change.‘ Nevertheless, a curriculum is not a static given, it is always evolving, and has it’s seasons, there is a time for everything, and phases come and go as the old makes space for the new.
In our work, following the Social Emotional Dimension (SED) methodology for de-implementation of parts of the curriculum (Waelen et al. 2025, Vrije Universiteit 2025) we realise that with technical curriculum design, models and logic, we can get very far in guiding the process with a teaching team - but we nevertheless never entirely reach the simplicity in the curriculum we want. “There is always a reason why eventually something doesn’t work, and the lean curriculum isn’t realised - and that is the social emotional dimension” (Waelen in Vrije Universiteit 2025). The SED methodology is based on various insights from educational design and processes of change. Rather than seeing merely a technical process, curriculum re-design is also seen as a social emotional journey. The SED methodology helps teams to create space for renewal with attention and base support.
Attention for emotions is emerging in academia. Indeed we see attention for emotions surfacing in disciplines across research and teaching in Higher Education, such as a focus on emotions and affect in transitions which explore affective dimensions of Environmental, Socio-Political and Socio-Technical Change. Let’s have a closer look at the SED methodology for curricula, because it highlights an important aspect that usually remains underexposed.
Actually, curriculum redesign is one of the major reasons overload arises in the curriculum (Boersema 2011 in Waelen 2025, p. 3, OECD 2020, p. 24). A curriculum is never finished after all, it is always in progress. Internal and external trends and stimuli slip in. These include flexibilisation, internationalisation, digitalisation, new forms of assessment, different learning outcomes, new research projects, even ideas that came up in daily practice. But equally emerging needs of society and economy. Yet ‘old objectives are rarely letting go of, whilst new objectives are being added’ (OECD 2020b in Waelen 2025, p. 3).
If you want to uphold quality, you must ensure you review your curriculum on a regular basis. By intentionally promoting the things in your curriculum you value most, and removing anything that distracts from that, you apply the principle of minimalism. As a Studio, we believe such decluttering is one of the ways to achieve ‘simplicity’.
An overloaded curriculum not only leads to ineffective learning (cognitive overload) (Thornby 2023, p. 2), it also negatively impacts your wellbeing as coordinator, and that of your teaching team (e.g. Hamilton et al 2023, OECD 2023). Likewise students feel enormous pressure to perform, and it affects students’ wellbeing and potential burnout (Thornby 2023).
Developing a simple curriculum design is actually hard. Allow us to come alongside and partner with you, to ask good questions and help you move forward. Simplicity is part of our value system and resonates with anyone who embraces the beauty and impact of minimalism.
As OECD (2023, p. 15) reports: ‘A poorly designed curriculum that lacks clear structure and coherence can increase the sense of content overload. When it is difficult to navigate through the curriculum, teachers are more likely to misunderstand its intent and use it ineffectively.’ ‘One of the directions of solutions for enhancing the wellbeing of students and teachers is in creating rest and space in the curriculum’ (Waelen et al. 2025, p. 3).
In various design models, write Waelen et al. (2025, p. 5) ‘there is little to no attention to the act of letting go, or cleaning up educational components that have been used until then, only in Hamilton et al. (2023). Nevertheless, attention for the emotional impact of saying goodbye to content and people doesn’t feature yet in this design model. It seems as if it is selfevident that cleaning up happens with the existing educational design models. After all, when learning objectives, coherence and build-up are visible, what is left over can equally be visibly removed (after Cohen Schotanus et al. 2024 in Waelen et al. 2025, p. 5). Even so, that’s not often what happens in practice’.
Waelen et al. (2025) found inspiration in the science of change (e.g. Boonstra and Dubbeldam 2025, Wielink et al. 2023), in which there is expicit attention for people and their emotions during a change process. Questions that matter here are (after Waelen et al. 2025, p. 6): ‘How do you start to feel like a change? How do you deal with resistance? How can you create a support base?’ Such a perspective can be a really meaningful complementary dimension to educational design. They also found inspiration in the Japanese guru of decluttering the home, Marie Kondo (see e.g. Kondo 2024, 2014).
