MODULE 1

UNIT II –Training Curriculum

I. Desired Learning Outcomes:

Develop training curriculum

Time Frame: 6 hours (1 week)

II. Introduction:

This unit I of module 1 – discusses the training curriculum

III. Content

What is curriculum development?

The word curriculum has roots in Latin. It originally meant “racing chariot” and
came from the verb currere, “to run”.
The way we understand and theorize about curriculum nowadays has altered
significantly over the years. Today, the most simple definition of the word “curriculum”
is the subjects comprising a course of study at schools, universities or colleges
Developing curriculum is a tough assignment for first year teachers. However,
understanding what to expect and preparing ahead of time can be of great help. Here's a
list of strategies for curriculum building from various teaching professionals.
Of course differences in course design exist—a math course taken at one university may
cover the same material, but the educator could teach it in a different way—but the core
fundamentals of curriculum development remain the same
Curriculum development can be defined as the step-by-step process used to create
positive improvements in the courses offered by a school, college or university. The
world changes every day and new discoveries have to be roped into the education
curricula. Innovative teaching techniques and strategies (such as active learning
or blended learning) are constantly being devised in order to improve the student learning
experience. As a result, an institution has to have a plan in place for acknowledging these
shifts and then be able to implement them in the school curriculum.

What are the models of curriculum development?

Current curriculum models can be broken down into two broad categories—the
product model and the process model. The product model is results-oriented. Grades are
the prime objective, with the focus lying more on the finished product rather than on the
learning process. The process model, however, is more open-ended, and focuses on how
learning develops over a period of time. These two models need to be taken into account
when developing curriculum.

What is curriculum planning?

Curriculum planning involves the implementation of different types of

instructional strategies and organizational methods that are focused on achieving optimal
student development and student learning outcomes. Instructors might structure their
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curriculum around daily lesson plans, a specific assignment, a chunk of coursework,

certain units within a class, or an entire educational program.
During the curriculum planning phase, teachers consider factors that might complement
or hinder their lesson curriculum. These include institutional requirements. Each
administrator at a university or college will have guidelines, principles and a framework
that instructors are required to reference as they build out their curriculums. Educators
are responsible for ensuring that their curriculum planning meets the students’
educational needs, and that the materials used are current and comprehensible.
Educators should employ the curriculum process that best incorporates the six
components of effective teaching. These components are applicable at both the
undergraduate and graduate level:
 To demonstrate knowledge of content;
 To demonstrate the knowledge of students;
 Select suitable instructional strategy goals;
 To demonstrate knowledge of resources;
 To design coherent instruction;
 Assess student learning.

What is curriculum design?

Now that we’ve gone over curriculum development and planning, let’s discuss
curriculum design. Curriculum design is the deliberate organization of curriculum within
a course or classroom. When instructors design their curriculums, they identity what will
be done, who will do it and when, as well as what the objective of each course is.
Remember that the curriculum contains the knowledge and skills that a student needs to
master in order to move to the next level. By thinking about how their curriculum is
designed, teachers ensure they’ve covered all the necessary requirements. From there,
they can start exploring various approaches and teaching methods that can help them
achieve their goals.

What are the types of curriculum design?

1. Subject-centered curriculum design revolves around a particular subject matter or

discipline, such as mathematics, literature or biology. This type of curriculum design
tends to focus on the subject, rather than the student. It is the most common type of
standardized curriculum that can be found in K-12 public schools.
Teachers compile lists of subjects, and specific examples of how they should be studied.
In higher education, this methodology is typically found in large university or college
classes where teachers focus on a particular subject or discipline.

Subject-centered curriculum design is not student-centered, and the model is less

concerned with individual learning styles compared to other forms of curriculum design.
This can lead to problems with student engagement and motivation and may cause
students who are not responsive to this model to fall behind.

