At every level curriculum development life-cycles have become much shorter, with
courses being revised and new courses validated at a much faster rate than in the past.
The speeding up of the curriculum development process is in response to a number of
factors: employer demands, rapid developments in science and technology, the
development of many professions and some sectors of economic life business.
Moreover, there has been a broadening of the scope of education, particularly HE, with
new disciplines added since the 1980s and an increase in the expectations of 145 government, employers and students that a university degree will provide the most
up-to-date knowledge and understanding in any particular discipline. Changes in the curriculum and in the assessment of student learning have also been essential to respond to the much larger, more diverse student population. The cost of curriculum development has become much higher as a result of the increased pace of renewal of courses and materials and the increased quality assurance and validation processes now required (UUK, 2008).