Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector Curriculum Design and Development (Unit 7 )

Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector

Curriculum Design and Development(Unit 7 )

Aim:

• To enable the learner to understand and apply the contexts, for education and training in the Lifelong Learning Sector, of the impact of theories, principles and models of curriculum design and development.

Objectives:

By the end of this module, delegates you will have:

• reviewed and considered the contexts in which education and training are provided in the Lifelong Learning Sector and analysed ways in which the delivery of curriculum can vary according to the context in which it is provided.

• described different theories, principles and models of curriculum design and be able to explain how they apply to your own curriculum area.

• analysed and evaluated your own curriculum and suggested ways to develop and improve that curriculum.

• evaluated your own practice and be able to suggest how this may be improved in relation to curriculum design and development.

What do you want to take away by the end of these two-days relating to

curriculum design and development?

• “subjects comprising an integrated course of study” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2010)

• a set of courses constituting an area of specialisation.

• “it is in a curriculum that accumulated knowledge, skills and attitudes about the past and present are combined with predictive assumptions about the future to produce an ordered outline of things to be taught and learnt in schooling”(Connel, 1972)

• It is synonymous with ‘course of study’ and ‘syllabus’

What is “curriculum”?

Curriculum is:

Curriculum originally meant “course”, as in a running/chariot track in ancient Greece.

Definition of curriculum:

“The curriculum is a design PLAN for learning that requires the purposeful and proactive organisation, sequencing and management of the interactions among the teacher, the students and the content we want students to acquire.” (anon. n.d.)

My favourite definition of curriculum:

• Content

• Teaching and learning methods

• Resources

• Assessment Strategy

• Evaluation

Curriculum components:

• Evidence of planning (on a variety of scales) for student learning.

• Statements of what is to be learned

• Indicators of how it is to be learned

• Pointers as to the outcomes of this learning

Some key issues in defining curriculum:

/

• Statements on the role of learners in all this

• Explanation about the vision behind the curriculum

• Some dissemination or publication showing the public nature of the formal curriculum

More key issues in defining curriculum:

• Post Compulsory Education and Training (the Lifelong Learning Sector) includes a wide range of programmes.

• Complete the mind map to show the diversity of provision within this sector (you could start by considering the teaching roles represented in this class!).

Spend 5 to 10 minutes completing this exercise

Pairs exercise:

• Linear

•Modular

• Spiral

Curriculum models:

This is the most obvious model and is the type you see in the National Curriculum. Learners progress from one objective to another, from one level to another and from one year to another, until the whole process is complete.

Curriculum models – Linear:

Curriculum models – Linear:

“A free standing unit of learning, which may be linked with others to form a coherent programme, each module has specified title, aims and objectives, knowledge, concept, skills and attitudes, teaching and learning styles and assessment methods”(Watkins, 1987, p.18)

Curriculum models – Modular:

Curriculum models – Modular:

Originally suggested by Bruner (1960), with the aim that all learning should be constantly revisited. Both the acquisition of knowledge and skills take place through going back over them in different ways to improve the level of attainment. The assumption is that no learning is once and for all and that we can always improve.

Curriculum models – Spiral:

Curriculum models – Spiral:

• Identify one strength and one weakness of each curriculum model.

• For each curriculum model identify a course that it would be well suited to and one which it would not suit.

• Indentify which curriculum model, or models, relate to each of your own subject specialism(s)

Spend 10 minutes completing this exercise

Group exercise:Using the handout for guidance………….

Could you write a description of your curriculum as it is now?

• Using the handout, try to examine the 7 points in relation to your own curriculum.

Spend 10 minutes completing this exercise

Individual exercise:

Aristotle catagorised knowledge into 3 disciplines:

• The theoretical

• The practical

• The productive

It is helpful if we approach curriculum in this context.

Curriculum theories / approaches:


ProductSyllabus

Praxis

The theoretical The practical The productive

Process

• Transmitted

• Product

• Process

• Praxis


The most common curriculum theories today are; curriculum as:

A body of knowledge to be transmitted (closely linked to syllabus)A product – an attempt to achieve certain ends in studentsProcess – curriculum is the interaction of students, teachers and knowledgePraxis – development of the process model, but linked to specific values


The most common curriculum theories are; curriculum as:

• Curriculum only concerned with content

• Delivered to students by the most effective

means possible

Curriculum theories / approaches

Curriculum as a syllabus to be Transmitted:

• Linked to management theory and practice• Behavioural objectives central to this approach• Objectives linked to changes to take place in

student’s behaviour• Learning experiences selected linked to these

objectives• Success in achieving objectives readily evaluated


Curriculum as Product:

• Curriculum is what actually happens in the classroom and what people do to prepare and evaluate

• Provides principles for selecting what should be taught, strategies to be adopted and diagnosing the strengths and weaknesses of individual students.

• Attention shifts from teaching to learning


Curriculum as Process:

• Development of the process model

• Commitment to collective human well-being at the centre of the process

• Educators’ view of what makes for human well-being linked to practice


Curriculum as Praxis:

• Grundy, S. (1987) Curriculum: product or praxis?• Stenhouse, L. (1975) An introduction to

curriculum research and development• Cornbeth, C. (1980) Curriculum in Context• Kelly, A. V. (1983; 1999) The Curriculum Theory

and Practice

• www.infed.org/biblio/b-curric.htm


Further reading and references:

Documents

Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector Curriculum Design and Development (Unit 7 )