Wealen et al. (2025) differentiate 4 phases in the process of de-implementing elements of the curriculum. The phases are inspired amongst others by the “cycle of bonding” by George Kohlrieser (2006) or the so-called “transition circle” (Wibe Veenbaas and Piet Weisfelt 2007, Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers 2011, Jakob van Wielink and Leo Wilhelm 2017). For a sustainable change it is important to go through all the phases consciously with a team or with stakeholders. If you rush through them, emotions of a certain phase that are negative, may overrule a positive starters energy and create an unhealthy dynamic.
The phases are (after Wealen et al. 2025, p. 9) the following, and they can be approached in this order, or in any other given order, as suitable for a unique setting. It’s important to spend generous time in each phase, because if you merge phases and try to do it all in one, you get an emotional overkill (Vrije Universiteit 2025, Wealen et al. 2025). These are the phases of the SED methodology (after (Vrije Universiteit 2025, Wealen et al. 2025):
1) the intent or the essence. This centers on getting people to actually be ready for a change. Questions include: who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? What does the world outside demand of us today and in the future? Emotions that belong to this phase are: energy of starting up, longing but also insecurity and a feeling: where is this going into the unkown?
2) Cleaning up and organising. This is a very active phase that involves decision-making and agency: what stays and what must go? Emotions may include fear, freedom, loss, and doubt: is it wise to choose for this? Or even guilt: you choose for one thing, and not for the other. The energy is that of the sword: taking action, choosing, deciding. You may need something to soothe this rigorousness.
3) Saying goodbye. This phase is a lot about remembering. People may be deeply attached to the education they created and delivered for years. This phase therefore focuses on taking a moment to reflect upon the old, and what it brought, bring up beautiful memories, find consolation and comfort. Key questions include: which people from then and now deserve attention? How can we give each other space and support? How do we say goodbye with care? Emotions that come up may include: sadness, anger, a feeling of pointlessness, melancolia. Often time quite uncomfortable for people. Gratefulness for what was, can give a stronghold and ensure a healthy way forward. The attachment that people feel to the education is also a beautiful strenght that can be used positively in embracing the new.
4) Redesign or rearrangement. If the other phases were done properly, and emotions received sufficient space, this should be a positive phase. This is also action oriented. It’s all about putting in place what was thought out, and integration of the old that is here to stay. Key questions include: which new language is fitting to this phase of rearrangement? With connections and order are suitable? How do we celebrate the start of a new situation? Emotions include: hope, connection, insecurity and excitement.
The phases don’t always go neatly in a synchrous way. If you still encounter anger, or resentment, this means that an earlier phase of saying goodbye may have been rushed through too quickly, or not all stakeholders were sufficiently involved in saying goodbye and don’t feel heard, and you’re now in a negative spiral. Saying goodbye actually goes in circles, as people sometimes only realise what is going to change, when it get’s real. Just like with real human loss. Sometimes it’s simply too large to take in in one go. In all these cases, it’s fruitful to take a moment upon realisation, to still give space to these emotions.
Who can guide this process through the 4 phases, whilst you and the team embark on a change process of de-implementing elements, and redesignig a curriculum into simplicity? It can be truly helpful to allow an external independent senior advisor to come alongside and operate as equal partner with you as course or degree coordinator whilst you work on the technical redesign of a curriculum and the four phases of the process of change. It is however unwise to have the same advisor also actually lead the social emotional dimension of the phase of saying goodbye though, because s/he is also advising on what must go out of the curriculum. It is better to have a third party do this.
At STUDIOBlended we work with a so-called ‘fit for purpose framework’ for curriculum design, to ensure the rigorous coherence of your curriculum, and possibilities to go modular. We propose focusing on “big ideas” to avoid an excessive number of subjects or topics within the allotted time (see Breimer 2025 (forthcoming) and also OECD 2023). A process towards such simplicity, includes technical design, and as discussed here, the social emotional dimension of transition in the teaching team and management. Would you like to learn more? Why not read our thinkpiece (forthcoming). Or feel free to call us or send an email: tikvah@studioblended.com
Our design studio
Have a look at our design studio to learn more how you can simplify at a very structural level.
![]()
Have a look at the so-called SED (Social emotional dimension) methodology by the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Curricula are often times getting fuller during redeesign: new content enters, but little disappears. The SED-methodology helps with mindfully taking out and rearranging aspects of the curriculum with an eye for the emotional side of this process. It’s not only about what you take out, but also about how you do that. This helps you to create more calm and overview - for yourself and for your students. In the various phases of this proces it is helpful to work with rituals. This brings us to a challenge: how can you shape a ritual during the educational redesign process?