2. Learner-centered curriculum design, by contrast, revolves around student needs,

interests and goals. It acknowledges that students are not uniform but individuals, and
therefore should not, in all cases, be subject to a standardized curriculum. This approach
aims to empower learners to shape their education through choices.
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Differentiated instructional plans provide an opportunity to select assignments, teaching

and learning experiences, or activities. This form of curriculum design has been shown to
engage and motivate students. The drawback to this form of curriculum design is that it
can create pressure on the educator to source materials specific to each student’s learning
needs. This can be challenging due to teaching time constraints. Balancing individual
student interests with the institution’s required outcomes could prove to be a daunting
task.

3. Problem-centered curriculum design teaches students how to look at a problem and

formulate a solution. Considered an authentic form of learning because students are
exposed to real-life issues, this model helps students develop skills that are transferable to
the real world. Problem-centered curriculum design has been shown to increase the
relevance of the curriculum and encourages creativity, innovation and collaboration in
the classroom. The drawback to this format is that it does not always consider individual
learning styles.
By considering all three types of curriculum design before they begin planning,
instructors can choose the types that are best suited to both their students and their
course.

Developing, designing and implementing an education curriculum is no easy task.

With the rise of educational technology and the diverse types of students attending higher
educational institutions these days, instructors have their work cut out for them. But by
following the fundamental guidelines and framework of curriculum development,
educators will be setting themselves — and their students — up for long-term success.
One of the systemic strategies to ensure consistency and quality in curriculum design
processes is the development of a curriculum framework as one element of the
documented ‘intended curriculum’.

The ‘intended curriculum’ is the formal and documented record of what should be taught
and learned. Intended curriculum is most commonly developed and sponsored by the
state. In some ways, these documents represent an agreement or minimum guarantee
between the government and citizens – a statement of what the education system will
provide for young people.

Three components of formal curriculum

Component 1: Curriculum framework

One of the most important tools in ensuring consistency and quality in a

‘curriculum system’ is a ‘curriculum framework’. This is usually a document (or set of
documents) that sets standards for curriculum and provides the context (available
resources, capabilities of teachers and system support) in which subject specialists
develop syllabuses

A curriculum framework describes the educational environment in which

syllabuses (or subject specific outlines of objectives, outcomes, content and appropriate
assessment and teaching methodologies) can be developed.
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A curriculum framework is most commonly developed at a national level, but a

form of curriculum framework could be developed at the international level by a group of
countries with similar goals and educational environments. One function of a curriculum
framework is to define a set of ‘curriculum standards’ that enable a range of curricula to
co-exist, on the proviso that each curriculum complies with specific criteria. A
curriculum framework is therefore a very useful mechanism for allowing flexibility and
diversity among countries within an affiliation of some kind or ethnic groups within a
single state. Each individual system can maintain the ‘identity’ of its own curriculum
while ensuring consistency and quality through compliance with a set of agreed standards
expressed in the framework

A curriculum framework commonly contains the elements described in Table 3.

However, one of the advantages of a framework approach is flexibility, and elements can
be added to or deleted from the framework structure to suit the needs of the education
system or systems developing it.
Common Elements of a Curriculum Framework

Element Function or Purpose Function or Purpose

1. Introduction: Current Context
2. Educational Policy Statements
3. Statement of Broad Learning Objectives Describes what students should know and
and Outcomes / standards for each level / be able to do when they complete their
cycle
4. Structure of the Education System
5. Structure of curriculum content, learning Describes the organisation of content
areas and subjects
Describes the social and economic
environment in which educational policy is
made and in which teaching and learning
occur
Describes the government’s goals for
education, such as universal literacy and
numeracy, the development of skills
needed for economic prosperity and the
creation of a stable and tolerant society
school education. Outcomes should be
expressed in a range of domains, including
knowledge, understanding, skills and
competencies, values and attitudes
Describes the school system within which
the curriculum framework is to be applied.
It should specify:  Number of years of
schooling, including compulsory schooling
 Stages (or cycles) of schooling and their
durations  Number of weeks in the school
years, hours / teaching periods in the school
week
within the framework and the extent to
which schools and students can make
choices. It might describe:  The pattern of
Subjects or Learning Areas to be studied in
each stage or cycle (such as core, elective
and optional subjects)  A brief description
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of each Subject or Learning Area outlining

