Curriculum Design

Design

 the arrangement of the elements of a curriculum into a substantive

entity
Elements of Curriculum Design

 Aims, Goals, and Objectives

 Subject Matter
 Learning Experiences
 Evaluation Approaches
Sources for Curriculum Design

 Science
 Society
 Eternal and Divine Sources
 Knowledge
 Learner
Science as a Source

 Scientificmethod provides meaning for the

curriculum design
 Designs that stress learning how to learn or
“thinking” curricula emphasize scientific
procedures
 Coincideswith the scientific and rational world of
Western culture
Society as a Source

 School is an agent of society, thus the school

should draw its ideas for the curriculum from the
analysis of the social situation
 Curriculum design can only be completely
understood if it is contextualized socially,
economically, and politically
Eternal and Divine Sources

 Draw on the past for guidance as to what is appropriate content

 Related to eternal truth revealed through such sources as the Bible or
other religious documents
Knowledge as a Source

 Disciplined Knowledge
 has a particular method or methods by which scholars extend its
boundaries
 Undisciplined Knowledge
 does not have unique content, but has content that is clustered according
to the focus of the investigation
The Learner as a Source

 Curriculum should be derived from what we know about the learner---

how he learns. Forms attitudes, generates interests, and develops
values
Conceptual Framework

 Horizontal organization
 scope and integration
 side by side arrangement of curriculum elements
 sequence and continuity
 longitudinal placement of curriculum elements
Design Dimension Considerations

 Scope
 Sequence
 Continuity
 Integration
 Articulation
 Balance
Scope

 breath and depth of curriculum content

Sequence

 vertical relationship among curricular areas

 the occurrence and reoccurrence of content and experiences so that
students will have opportunities to connect and enrich their
understanding of the curriculum presented or experienced
Continuity

 vertical manipulation or repetition of curriculum components

Integration

 linking of all types of knowledge and experiences contained within the

curriculum plan
 enables the individual to comprehend knowledge as unified
Articulation

 Vertical Articulation
 depicts the relationships of certain aspects in the
curriculum sequence to lessons, topics, or courses
appearing later in the program’s sequence
 Horizontal Articulation
 refersto the association between or among elements
occurring simultaneously
Balance

 giving appropriate weight to each aspect of the design so that

distortions do not occur
Representative Curriculum
Designs
 Subject-Centered Designs
 Learner-Centered Designs
 Problem-Centered Designs
Subject-Centered Designs

 Subject Design
 Discipline Design
 Broad Fields Design
 Correlation Design
 Process Design
Subject Design

 Based on the belief that what makes humans unique and distinctive is
their intellect and the searching for and attainment of knowledge are
the natural fulfillment of that intellect
 Curriculum is organized according to how essential knowledge has
been developed in the various subject areas
Subject Design-Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Emphasis on verbal  Prevents individualization
activities  Disempowers students
 Introduces students to  Fails to foster social,
the essential psychological, and
physical development
knowledge of society
 Compartmentalizes
 Easy to deliver learning
 Traditional  Neglects students’ needs,
interests, experiences
 Fosters passivity
Discipline Design

 Based on the inherent organization of content

 The manner in which content is learned is suggested by the methods
scholars employ to study the content of their fields.
Discipline Design-Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Students attain  Ignores information
mastery of content that cannot be
classified as
and independent disciplined knowledge
learning
 Addresses only the
 Subjects to be interests of the college
taught to any child bound
at any stage of  Students must adapt
development to the curriculum
Broad Fields Design
(Interdisciplinary)
 Attempts to integrate content that appears to fit
together logically
 Allows students to discern relationships among
the various aspects of the curriculum content, as
well as wholeness of meaning
 Students are invited to participate through the
construction of meaning in grasping the meaning
or meanings of the whole
Broad Fields- Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Allows students to  Issue of breadth vs
discern relationships depth
among various
aspects of
curriculum content
 Students participate
in the construction
of meaning
Correlation Design

 Allows for some linkage of separate subjects in order to reduce

fragmentation of the curricular content
Correlation- Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Allows linkage of  Requires
some subjects to alternative forms
reduce of scheduling
fragmentation  Requires teachers
to plan differently
(cooperatively)
Process Design

 Gives attention to the procedures and processes by

which individuals advance knowledge, either in
specific disciplines or in general
 Emphasizes those procedures and dispositions to
act that enable students to analyze their realities
and create frameworks by which the knowledge
derived can be arranged
Process- Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Teaches how to  Lacks emphasis on
learn and think content
critically
Learner-Centered Designs

 Child Centered Designs

 Experience-Centered Designs
 Romantic (Radical) Designs
 Humanistic Designs
Child Centered Designs

 Students must be active in their environments if we are to optimize

learning
 Curriculum should be based on students’ lives, needs, and interests
Child-Centered Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Empowers  Content not
students through specific
ownership of
knowledge
 Allows for
constructivist
learning
Experience Centered Designs

 Everything has to be done “on the spot”---we cannot anticipate the

interests and needs of children
Experience Centered Strengths
& Weaknesses
 Based on natural  Not specific
experiences of
children
Romantic (Radical) Designs

 Emancipation is the goal of education

 Individuals should gain those awarenesses, competencies,
and attitudes to enable them to take control of their lives
 Learning results from the interaction among people; by
challenging content and permitting different views about
the content, as well as from critiquing the purposes of the
information presented
Romantic Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Emancipates the  Threatens status
learner quo
Humanistic Designs

 The focus of attention should be on the subject

nature of human existence; there is a relationship
between learning and feeling
 Empowering individuals
 Stress the development of positive self-concept
and interpersonal skills
Humanistic Strengths
&Weaknesses
 Promotes self esteem  Inadequate consideration of
methods in light of
 Empowers individuals consequences for learners
 Inconsistent emphasis on
uniqueness of individuals and
activities that all students
experience
 Too much emphasis on the
needs of the individual over
the overall society
 Does not integrate what is
known about human learning
and development
Problem-Centered Designs

 Life-Situations Design
 Core Design
 Social problems and Reconstructionist Designs
Life Situation Design

 Persistent life situations are crucial to a society’s successful

functioning; it makes sense to organize a curriculum around them
 Students will see direct relevance to what they are studying if the
content is organized around aspects of community life
 By having students study social or life situations, they not only study
ways to improve society but become directly involved in that
improvement
Life Situations Strengths &
Weaknesses
 Presents subject  How to determine
matter in an scope and sequence
integrated manner of essential areas of
 Encourages students learning
to learn and apply  Does not expose
problem solving student adequately
procedures to their cultural
 Relevant heritage
 Nontraditional
Core Design

 Centers on general education and is based on problems arising out of

common human activities
Core Strengths & Weaknesses

 Unifies content  Nontraditional

 Provides relevant  Ignores
the
subject matter
fundamentals
 Encourages active
 Materials are hard
processing of
information to find
 Fosters democratic  Requires an
processes in the exceptional teacher
classroom
Social Problems and
Reconstructionist Design
 Curriculum should address contemporary social problems and social
action projects aimed at reconstructing society
 Educators will effect social change and create a more just society
Strengths & Weaknesses