Curriculum Design. A Learner Centered Approach

May , 2007

By. Rhys Andrews

Curriculum Design and Reform – A Process of Transition

Institutions in higher education are currently undergoing significant curricular reform, not just in Georgia

Reasons?

Social and economic challenges, shift from teacher centered to learner centered approach, external reviews, government

pressure, educational technologies, internationalization, others?

Learner-Centered Approach to Curriculum Design

Curriculum that gives learners:

Knowledge, skills and attitudes that are assessable, transferable and relevant to their lives as workers and citizens

A Learner-Centered Approach places emphasis on:

Learning communities, curriculum integration and clearly defined learning outcomes

Benefits of a Learner-Centered Approach to Curriculum Design

1. Informed learners - what they can expect to achieve from a program – so they can organize time and efforts.

2. Helps to determine the extent to which learning has been accomplished.

3. Helps Curriculum committees determine programs of study and course offerings within resource constraints.

4. Communicates curriculum/program goals to a broader community.

5. Informs faculty when they are designing objectives, content, delivery and assessment strategies.

Central Concepts• Outcomes based• Current, relevant• Employability• Variety of teaching techniques• Student-centred• Team & individual learning• Learning communities

Needs Assessment• Advisory Committee• Employment Trends• Data• Job Descriptions• National Standards• Focus of Assessment

Other Considerations• Existing course material?• Time allotment (hours per week) • Defining the Learner• Faculty expertise• Curriculum committee

Program Learning Outcomes with Indicators of Learning

Knowledge and Skill Profile“DACUM”

Strategy of Teaching Processand Who is the learner?

Learning Strategies (Teaching)

The Learner

FamilyCommunity

Maturity

Culture

Gender

History

Supports

Socio-economics

Who is the learner?

Describing the Learner

Before completing learning outcomes for a program or course, a description of learners helps to place a context for development of the learning outcome.

Eg. “Effective Communication” would be a different outcome for a university program than it would be for a technical program.

What are Learning Outcomes?

They are a statement of what the student should know and be able to do when they complete a program or course

•Knowledge•Skills•Attitudes

Learning outcomes are related to the needs analysis of the student (for employment) rather than the needs of the instructor

A focus on learning outcomes suggests that faculty focus first on what is essential that students know or be able to do following completion of a program.

A simple question for faculty to ask is: How will students use or apply this knowledge and these skills in the workplace?

Defining a Learning Outcome

3 main questions to answer:

• What would be required of a student in a employment situation?• What teaching methods/strategies would be effective?• How will the learner be evaluated? (Evaluation methods should be similar to what would be encountered in the workforce)

Learning Outcomes have:

Learning Indicators(Measures of success)To determine whether students are meeting the outcome

Learning/Teaching StrategiesTo provide students with knowledge and abilities to meet the outcome

Which comes first: learning outcomes for a whole program or learning outcomes for anIndividual course?

Program

Course

Module

Learning Outcome: At the end of this unit the student will be able to...

Knowledge

Performance Indicators, orIndicators of Learning

Skills Affective, Social

“Learning Strategies”Teaching Methods

Learning Outcome: At the end of this unit the student will be able to complete a planting prescription

Knowledge• species selection• limiting factors• stocking• sampling

Skills• sampling• site assessment• data compilation• contract develop.

Affective, Social• teamwork• self direction• analysis of options• defense development

Learning and Teaching Strategy

Example:

Indicators of Learning

Knowledge, Skills, and AttitudesExample model is the “Develop A Curriculum

(DACUM)” model

Skills

Knowledge

Attitudes

Increasing Complexity

ContentTeaching

Process

?

When designing a curriculum it is also helpful to think about teaching.

ContentTeaching

Process

Teaching the imparting of knowledge/skill

ContentTeaching

Process

Teaching is also the helping students learn thinkingprocesses

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation Assessment

Learning Cycle: Knowledge

Tacit Knowledge

Learning Processes….

Learning Cycle: Knowledge

Also include “Thinking Skills”

Factual: seeking and recording facts, research

Rational: organization, forming rules, justification

Insightful: alternative perspectives, innovation, ideas

Evaluative: stating preference with argument/justification

Critical: similar to Rational and Evaluative, ability to critique a process or determine appropriateness of a result.

Learning Processes….

Relevance:Demonstrate

Imitate

Practice

Increase Efficiency

PerformAutomatically

Apply

Learning Cycle: Skills

Learning Processes….

Relevance to a job: an individual learning activity

Faculty:Define the problem

Students:Explore

Students:Plan the Solution

Students modify And carry out

Students and Faculty Evaluate

Problem-Based Learning

Students:Additional Information needs?

Learning that simulates what will be encountered in the workforce….

Faculty provideTheory/Practice

Faculty evaluatethe plan

Learning Processes….

Curriculum Concepts

•Collaboration: Learners work on projects together to develop team, group, social skills AND faculty work together to ensure curriculum overlap is intentional

•Relationship: Learning enhanced when the relationship of on outcome to another is demonstrated

•Integration: Curriculum design can accommodate opportunities for learners to integrate outcomes

Course 1

Course 2

Course 3

Course 4

Integrated Activity

Example: September

December

Integration can occur throughout the term or as a planned event/project

Times when faculty combine to show how course outcomes fit together

Other Critical Elements:

• Existing course material?• Time allotment (hours per week) • Defining the Learner

• Faculty expertise

How do institutions build capacity and support for faculty to develop expertise in curriculum design? How are gaps identified?