the rationale for its inclusion in the
curriculum and the contribution it makes to
the achievement of the Learning Outcomes
defined in Section 3  The number of hours
to be assigned to each subject or Learning
Area in each stage or cycle
6. Standards of resources required for Describes standards as they apply to: 
implementation Teachers – qualifications, teaching load
(number of classes per week)  Students –
number per class in each subject 
Materials – textbooks, computers, other
equipment; facilities – classrooms,
furniture, fittings.
7. Teaching methodology Describes the range of teaching approaches
that might be employed in the
implementation of the framework
8. Assessing and reporting student Describes:  The importance of assessing
achievement the extent to which students achieve the
outcomes of each subject, and recommends
or prescribes types of assessment strategies
 How achievement will be certified

Other agreed elements can be added to the list above. These could include agreed
policies on contentious issues (such as agreed positions on the content of history
syllabuses or how history should be taught), how content and student learning can be
integrated, the incorporation of competencies or any other matter which requires a
‘standard’ to be defined.

Once a curriculum framework is agreed, other documents can be developed,

including most importantly, subject or learning area syllabuses and textbooks. It is the
curriculum framework which gives guidance to syllabus and textbook writers and which
determines the detail of a range of other policy and funding priorities.

Component 2: Syllabuses

Having articulated the curriculum framework, it is necessary to shift focus to

individual learning areas or subjects through the development of syllabuses. These are
documents, normally for the use of teachers, which record the aims, objectives, content,
outcomes and other information specific to a subject or learning area.

Syllabuses should be regulated by and be consistent with the curriculum framework.

They should provide a range of information and can contain the following elements:

the rationale for the subject (i.e. why it is included in the curriculum and its relationship
to the student outcomes in the curriculum framework)
• the aims and objectives of the subject
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• the student learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, values) for the subject (possibly at
each stage or year)
• content (expressed as topics, themes or units) to be covered in each stage or year and
requirements for teaching the content (core, elective and optional topics)
• teaching strategies appropriate to the subject
• strategies for evaluating student achievement in the subject

Component 3: Textbooks and other teaching/learning resources

To support teachers in implementing the syllabuses, education systems have traditionally

relied to a very large extent, if not exclusively, on single textbooks. In turn, teachers base
their lessons and classroom practice on those textbooks.

Three very significant variations to this approach can be identified in developed

countries:

1. Market-driven textbook development Where resources permit, education

authorities encourage publishers to produce textbooks which they believe
captures the philosophy and content of the syllabus. Schools are empowered and
resourced to choose the textbook which they believe will best support their
teachers and students in achieving the learning outcomes prescribed in the
relevant syllabuses.
2. 2. Teaching programs and plans One part of teachers’ responsibilities is to
interpret the syllabus and develop a semester or year plan of activities for their
individual classes. For this to occur, teachers require extensive training in
syllabus requirements and should be provided with a range of relevant samples of
programs, plans and activities. In many countries, the teacher’s program can be
viewed as an additional component of the ‘intended curriculum’ and serves as a
‘connector’ between the ‘intended curriculum’ and the ‘implemented curriculum’.
3. Supplementary resources Teachers are trained in developing teaching and learning
resources which supplement the textbook and which support particular learning activities
in their classroom. These resources can be sourced from the media, the internet or other
print, video or digital material. The result is the development of a bank of resources
which make learning interesting and cater for the individual differences of students in
particular locations and circumstances

7 Strategies for Developing Your Own Curriculum as a New Teacher

Developing curriculum is a tough assignment for first year teachers. However,

understanding what to expect and preparing ahead of time can be of great help. Here's a
list of strategies for curriculum building from various teaching professionals.