![]()
Prefer to read? Looking for resources? Transcript
Listen to A) dosage on: Acast Spotify Apple
Release March 20 / June 21 ‘23
In this episode on dosage (A), we tackle the problem over so-called ‘overload’ in terms of content in your curriculum. Perhaps to your surprise, we will link it directly to how you prepare for the content in your curriculum design, whether it is a module, course, training or a degree.
We go even beyond that: with technique - you can design for your own human resilience during preparation; your balance, your enjoyment of the simplicity in curriculum design.
Big ideas
Paradigm shifts/decade strong
Simplicity and decluttering
Human resilience
Modular
Innovative and deep pedagogy
Assesment / evaluation
Time dimension
Evidence-based design
Financial health and resilience by (re)design
Multi- Inter- and transdisciplinary
Flexibilisation and personalisation
Blended
Fiddelaers‑Jaspers, R. (2011) Met mijn ziel onder de arm: tussen welkom heten en afscheid nemen. [With my soul under my arm: between welcoming and saying goodbye). Heeze: In de Wolken.
Frontier, T. (2023) Teaching with Clarity: How to Prioritize and Do Less So Students Understand More. Arlington, Virginia: ASCD
Hamilton, A., Hattie, J., & William, D. (2023). Making room for impact: A de-implementation guide for educators. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Kohlrieser, G. (2006) Hostage at the Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others and Raise Performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kondo, M. (2025). What is the KonMari MethodTM?. Available: https://konmari.com/about-the-konmari-method/ (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
Kondo, M. (2014). The life-changing magic of tidying up; The Japanese art of decluttering and organisation. Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group.
OCW Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (2019). Strategische agenda hoger onderwijs en onderzoek: Houdbaar voor de toekomst. Rijksoverheid. [Strategic agenda Higher Education and Research: Sustainability for the future]. Available: https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/ronl-24dfc024-bfd8-4a4b-b3b1-77f94abc16d9/pdf (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2020a). Curriculum (re)design: A series of thematic reports from the OECD Education 2030 project. Available: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/about/projects/edu/education-2040/2-1-curriculum-design/ brochure-thematic-reports-on-curriculum-redesign.pdf (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
OECD (2020b), Curriculum overload: A way forward, OECD Publishing, Paris, Available: https://doi.org/10.1787/3081ceca-en (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
ScienceGuide (2023) ‘Haal af en toe de bezem door het curriculum’ [Now and then use a sweep to declutter the curriculum], Openbare Les [Public lecture of acceptance of the chair at a University of Applied Sciences] Dominique Sluijsmans, Hogeschool Rotterdam. Available: https://www.scienceguide.nl/2023/03/haal-af-en-toe-de-bezem-door-het-curriculum/ (Accessed: October 27, 2025).
Sluijsmans, D. and Sluijsmans, L. (2015) ‘Voorjaarsschoonmaak in the toetsenhuis’ [Spring cleaning in the house of assessment], Professioneelbegeleiden, guestcolumn, 2015-02, May. Available: https://www.professioneelbegeleiden.nl/voorjaarsschoonmaak-in-het-toetshuis (Accessed: October 27, 2025).
Thornby K-A., Brazeau G.A., Chen A.M.H. (2023). Reducing student workload through curricular efficiency. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 87(7), 100015. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpe.2022.12.002 (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
Veenbaas, W. & Weisfelt, P. (2007) De transitie‑ of contactcirkel: welkom, hechten, intimiteit, afscheid, rouwen, betekenis geven. [The transition or contactcircle: welcome, attaching, intimacy, saying goodbye, mourning, giving meaning (in: Phoenix Opleidingen).
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Centre for Teaching & Learning 2025. ‘Opruimen van curricula: ontwerpen van rituelen', [Cleaning up curricula: the design of rituals]. Workshop, November 13. Available: https://vu.nl/nl/onderwijs/meer-over/de-sed-methodiek-opruimen-van-over-volle-curricula-in-het-hoger-onderwijs (Accessed November 14, 2025).
