Faculty of Nursing

Master Course 2015 2016

Curriculum Design
Prepared by
Samah Mohammed Fathy
Under supervision
Dr. Wessam Ahmed
Dr. Hala Gaber

Out lines
INTRODUCTION
Definition of curriculum
Definition of design
Definition of curriculum design

Characteristics of well-designed curriculum

Types of Curriculum Design

Elements of Curriculum Design
principles for curriculum design
The Curriculum Structure
curriculum design process
Approaches of curriculum design
Summary
References

Objectives
General objectives
At the end of this lecture the student will acquire knowledge about curriculum design

Specific objectives

Define of curriculum design

Determine types of Curriculum Design

List Elements of Curriculum Design

Identify The Curriculum Structure

Memorize principles for curriculum design

Identify curriculum design process

Explain Approaches of curriculum design

INTRODUCTION
The curriculum is the heart of a student's college experience. The curriculum is a
college's or universities primary means of changing students in directions valued by the
faculty. Curricula should be reviewed and, if necessary, revised on a regular basis, better
to serve the changing needs of both students and society broadly. Today, however, we
are being urged to reassess especially carefully the quality of our curricula.
Faculties are responding to this challenge by turning their attention to what are in many
cases long neglected curricular matters. They are doing so as a practical means of both
attracting and retaining more students, ensuring their success, and producing high
quality, fair outcomes for everyone.

Definitions
Definition of Curriculum
The sum of learning stated as educational ends, educational activities, school
subjects and/or topics decided upon and provided within the framework of an
educational institution or in a less formal setup
Definition of Design
something's form and structure
way something is made
Definition of curriculum design
Curriculum design is generally understood as a high-level process defining the learning
to take place within a specific program of study, leading to specific unit(s) of credit or
qualification.
Curriculum design Refers to the structure or the arrangement of the components or
elements of a curriculum

Characteristics of well-designed curriculum

Holistic and coherent

Inclusive / accessible / student centered

One that fosters a deep approach to learning,

Encouraging independence in learning

Based upon / has links to research / scholarship

Based on feedback, evaluation and review.

TYPES OF CURRICULUM DESIGN

may be broadly categorized into the following major groups:
1. Traditional or subject centered designs
2. Learner-centered designs
3. Problem-centered or society-centered designs

1-Traditional Designs
Are subject-centered
The emphasis is on making the learners absorb as much knowledge as possible
concerning a particular course or broad field
Are easy to develop and to implement because highly-structured
Criticized because they do not make provisions for the differential needs and
interests of learners
Most popular not only in the Philippines but in most parts of the world

2-Learner-centered Designs
May be based on the anticipated needs and interest of the learners
Usually built upon normal activities children engage in (i.e. playing,
storytelling, drawing)
Content is not organized into subjects (Math, Science, etc.) but into course
works (playing, storytelling)
The three Rs are integrated into the course works
Criticized as neglecting the intellectual development of learners

3-Society-Centered Designs
Heavily loaded with societal concerns, problems and issues
May be aimed at making the school, the teachers and the students agents of
social change

Elements of Curriculum Design

1. Aims and objectives
2. Content and learning experiences
3. Method and organization
4. Evaluation

Elements of Curriculum Design

A useful set of principles for curriculum design

1- A philosophy. A curriculum should be founded on a carefully. Thought-out
philosophy of education and should be clearly connected to an institution's mission
statement.
2 -Clear purposes and goals. A curricular mission statement and written curricular
goals (intended student development outcomes or intended results) articulate curricular
purpose what graduates should know and be able to do and those attitudes and values
a faculty believes are appropriate to well-educated men and women. These goals and
their objectives are specified in considerable detail and in behavioral language that will
permit assessment of their degree of achievement (the curriculum's actual outcomes).
3- A theoretically sound process. Student activities are chosen that are capable of

developing the desired outcomes, as indicated by empirical research. Curriculum has its
desired effect primarily through instruction. Therefore, the choice of course experiences
and the specific quality and efficacy of these experiences in producing the stated
intended outcomes for all students is fundamental to the quality of any curriculum.
4- Rational sequence. Educational activities are carefully ordered in a developmental

sequence to form a coherent curriculum based on the stated intended outcomes of both
the curriculum and its constituent courses.
5- Continuous assessment and improvement of quality. Valid and reliable assessment

is preplanned to monitor on a continuing basis the effectiveness of the curriculum in

fostering student development and also the actual achievement of defined institutional
and curricular outcome goals.
6- High-quality academic advising. An effective curriculum one that produces the

results it claims in all of a college's diverse students depends for its success upon a
high-quality program of

academic

advising.

Modern

academic

advising

is

developmental, starting with each student's values and goals, and helps all students
design curricular and noncircular experiences that can help them achieve their own goals
and the institution's intended learning outcomes.

