CURRICULUM CONSTRUCTION

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CURRICULUM CONSTRUCTION
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Definition of Curriculum

• All planned experiences which the learner may be
  exposed to in order to achieve the learning goal.
• The total way in which educational policy
  decisions are put into practice.
• The master plan which outlines the dimensions and
  structure of the learning experience

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ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

• Chadwick and Legge (4 elements)
• 1.  Aims and Objectives (principles, values,
  policies, learner needs and wants)
• 2.  Design (allocation of resources, control of
  content and methods)
• 3.  Implementation (support, communication,
  publicity and use of resources)
• 4.  Evaluation (attainment, methods of
  evaluation)

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ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

• Rogers (5 elements)
• 1. Philosophical Framework (overall goals)
• 2. Context (setting-facilities class climate)
• 3. Content (materials and sequencing)
• 4. Events (activities and sequencing)
• 5. Evaluation Process (monitor/feedback)
•  

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ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

• Knox (5 steps/elements)
• Need assessment
• Establishing educational context
• Formulating objectives
• Organizing methods
• Evaluating attainment

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4 fundamental questions in curriculum construction

• What educational purposes should an institution
  seek to attain?
• What educational experiences can be provided to
  attain these purpose?
• How can these educational experiences be
  effectively organized?
• How we determined whether these purposes are
  being attained?

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What educational purposes should the learning
institution seek to attain?

• Sources of educational objectives learners
  themselves, contemporary life, subject
  specialists, philosophy of institution
• Learners themselves needs and interest
• Contemporary life critical issues in life
• Subject specialists experts in the area
• Philosophy education and social values

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Importance of learners involvement in curriculum
construction

• Concerns changing the life of learners
• The right to express their needs, wants and
  preferences
• Strategically ensure learners participation
• Politically influence existing power structure,
  foster democracy and justice
• Philosophically towards achieving goals

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Setting Objectives

• General purposes (aims) the social and
  institutional goals of the programme
• Programme objectives the educational or
  operational outcomes toward which a total
  programme will be directed for a prescribed
  period of time
• Learning objectives the specific behavioral
  outcomes that a learner will be helped to seek in
  a particular learning activity (eg. Tutorial
  session)

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Translating needs into programme objectives
through mutual planning

• 1. Organize the needs into a priority system
  consensus in formulating priorities
• 2. Screen the needs through selected filters
• Philosophy of institution (eg. Meet community
  needs)
• Feasibility (with regard to time, cost, staff
  etc)
• Allowing for flexibility (accomplish own need)
• Translate the screened needs into
• Programme objectives
• Learning objectives (knowledge, attitude and
  practice)

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Selecting learning experiences

• Provide opportunity to practice
• Provide satisfaction upon practice
• Relevant to learners attainment and
  predisposition
• Expose to many experiences to attain obj.
• Expose to many experience that bring about
  several outcomes

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How can learning experiences be evaluated

• Begin with the objective
• Identify the situation when learners are ready to
  express the behaviour
• Standardize the recording
• Use the results of the evaluation for
• Modify and improve curriculum
• Clarifying educational objectives
• Influence the learning process

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METHODS AND TECHNIQUES IN FACILITATING ADULT
LEARNING
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Framework for Learning
Adult learning theories provide

• a system of coherent, internally consistent and
  interrelated concepts and ideas that help us to
  understand how best to facilitate learning for
  adults.
• (Foley,1995 Knowles,1990 Merriam
  Caffarella,1991)

• a focus on the personal and situational
  characteristics of adult learners.
• (Merriam Caffarella,1991248-265)

• principles that help educators to predict when
  and how learning will take place and ...to...
  arrange for its occurrence. (Merriam
  Caffarella,1991249)
• The principles help to highlight those
  characteristics of post-compulsory learners that
  should be taken into account when designing,
  developing and implementing learning support
  materials for adults students, including those
  engaged in on-line learning.