Waelen, J., Remmers, H., Buursma, W., Voogd, S. and Grijpma. J.W. 2025. De SED-methodiek: Opruimen van (over)volle curricula in het hoger onderwijs. [The SED-methodology: Cleaning up overloaded curricula in Higher Education]. Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Centre for Teaching & Learning. Available: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/db959e0b-149d-4b69-8d2e-a4e4c198027b/Whitepaper%20SEDmethodiek_DEF.pdf (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
Van Wielink, J., Wilhelm, L. (2017) Professioneel begeleiden bij verlies. [Professional guidance in times of loss). 1st edn. Amsterdam: Boom.
Curios? Feel free to contact our senior advisor and teacher trainer directly:
tikvah@studioblended.com
Resilient education that stands the test of time - by design.
One of the ways, is through simplicity and decluttering. However, removing, and cleaning up proves really hard in practice. As the OECD (2020, p. 9) reports: ‘Curriculum reform is one of the most politically sensitive and high‑stakes reforms undertaken in education systems, and resistance to change is often much stronger than the desire to change.‘ Nevertheless, a curriculum is not a static given, it is always evolving, and has it’s seasons, there is a time for everything, and phases come and go as the old makes space for the new.
In our work, following the Social Emotional Dimension (SED) methodology for de-implementation of parts of the curriculum (Waelen et al. 2025, Vrije Universiteit 2025) we realise that with technical curriculum design, models and logic, we can get very far in guiding the process with a teaching team - but we nevertheless never entirely reach the simplicity in the curriculum we want. “There is always a reason why eventually something doesn’t work, and the lean curriculum isn’t realised - and that is the social emotional dimension” (Waelen in Vrije Universiteit 2025). The SED methodology is based on various insights from educational design and processes of change. Rather than seeing merely a technical process, curriculum re-design is also seen as a social emotional journey. The SED methodology helps teams to create space for renewal with attention and base support.
Attention for emotions is emerging in academia. Indeed we see attention for emotions surfacing in disciplines across research and teaching in Higher Education, such as a focus on emotions and affect in transitions which explore affective dimensions of Environmental, Socio-Political and Socio-Technical Change. Let’s have a closer look at the SED methodology for curricula, because it highlights an important aspect that usually remains underexposed.
Actually, curriculum redesign is one of the major reasons overload arises in the curriculum (Boersema 2011 in Waelen 2025, p. 3, OECD 2020, p. 24). A curriculum is never finished after all, it is always in progress. Internal and external trends and stimuli slip in. These include flexibilisation, internationalisation, digitalisation, new forms of assessment, different learning outcomes, new research projects, even ideas that came up in daily practice. But equally emerging needs of society and economy. Yet ‘old objectives are rarely letting go of, whilst new objectives are being added’ (OECD 2020b in Waelen 2025, p. 3).
If you want to uphold quality, you must ensure you review your curriculum on a regular basis. By intentionally promoting the things in your curriculum you value most, and removing anything that distracts from that, you apply the principle of minimalism. As a Studio, we believe such decluttering is one of the ways to achieve ‘simplicity’.
An overloaded curriculum not only leads to ineffective learning (cognitive overload) (Thornby 2023, p. 2), it also negatively impacts your wellbeing as coordinator, and that of your teaching team (e.g. Hamilton et al 2023, OECD 2023). Likewise students feel enormous pressure to perform, and it affects students’ wellbeing and potential burnout (Thornby 2023).
Developing a simple curriculum design is actually hard. Allow us to come alongside and partner with you, to ask good questions and help you move forward. Simplicity is part of our value system and resonates with anyone who embraces the beauty and impact of minimalism.
As OECD (2023, p. 15) reports: ‘A poorly designed curriculum that lacks clear structure and coherence can increase the sense of content overload. When it is difficult to navigate through the curriculum, teachers are more likely to misunderstand its intent and use it ineffectively.’ ‘One of the directions of solutions for enhancing the wellbeing of students and teachers is in creating rest and space in the curriculum’ (Waelen et al. 2025, p. 3).
In various design models, write Waelen et al. (2025, p. 5) ‘there is little to no attention to the act of letting go, or cleaning up educational components that have been used until then, only in Hamilton et al. (2023). Nevertheless, attention for the emotional impact of saying goodbye to content and people doesn’t feature yet in this design model. It seems as if it is selfevident that cleaning up happens with the existing educational design models. After all, when learning objectives, coherence and build-up are visible, what is left over can equally be visibly removed (after Cohen Schotanus et al. 2024 in Waelen et al. 2025, p. 5). Even so, that’s not often what happens in practice’.
