It’s not always easy to navigate a new school environment. What if there were lessons you needed to learn, but no one was teaching them?
Nicole Campbell, an award-winning professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry who’s been lauded for her teaching abilities, has become passionate about understanding – and addressing – the hidden curriculum.
The concept describes norms, values or skills that are important for a student’s success, but aren’t explicitly taught.
Campbell is known as an innovative instructor. She focuses on developing students’ professional and personal skills, in addition to their academic knowledge, during their journeys at Western.
She shared her insights on the hidden curriculum with Western News.
Western News: What are some examples of these unfamiliar or “hidden” expectations?
Nicole Campbell: Think of a phrase or acronym everyone is using without explaining it, or a certain technology you’ve never used, but now need to complete daily tasks. For students in higher education, the hidden curriculum could include understanding the purpose and benefit of office hours, the ability to manage their time or the knowledge of how to seek help and advocate for themselves in academic and administrative matters – they’re not always intuitive to navigate. These are just some examples we assume learners know or we expect them to acquire on their own. They are roadblocks that can significantly impact a student’s academic journey.
How did you get interested in the hidden curriculum?
NC: During my first year as a Schulich Medicine & Dentistry faculty member, while juggling the demands of my teaching-intensive role and completing a professional master of education (I also call this my “degree in empathy”), I gained a deeper understanding of the implicit challenges today’s learners face. Then, I learned it has a name: hidden curriculum. It refers to the unwritten and unspoken lessons, values and perspectives that students are often expected to know but are not formally taught.
Why is the hidden curriculum important?
NC: The hidden curriculum impacts individuals at every stage of their education and career, shaping their experiences, successes and failures in profound ways. The hidden curriculum does not impact everyone equally. Depending on someone’s lived experiences and who they know (or don’t know), they might not have access to the same information as others, which could put them at a disadvantage. This creates significant inequities in education, where not all learners have the same foundational skills or knowledge of the academic environment. Constantly trying to navigate these barriers can lead to stress, anxiety and a profound mental health impact – and it can impact overall success.
What is being done to address those inequities?
NC: I was inspired to apply for a collaborative grant to address this complex problem. The result was a cross-sector, cross-discipline project called ‘Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum.’ Our open-access website has information and resources to directly support learners and indirectly support educators. Thousands of users are accessing the site, and many have applied the resources to improve their academic experiences.
Whether you are an educator, a professional, or someone reflecting on your own educational journey, recognizing the impact of the hidden curriculum can be a transformative experience. By acknowledging these unspoken challenges, I believe we can all work towards more equitable and supportive environments.