Learning to Build Your Curriculum

If you're looking to develop your own curriculum as a new teacher then you may
find yourself overloaded with curriculum building software, how-to articles, and
numerous books. It's an overwhelming process whether you're planning for preschool or
graduate school. However, there are general principles that you can use as a guideline for
preparing your own curriculum. Here are seven principles to get you started.
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Focus on the Students

When writing curriculum, it helps to remember that it's not about writing the
best lesson plans or developing a perfect set of in-class projects and assignments. Instead,
it's about meeting the needs of the students in a way that ensures the material is
understood, maintained, and applied in and out of the classroom.
English educator, Dr. Todd Blake Finley, PhD has prepared a free Unit Plan document to
lead first-year teachers step by step through the curriculum-building process. In
this downloadable PDF document he lays out eight stepping stones to building a solid
curriculum focused on student needs at all learning levels.
 Describe your vision, focus, objectives, and student needs.
 Identify resources.
 Develop experiences that meet your objectives.
 Collect and devise materials.
 Lock down the specifics of your task.
 Develop plans, methods, and processes.
 Create your students' experience.
 Go!

Ask for Help

Seek out seasoned teachers and ask for their input regarding your curriculum. If
you don't have a mentor think about asking a fellow teacher if he or she would be willing
to walk alongside you during the first year. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Ask
your mentor what he or she did when it came to curriculum building during the first
year. Professional teachers are a wealth of information and are often more than willing to
share their knowledge with others.

Choose a Supportive Program or Software

Most teachers will tell you that they don't plan their lessons or build curriculum on
their own. In fact, oftentimes supportive computer software, online programs, or basic
planning maps are used as a guide. Here are a couple of online resources recommended
by teacher and curriculum developer Lily Jones:
 Planning to Change the World plan book
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 Planbook.com
Online programs are especially encouraged as they enable teachers to access curriculum
anytime, and make modifications for future use. If you're on a budget, look for free
resources online (i.e. Finley's Unit Plan) or ask fellow teachers for a curriculum sample to
use as a guide.

Avoid Pre-packaged Curriculum

Packaged curriculum can be a great learning tool especially if you're looking for a
hands-on sample to go by. However, it's not suggested that you use the curriculum as
your set course of action. Boxed curriculum tends to be scripted and fit one type of
student or learning level. What works for one teacher's students may not work for another
teacher's students. In the end, you may find yourself re-writing and restructuring the
curriculum so it will fit the learning levels and needs of your students.

Schedule Planning Time

Creating multiple lesson plans in order to build curriculum takes time. It's
important to schedule in planning sessions and blocks of time to work on curriculum.
Learning how to manage that time is also important. Teachers shouldn't get bogged down
on curriculum development. Work on it in sections or by units. Set goals for yourself that
fit in the allotted time and when time is up, step back and step away for a break. It's not a
race. It's your students' entire year of learning so make sure to handle it with care.

Remember U-Turns are allowed

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As a first year teacher developing curriculum for the first time, it's important to
realize that it's not going to be perfect the initial time around. It may not even be where
you want it to be the fourth or fifth time around and that's OK. Even when the finished
product is ready for launch, there still may be a few bugs to work out. That's why it's
critical to put the curriculum into motion. Start teaching from it and see if it works. You
won't really know if the assignments, class projects, or even guest speakers are a good fit
for your class until they are presented. Be prepared because some things will work out
perfectly while others will need an immediate facelift. This is all part of the process of
curriculum development.

Plan for Feedback and Assessments

Don't forget to build in assessments and time for feedback when developing your
curriculum. You will need to be able to measure how well students are doing. Set aside
time to engage students in conversations about the day's lesson and assignments. Find out
what they liked or did not like and what they might want to do differently. Encourage
students to speak up if they didn't understand some of the material presented as well.
At the end of the day, it's not about the curriculum or plan itself. It's about the students
and how well they understood the lessons presented. It's about the presentation of the
material and the student's ability to understand, retain, and apply it.

IV.Assessment:

1. As a new teacher, what are the strategies in developing our own curriculum?

2. What are the types of curriculum design and as a new teacher why is it important to
develop a curriculum design?