Waelen et al. (2025) found inspiration in the science of change (e.g. Boonstra and Dubbeldam 2025, Wielink et al. 2023), in which there is expicit attention for people and their emotions during a change process. Questions that matter here are (after Waelen et al. 2025, p. 6): ‘How do you start to feel like a change? How do you deal with resistance? How can you create a support base?’ Such a perspective can be a really meaningful complementary dimension to educational design. They also found inspiration in the Japanese guru of decluttering the home, Marie Kondo (see e.g. Kondo 2024, 2014).
Wealen et al. (2025) differentiate 4 phases in the process of de-implementing elements of the curriculum. The phases are inspired amongst others by the “cycle of bonding” by George Kohlrieser (2006) or the so-called “transition circle” (Wibe Veenbaas and Piet Weisfelt 2007, Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers 2011, Jakob van Wielink and Leo Wilhelm 2017). For a sustainable change it is important to go through all the phases consciously with a team or with stakeholders. If you rush through them, emotions of a certain phase that are negative, may overrule a positive starters energy and create an unhealthy dynamic.
The phases are (after Wealen et al. 2025, p. 9) the following, and they can be approached in this order, or in any other given order, as suitable for a unique setting. It’s important to spend generous time in each phase, because if you merge phases and try to do it all in one, you get an emotional overkill (Vrije Universiteit 2025, Wealen et al. 2025). These are the phases of the SED methodology (after (Vrije Universiteit 2025, Wealen et al. 2025):
1) the intent or the essence. This centers on getting people to actually be ready for a change. Questions include: who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? What does the world outside demand of us today and in the future? Emotions that belong to this phase are: energy of starting up, longing but also insecurity and a feeling: where is this going into the unkown?
2) Cleaning up and organising. This is a very active phase that involves decision-making and agency: what stays and what must go? Emotions may include fear, freedom, loss, and doubt: is it wise to choose for this? Or even guilt: you choose for one thing, and not for the other. The energy is that of the sword: taking action, choosing, deciding. You may need something to soothe this rigorousness.
3) Saying goodbye. This phase is a lot about remembering. People may be deeply attached to the education they created and delivered for years. This phase therefore focuses on taking a moment to reflect upon the old, and what it brought, bring up beautiful memories, find consolation and comfort. Key questions include: which people from then and now deserve attention? How can we give each other space and support? How do we say goodbye with care? Emotions that come up may include: sadness, anger, a feeling of pointlessness, melancolia. Often time quite uncomfortable for people. Gratefulness for what was, can give a stronghold and ensure a healthy way forward. The attachment that people feel to the education is also a beautiful strenght that can be used positively in embracing the new.
4) Redesign or rearrangement. If the other phases were done properly, and emotions received sufficient space, this should be a positive phase. This is also action oriented. It’s all about putting in place what was thought out, and integration of the old that is here to stay. Key questions include: which new language is fitting to this phase of rearrangement? With connections and order are suitable? How do we celebrate the start of a new situation? Emotions include: hope, connection, insecurity and excitement.
The phases don’t always go neatly in a synchrous way. If you still encounter anger, or resentment, this means that an earlier phase of saying goodbye may have been rushed through too quickly, or not all stakeholders were sufficiently involved in saying goodbye and don’t feel heard, and you’re now in a negative spiral. Saying goodbye actually goes in circles, as people sometimes only realise what is going to change, when it get’s real. Just like with real human loss. Sometimes it’s simply too large to take in in one go. In all these cases, it’s fruitful to take a moment upon realisation, to still give space to these emotions.
Who can guide this process through the 4 phases, whilst you and the team embark on a change process of de-implementing elements, and redesignig a curriculum into simplicity? It can be truly helpful to allow an external independent senior advisor to come alongside and operate as equal partner with you as course or degree coordinator whilst you work on the technical redesign of a curriculum and the four phases of the process of change. It is however unwise to have the same advisor also actually lead the social emotional dimension of the phase of saying goodbye though, because s/he is also advising on what must go out of the curriculum. It is better to have a third party do this.