The Curriculum Structure

THE CURRICULUM DESIGN PROCESS

The steps of the curriculum design process presented here are bawl primarily
upon Tyler's classical design for curriculum development.

Approaches of curriculum design

Subject-Centered Curriculum
This model focuses on the content of the curriculum. The subject centered design
corresponds mostly to the textbook written for the specific subject.
Can also be organized around a subject center by focusing on certain processes,
strategies, or life-skills, such as problem solving, decision making, or teamwork.
Examples of Subject-centered curriculum:
1. Subject Design
It stresses so much the content that it forgets about students' natural tendencies, interest
and experiences.
2. Discipline Design
Discipline refers to specific knowledge and through a method which the scholars use to
study a specific content of their fields. The discipline design model of curriculum is
often used in college
3. Correlation Design
This comes from a core, correlated curriculum design that links separate subject designs
in order to reduce fragmentation. Subjects are related to one another but each subject
maintains its identity
4. Broad field design
This design was made to prevent the Fragmentation of subjects and integrate the
contents that are related to each other.

Advantages of Subject-centered curriculum:

1.

Students like it: they're used to it and it fits their idea of what school should be.

2.

Test scores can be easily quantified and explained to funders as program outputs.

3.

Program administrators can use the results of traditional tests to justify their

programs' achievements.

4.

Students, tutors and teachers can point to quantifiable progress, and that is

certainly motivating.
5.

It is also accessible.

6.

Teachers can create their own materials using a traditionalist approach

Disadvantages of Subject-centered curriculum:

a) Subject-centered curriculum doesn't take into account student experiences.

b) Disempowers students
c) Fails to foster social, psychological, and physical development
d) Fosters passivity
Learner-Centered Curriculum

Centered on certain aspects of the learners themselves. May explore the learner's own
life or family history or local environment.
1. Student -centered design: It based on the needs and interests of the child. The

learner is not considered as a passive individual but as one who engages with
his/her environment. One learns by doing. Learners interact with the teachers and
the environment.
2. Experience-Centered design: Experiences of the learners become the starting

point of the curriculum. Thus the school environment is left open and free.
Learners are made to choose from various activities that the teacher provides.
3. Learner-Centered Curriculum Humanistic design ( Abraham Maslow)

It stresses the whole person and the integration of thinking, feeling and doing. It
considers the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains to be interconnected
and must be addressed in the curriculum. It stresses the development of positive
self-concept and interpersonal skills.

Advantages of Learner-Centered Curriculum

1. A stronger bond between teaching and the curriculum;
2. Greater emphasis on the students' needs,
3. as part of "higher education teaching" (i.e. teaching at university level)

Disadvantages of Learner-Centered Curriculum

1. Students find it difficult to work in teams because they have not been taught team

skills.
2. Students who do not relate well to student-centered learning in spite of a teacher's best

efforts.
3. There are many different teaching styles encountered at a university.
4. It's pretty hard to meet all the students needs in one curriculum considering all details

> Problem-Centered Curriculum

Problem based learning, organizes subject matter around a problem, real or hypothetical,
that needs to be solved.
1. Life-situations design: involving real problems of practice Problems that revolve

around life at a given school as a means to analyze the basic areas of living. As a starting
point, the pressing immediate problems of the society and the student's existing concerns
are utilized.
2. Core design: It centers on general education and the problems are based on common
human activities. The central focus of the core design includes common needs,
problems, and concerns, of the learners

Advantages of Problem-Centered Curriculum

a) Increased Self Direction As students pursue solutions to their classroom problem,
b) Promotes student interaction and teamwork
c) Self-Motivated Attitude
d) Enhance Facilitator-Student Relationship
e) They tend to assume increased responsibility for their learning.
f) Higher Comprehension and Better Skill Development
g) Improving managerial skills and leadership ability.

Disadvantages of Problem-Centered Curriculum

a) Ignores the fundamentals
b) Materials are hard to find
c) Requires an exceptional teacher

Summary
Curriculum provides an important and valued leadership opportunity and service. We
look to knowledgeable and skilled faculty to design curriculum that provides high
quality learning experiences for students and supports our collective goals and
aspirations for student requirements, whether professional or government driven,
creating and maintaining a 'market', delivering content and developing learners
achievements.

References
1-Harrison, J. M., Blakemore, C. L., & Buck, M. M. (2001). Basic principles of curriculum
design. In Harrison et al., Instructional strategies for secondary school physical education
(5th Ed.) (pp. 131-148). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
2-Lea, S.J., Stephenson, D., and Troy, J. (2003) Higher Education Students' Attitudes to
Student Centered Learning: Beyond 'educational bulimia'. Studies in Higher Education,
28 (3): 321-34.

3-Curriculum Development: The Philippine Experience.

4-Garcia, Dolores (2007). Designing Curriculum. Rex Book Store.
5-Reyes, Flordeliza C. (2000). Engineering the Curriculum. De La Salle University Press.