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Characteristics of Adult Learners

• Autonomous and Self-Directed -- can assume
  responsibility and leardership
• Accumulation of Experiences/knowledge -- learner
  as resource, connect to experience
• Goal-oriented -- know what to achieve, develop
  goals together
• Practical oriented -- immediate need
• Expect respect-- accept/acknowledge

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Eight key principles of adult learning
1. Adults have a need to know why they need to
learn something before undertaking to learn it.
2. Adults have a disposition for self-directed
learning.
3. Adult learners have significant differences in
the quantity and quality of their experience.
4. Adults benefit from interaction with others
undertaking the same learning experience.
5. Adults expect differing perspectives and
backgrounds to be afforded equal legitimacy.
6.Adults are more ready to learn when the
learning event has direct relevance to their
real-life situations.
7. Adult learning is motivated and enhanced
through the processes of reflection.
8. Internal motivators are the most potent for
adult learners.
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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adults have a need to know why they need to learn
something before undertaking to learn it.
Inform the learner(s) of the need to know.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adults have a disposition for self-directed
learning.
Include an orientation to self-directed learning
approaches and tactics at the beginning of the
educational activity or program.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adult learners have significant differences in
the quantity and quality of their experience.
Provide a wide range of options for
individualised approaches and strategies.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adults benefit from interaction with others
undertaking the same learning experience.
Emphasise experiential learning over knowledge
transmission techniques, and emphasise
peer-helping techniques.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adults expect differing perspectives and
backgrounds to be afforded equal legitimacy.
Emphasise the value and utility of the learners
experience when undertaking the learning process.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adults are more ready to learn when the
learning event has direct relevance to their
real-life situations.
Make it clear at the outset of a learning
experience what its relevance is to the learners
life tasks or problems.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design implications from the key principles of
learning
Adult learning is motivated and enhanced through
the processes of reflection.
Reflective opportunities and challenges should be
an integral design feature of learning materials
for adult learners.

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Design implications from the Key principles of
learning  
Design Implications from the Key Principles of
Learning
Internal motivators are the most potent for
adult learners.
Integrate strategies and activities that will
enhance internal motivators to learn, such as
ensuring that the learner is exposed to success
and positive feedback during the learning event.

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General instructional framework for procedural
knowledge and skills development
(As is the basis of most Training Packages)
Breaking instructions into chunks
Testing what is done in each chunk for
understanding
Summarising
Snowballing (integrating knowledge/skill so that
the student can to the tasks not just the
bits
Assessment
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How can learning experiences be organized?

• Continuity reiteration of content elements
• Sequence progressive development of
  understanding/skills/attitude
• Integration application beyond discipline

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Facilitating Adults Learning learning system

• Clear attainable objective
• Motivation
• Appropriate learning task
• Reinforcement feedback
• Sequential practice
• Transfer of learning
• Feedback in transfer situation

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Techniques/Tools/Strategiesfor providing
Information

• Lecture
• Question-answer session
• Field trips
• Printed materials
• Result Demonstration

• Some perimeters for effective lecture
• not more gt 30 mins.
• 4 to 5 major points
• enhance with visuals
• simple language
• allow time for note taking and questioning
• believe in what you are saying

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Techniques/Tools/Strategiesfor In-depth
Understanding

• Forum (several guests, lecture followed by
  question and answer)
• Buzz group following a lecture
• Group discussion
• Simulation game
• Role playing

• Group project
• Seminar
• Simulated TV Show
• Dialogue
• Searching for assumptions
• Debate

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Techniques/Tools/Strategiesfor Skill Training

• Interactive computer
• Skill demonstration
• Hands-on with supervision
• Internship
• Case study

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Techniques/Tools/Strategiesfor Offering Multiple
Perspectives

• Panel
• Guest speaker
• Drawing
• 3-D Creation

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Techniques/Tools/Strategiesfor developing Group
Agenda

• Group workshop
• Brainstorming
• Delphi technique

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Techniques/Tools/Strategiesfor Individual
Problem solving

• Study group
• Individual conference
• Self-confidence building

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Considerations for Selecting Techniques/Tools/Str
ategies

• Objective/purpose of the class
• Characteristics of the learners
• The subject matter
• Characteristics of techniques, tools or
  Strategies
• Learning situation
• Preferred Techniques/Tools/Strategies

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Considerations for selecting techniques/tools/stra
tegies

• Objective/purpose
• In-depth understanding (role playing, debate)
• Learners characteristics
• Intuitive learner (buzz group, study group)
• Sequential learner (interactive computer, printed
  materials)

• Practical learner (case study, internship)
• Subject matter
• Wood work (skill dev.)
• Environment (multiple perspectives)
• Learning situation (location, duration, group
  size)

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Methods and Resources

• Self-study
• Lectures
• Discussion/seminar
• Visual symbols
• Audio visual
• Tell and Show
• Exercises
• Case Studies
• Dramatic experiences
• Projects

• Computer
• Software
• Screens
• TV
• Text books
• Overhead projectors
• LCD
• Flip Charts
• White boards
• Slide projector