Curriculum development refers to the processes of structuring a course of study in

accordance with a set of objectives. Curriculum design entails the arrangement of

curriculum into a whole. Curriculum development and design therefore involves basic
curriculum components which include: aims, goal and objectives; subject matter;
learning experiences and evaluation. These four major components are seen to be
mutually interactive when developing and designing a course of study.

1. Aims/Goals and Objectives

Curricular goals are the general, long-term educational outcomes that the school
system expects to achieve through its curriculum. Aims, goals and objectives provide
information on what is supposed to be done during the given course of study. This
usually reflects: the content and skills; habits to be learned, techniques to be acquired
and the behaviors and attitudes to be development. The information on the foregoing
areas ensures that the tasks prepared are manageable and curriculum developers will be
in a position to evaluate the progress. This is because the learning objective usually
provides both the facilitator and the learner clear direction as to where they are moving
to with regard to subject matter or content.
2. Content or Subject Matter
This component answers the question of what content should be included or
prepared while learning experiences gives the information on the type of instructional
strategies, resources and activities should be used. A learner must be given an
opportunity to practice any given kind of behavior implied by the set objectives. It is also
important to help learners understand how important concepts across the curriculum
are interconnected during the teaching process. This can be done by either giving visual
displays or verbal explanation. Instructors or teachers are also need to have a prime
background knowledge as a strategy which entails the linkage of new ideas to what the
learners already know. This will help the instructor to identify and support the learners
who lack the prerequisite knowledge. This is done by asking questions on the prior
skills, deliberately making comparisons between the new ideas and what learners know
or use of teaching material which provide easy access to vital prior knowledge (Kameenui
& Carnine, 1998).
3. Learning Experience
Learning experiences usually begin with gathering information on the learners’
entry behaviors then progressing to the unknown. It should be noted that an
educational objective may be attained using many learning experiences (Ornstein &
Francis, 1988). This implies planning a given number of experiences which will be
geared towards achieving that specific objective which consequently gives rise to a
number of learning outcomes. Appropriate teaching methodologies as well as resources
need to be combined appropriately to so as to arouse learners’ interest and mood. The
information on the forms of assessment that will be employed is obtained from the
evaluation approaches.
4. Evaluation
 The evaluation process involves the determination of the extent to which the
implied changes in behavior have taken place. This implies that the evaluation must
judge the behavior of the learners at the beginning and at the end to identify the
changes that may be occurring. This is why it is important to know the learners’ entry
behavior so as to note any changes taking place. The methods of evaluation commonly
used include; attitude scales, tests, data gathering instrument such as interviews,
observation guides and practical (Oliva, 1988). The fact that these four components are
inter-woven; there must be a balance among them during curriculum design and
development. These methods may be applied either in combination or singly but need to
be aligned with the objective that is being evaluated.

References:
Ornstein, A. C and Francis, P.H (1988) Curriculum: Foundations, Principles and Issues.
Boston: Prentice-Hall.
Oliva, P.F (1988) Developing Curriculum, 2nd Edition. Scott: Foreman and Co.
Kameenui, E.J. and Carnine, D.W. (1998). Effective Teaching Strategies that
Accommodate Diverse Learners. Columbus, OH: Merrill-Prentice Hall
https://graduateway.com/components-of-curriculum-development-and-design/