Technology conception

Technology conception:
 focuses on how curriculum should be taught or how knowledge
should be communicated. It looks for a system of instruction that can
be used to teach any content.(Eisner & Vallence, 1974;Vallence,
1986).
Curriculum technologists believe that learning is preplanned and that
goals, standards, expectations and objectives should be
predetermined. The content, lesson plans, learning outcomes,
assessment measures must align with these elements. (McNeil, 2006;
Orstien & Hunkins, 2009) It helps the learner see what’s expected of
them and where they can improve (McNeil, 2009).
Humanistic conception
Humanistic conception:
 focuses on the individual and the individuals needs and interests (Orstien & Hunkins,
2009; Schiro, 2008). A curriculum should be student oriented and child centred.
 (Eisner & Vallence,1974; Schiro, 2008; Sowell, 2005) It sees education fully supporting
an individual's life and development.
 Everything in the curriculum should bring personal meaning to each individual that
relates to experiences unique to the learner.
 (McNeil, 2006; Pratt, 1994; Sowell, 2005) This conception is truly about developing the
child’s fullest potential where the curriculum should be responsible for developing a
child identity, individuality, personal freedom and autonomy
Elements of a Curriculum
1. Objectives of Curriculum:
 Educational objectives are the statements that describe in
precise, measurable terms what learners will be able to do at
the end of an instructional sequence.
 A well-written objective includes the audience for whom the
objective intended the observed and/or recorded behavior
must be performed.
 Objectives serve as the blue prints for the development of
curriculum.
Characteristics of Objectives:
Objective statements should provide guidelines for teachers,
materials writers, test writers and learners.
These should be stated in precise, observable and measurable
terms.
These should provide a focus for instruction and evaluation.
These should be realistically attainable during the curriculum.
Classification of Objectives:
a) General Objectives
General objectives are same as goals.
b) Instructional Objectives
Instructional objectives are specifically related to instructional process. It means what students should do
at the end of instruction or lesson.
c) Knowledge Objectives
These objectives mean we are able to find how much knowledge a student gets from the curriculum or
lesson etc.
d) Skills Objectives
These are the objectives to measure the skills attained by a students at the end of his lesson, class or
session.
e) Attitude Objectives
These are the objectives set to measure the attitude of students towards specific areas of their studies.
f) Appreciation Objectives
These are the objectives set for reward or punishment at the end of lesson, test, semester, class, year or
session.
2. Content of Curriculum:
Content is defined as the subject matter of the teaching
learning process and it includes the knowledge,
processes or skills associated with the knowledge base
and the values associated with subjects or whatever is
being learnt.
It is a compendium of facts, concepts, generalizations,
principles, theories, etc.
• Balance
Content curriculum should be fairly distributed in depth and breadth of the particular learning.
• Articulation
Articulation is the planned sequencing of content across grade levels, from one grade level to the next.
• Sequence
This is the logical arrangement of the subject matter. Sequencing is the logical or psychological arrangement of
units of content within lessons, units, courses and grades.
• Integration
Integration in the context of a curriculum construction concept means the blending, fusion or unification of
disciplines.
• Continuity
Learning requires a continuing application of new knowledge, skills and attitudes or values so that these will be
used in daily living.
• Transferability
Whatever is taught in school should in some way posses transfer value, that is learning should have applicability
in either a broad or narrow sense outside of school and after school years.
3. Teaching Methods:

The aim of curriculum is achieved with the

help of teaching methods through selected
content.
Teaching methods are identified to teach
the subject that is more suitable to achieve
the objectives.
Here is the list of teaching method that is adopted to achieve the objectives of
curriculum:
A. Teacher-centered method
B. Learner-centered method
C. Content - centered Method

A. Teacher-centered method:
 In this method, the teacher casts himself/ herself in the role of being a master of the subject matter.
The teacher looked upon, by the learners as an expert or an authority. On other hand, the learners
are presumed to be passive and copious recipients of the knowledge from the teacher.

Examples of such methods are;

1. Expository methods
2. Lecture methods
1. Expository method:
This method involves the transmission of information in a single direction from a source to learners.
2. Lecture method:
In a lecture the instructor tells, explains, describes or relates whatever information the learners are required to learn
through listening and understanding. It is therefore teacher-centered method.

B. Learner-centered method:
 A learner – centered method is a process that brings together cognitive, emotional, environmental influences and
experiences for acquiring or making changes in learners.
 In this method, the teacher/ instructor is both, a teacher and a learner at the same time. The teacher also learns
new things every day which he/she did not know in the process of teaching.

Examples of learner- centered methods are;

1. Discussion method
2. Problem solving method
3. Role play
4. Brain Storming
1. Discussion method
 A method in which group discussion techniques are used to reach instructional objectives.
 Discussion involves two-way communication between participants. In the classroom situation an instructor
and trainees all participate in discussion.
2. Problem solving method
 This method helps students to gain the ability of scientific problem solving and using it in the every area of
life.
 Problem solving is a process to choose and use the effective and beneficial tool and behaviors among the
different potentialities to reach the target.
3. Role play:
 In role plays, participants use their own experiences to play a real life situation. When done well, role plays
increase the participant’s self-confidence, give them the opportunity to understand or even feel empathy for
other people’s viewpoints or roles, and usually end with practical answers, solutions or guidelines.
4. Brain Storming
 The purpose of a brainstorming session is to discover new ideas and responses very quickly. It is particularly
a good way of getting bright ideas.
C - Content -centered Method:
 In this method, the teacher and the learners have to fit into the content that is taught.
 Generally, this means the information and skills to be delivered are regarded is important. A lot of emphasis is laid
on the clarity and careful analyses of content.

Examples of Content - centered methods are;

1. Programmed Instruction Method
2. Drill
3. Study Assignment method

1. PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION METHOD

A method of self-instruction.
To provide the review and practice of knowledge and skills.
Improves end-of-course proficiency.
2. Drill
Repetition to hone a skill or memorize information.
3. STUDY ASSIGNMENT METHOD
 A method in which the instructor assigns reading to books, periodicals, project or research papers or exercises for
the practice.
 Assignments are effective ways to teach students how to conduct self-study as well become independent from
the teacher in acquiring information.
4. Evaluation:
 The term “evaluation” generally applies to the process of making a value judgment. In education, the term
“evaluation” is used in reference to operations associated with curricula, programs, interventions, methods of
teaching and organizational factors. Curriculum evaluation aims to examine the impact of implemented
curriculum on student (learning) achievement so that the official curriculum can be revised if necessary and to
review teaching and learning processes in the classroom.
4. Evaluation:
The term “evaluation” generally applies to the process of
making a value judgment. In education, the term
“evaluation” is used in reference to operations associated
with curricula, programs, interventions, methods of
teaching and organizational factors.
Types of evaluation:
 Formative evaluation
 Summative evaluation

1. Formative evaluation:
According to N.E.Gronlund (1985)
 Formative evaluation is used to monitor learning progress during instruction
and to provide continuous feedback to both pupil and teacher concerning
learning successes and failures. Feedback to pupil reinforces successful learning
and identifies the learning errors that need correction.

 Examples include: Tests, home work, assignments of various forms and

continuous Evaluation aspects.
2. Summative evaluation:
N.E.Gronlund (1985) observes:
 “ Summative evaluation typically comes at the end of a
course or unit of instruction. It is designed to determine
extent to which the instructional objectives have been
achieved and is used primarily for assigning course grades
or certifying pupil mastery of the intended learning out-
comes”.