Principles in Patterns (PiP) is a JISC-funded project supported by the Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design programme.  The project is led by the University of Strathclyde.

Our Project

The aim of the PiP project is to identify the key processes associated with the design, documentation, support and implementation of curricula in higher education and to develop ways of enhancing these processes using digital technologies.  This will include the development and testing of a prototype on-line expert system and linked set of support materials that, if adopted, will contribute towards improved efficiency in course and class approval processes at the University of Strathclyde, support the alignment of course and class provision with institutional policies and strategies and integrate the course and class approval processes into the corporate information environment. 

PiP will also use the findings from the aforementioned phases of the project to share lessons learned and to produce a set of recommendations to the University of Strathclyde and to the HE sector about ways of improving class and course approval processes

Our Dissemination

Project website

PiP blog

Publications and presentations

JISC online conference 2011:

What needs to change in curriculum design?

Socio-technical ramifications of a new approach to course design and approval

Our Outputs

PiP Process Workflow

PiP Online Course and Class Approval System

SLEEK (Strathclyde's LEAN Approach to Efficiencies in Education)

SLEEK DMAIC Method

Project evaluation

PiP evaluation plan background and associated resources

More Information On PiP

"Marketplace" Prezi visual, JISC Programme meeting, 11-12 October 2011

Poster 1: ALT-C 2009

Poster 2: ALT-C 2009

Our Cluster

We are working in a cluster with 2 other projects involved in the Curriculum Design programme. The focus of the cluster is around learning design approaches and methodologies in curriculum design.  The cluster is working collectively on developing ideas for different types of representation that might be used to describe design at the curriculum level including a ‘production to presentation’ timeline, workload and costing matrices and process flow maps.

The Open University - JISC Open University Learning Design Initiative project

University of Ulster - Viewpoints project

Project Evolution

PiP Project Evolution