At STUDIOBlended we work with a so-called ‘fit for purpose framework’ for curriculum design, to ensure the rigorous coherence of your curriculum, and possibilities to go modular. We propose focusing on “big ideas” to avoid an excessive number of subjects or topics within the allotted time (see Breimer 2025 (forthcoming) and also OECD 2023). A process towards such simplicity, includes technical design, and as discussed here, the social emotional dimension of transition in the teaching team and management. Would you like to learn more? Why not read our thinkpiece (forthcoming). Or feel free to call us or send an email: tikvah@studioblended.com
Our design studio
Have a look at our design studio to learn more how you can simplify at a very structural level.Related publications
Thinkpiece (follows)Reltated projects
Have a look at the so-called SED (Social emotional dimension) methodology by the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Curricula are often times getting fuller during redeesign: new content enters, but little disappears. The SED-methodology helps with mindfully taking out and rearranging aspects of the curriculum with an eye for the emotional side of this process. It’s not only about what you take out, but also about how you do that. This helps you to create more calm and overview - for yourself and for your students. In the various phases of this proces it is helpful to work with rituals. This brings us to a challenge: how can you shape a ritual during the educational redesign process?
Our Audio Podcast
‘Preparing for an effective and resilient curriculum design; two guiding principles that transform how you go about its content in all simplicity’
Prefer to read? Looking for resources? Transcript
Listen to A) dosage on: Acast Spotify Apple
Release March 20 / June 21 ‘23
In this episode on dosage (A), we tackle the problem over so-called ‘overload’ in terms of content in your curriculum. Perhaps to your surprise, we will link it directly to how you prepare for the content in your curriculum design, whether it is a module, course, training or a degree.
We go even beyond that: with technique - you can design for your own human resilience during preparation; your balance, your enjoyment of the simplicity in curriculum design.
More design angles we use
Technical resilienceBig ideas
Paradigm shifts/decade strong
Simplicity and decluttering
Human resilience
Modular
Innovative and deep pedagogy
Assesment / evaluation
Time dimension
Evidence-based design
Financial health and resilience by (re)design
Multi- Inter- and transdisciplinary
Flexibilisation and personalisation
Blended
References
Boonstra, J. and Dubbeldam, M. (eds.) 2025. Veranderkunde als professie: Bijdragen aan organisatieverandering en maatschappelijke transities. [The knowledge of change as a profession: contributing to organisational change and societal transitions]. Meppel: Boom.Fiddelaers‑Jaspers, R. (2011) Met mijn ziel onder de arm: tussen welkom heten en afscheid nemen. [With my soul under my arm: between welcoming and saying goodbye). Heeze: In de Wolken.
Frontier, T. (2023) Teaching with Clarity: How to Prioritize and Do Less So Students Understand More. Arlington, Virginia: ASCD
Hamilton, A., Hattie, J., & William, D. (2023). Making room for impact: A de-implementation guide for educators. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Kohlrieser, G. (2006) Hostage at the Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others and Raise Performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kondo, M. (2025). What is the KonMari MethodTM?. Available: https://konmari.com/about-the-konmari-method/ (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
Kondo, M. (2014). The life-changing magic of tidying up; The Japanese art of decluttering and organisation. Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group.
OCW Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (2019). Strategische agenda hoger onderwijs en onderzoek: Houdbaar voor de toekomst. Rijksoverheid. [Strategic agenda Higher Education and Research: Sustainability for the future]. Available: https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/ronl-24dfc024-bfd8-4a4b-b3b1-77f94abc16d9/pdf (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2020a). Curriculum (re)design: A series of thematic reports from the OECD Education 2030 project. Available: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/about/projects/edu/education-2040/2-1-curriculum-design/ brochure-thematic-reports-on-curriculum-redesign.pdf (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
OECD (2020b), Curriculum overload: A way forward, OECD Publishing, Paris, Available: https://doi.org/10.1787/3081ceca-en (Accessed: November 14, 2025).
ScienceGuide (2023) ‘Haal af en toe de bezem door het curriculum’ [Now and then use a sweep to declutter the curriculum], Openbare Les [Public lecture of acceptance of the chair at a University of Applied Sciences] Dominique Sluijsmans, Hogeschool Rotterdam. Available: https://www.scienceguide.nl/2023/03/haal-af-en-toe-de-bezem-door-het-curriculum/ (Accessed: October 27, 2025).
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