Curriculum Design

What exactly is curriculum design? It is the part of an education career that focuses on
developing new curriculum for students. This aspect of education is so important that some
professionals actually specialize in nothing but curriculum design instead of teaching in a
classroom environment. However, in many circumstances teachers in the classroom develop
their own curriculum. It is also used by parents who decide to home school their children, with
the help of education professionals.

In general there are standards set by governing bodies to ensure that all children get the same
education. This includes when children should begin learning certain concepts like
multiplication, and at what ages they should have a specified reading ability. Those who work on
curriculum design regularly review these standards to make sure that they can be met, and
make adjustments when necessary.

Designing curriculum considers the students and what types of curriculum is best for their
needs. This can be a difficult achievement since students in most schools come from a range of
cultural and economic backgrounds. Teaching methods may be different depending on the
basic makeup of the student body, as some methods are more appropriate for certain types of
students than others. A truly professional and experienced curriculum designer will take these
points into consideration.
One also has to think about limitations when planning new curriculum. Limitations include
budget, time, and student's abilities. For example, not many schools could afford to take all their
students to historical museums, but the parent of a home schooled child may. Additionally,
some concepts taught in a large school environment may have to be broken into smaller pieces
in order to give the teacher time to cover the topic with his or her class. When subjects are
covered too fast many children may not have time to assimilate the information before new
information is introduced.
If you plan to become a professional curriculum designer, you will generally need to have a
teaching degree and a master's degree in education. If you want to remain a teacher and design
curriculum for your own students, look into continuing education courses that can help you get
started.
Curriculum design can be a rewarding opportunity to personally have an effect on a child's life
by putting together a fun and interesting lesson plan to help them learn new concepts. Whether
you want to be a curriculum designer as your career, or simply want to try your hand at putting
together your own curriculum for your class, you will find this job to be challenging and
gratifying.

If you really want to make a your mark in the field of education, become a designer of
curriculums. It takes a lot of patience, research, and imagination, but you will learn the most
effective and intelligent ways to educate. Students must have a program of study and solid
methods of instruction from which to learn, making curriculum and instruction important
elements for any school or educational institution. Developing curricula requires a specialized
understanding of modern theories and principles as well as the needs of stakeholders such as
schools, parents, the community, and the state boards. In addition, working to improve
instructional methods can help schools educate their students better, faster, or more in line with
modern techniques.

A Curriculum Development Process

The Curriculum Development (CD) process encompasses the design and development of
integrated plans for learning, the design of implementation of the plans, and of the evaluation of
the plans, their implementation and the outcomes of the learning experience.
Curriculum design is a process of critical questioning to frame learning and teaching. The main
purpose of the process is to translate broad statements of intent into specific plans and actions.
The intention is to ensure, as far as possible, alignment between the three states of curriculum:
the planned curriculum, the delivered curriculum and the experienced curriculum [from the
students' point of view].

Curriculum

Curriculum matters mainly because of its potential impacts on students. The fundamental
purpose of curriculum development is to ensure that students receive integrated, coherent
learning experiences that contribute towards their personal, academic and professional learning
and development.
Curriculum development is a key process in determining the quality of learning and teaching that occurs
within the University and hence the qualities of graduates.
Curriculum can be characterized in a number of ways:
 curriculum as content - the subject matter to be taught
 curriculum as experience - the planned and other experiences encountered by learners in
educational contexts
 curriculum as intention - statements of predetermined aims, objectives and outcomes, and
planned learning experiences for students
 curriculum as cultural reproduction - the passing on of the accepted knowledge, values and
behaviours of a discipline, profession or society to the succeeding generation
Each of these partial images contributes to a more holistic characterisation of curriculum as:
All the planned learning opportunities offered to students and the experiences encountered by the
students when the plans are implemented. The curriculum is the plans, practices and outcomes of the
interaction between the student, the curriculum design (plans linking elements together) and the teaching
staff.

Key elements and relationships in curriculum

Key elements within the curriculum and the relationships between them are shown in diagram 1
below.
Staff and students are at the heart of curriculum. The relationships between them are shaped by
the answers to key questions about
  assessment,
 content,
 learning interactions and
 the connections between those elements.
In the diagram the top question in each pair is a design question for staff. The lower set of
questions is commonly asked by students to shape their approach to learning. Curriculum design
should help ensure alignment between the answers staff build into their design and those that
students find through their experience of the curriculum.

These elements and relationships of course are all context bound. In current systemic approaches to
curriculum design, a major element of the educational context is the intended learning outcomes for
students of a topic or course.
Intended learning outcomes frame and influence the detail and alignment of assessment, learning
interactions and content (Biggs, 1999). Intended learning outcomes describe the characteristics that a
student should be able show on successful completion of a course or topic. Assessment gauges the
extent of students' achievement of the intended outcomes, learning interactions and content should help
to build towards students' achievement of those outcomes.

Alignment in the curriculum: outcomes influence internal elements – elements align towards students achieving
outcomes

Intended learning outcomes are formed under the influences of:

 university policy and regulations,
  the interests of the particular academic discipline,
 our understanding of the characteristics of students entering the course of topics,
 the expectations of society, professions and potential employers, and educational theory and
good practices.
Some key University policy considerations that must be accommodated in curriculum design are:
 the development of Flinders University Graduate Qualities;
 the University's commitment to Work Integrated Learning (WIL);
 the University's commitment to revitalising the First Year curriculum;
 the University's commitment to internationalisation of curriculum;
 the University's commitment to the incorporation of indigenous knowledge and perspectives;
 reconsideration of assessment and teaching to respond to current demands;
 the technical requirements on course structure and consistent topic unit values.
The translation, contextualization and accommodation of these influences in the curriculum is captured in
the course or topic aim statement and the long description that appears in the course information book
and on the University website.

The curriculum design process at course level sets the context for topic design and topic design sets the
context for each learning experience. Topics need to be designed to come together in structured
combinations to form coherent major and minor sequences and courses. Parts of the process especially
at the course and topic levels overlap and ideally should occur interactively with course design informing
and influencing topic design and topic design informing and influencing course design.
The fundamental purpose of curriculum development is to ensure that students receive integrated,
coherent learning experiences that contribute towards their personal, academic and professional learning
and development.

The three states of the curriculum (see Prideaux, 2003)

Curriculum development: Major phases and outcomes

A systemic approach to curriculum development ideally should begin by scoping the broad
design boundaries and parameters then working through to the specific detail within the
particular agreed boundaries and parameters. It builds a series of interconnected plans:
 the statement of aims and intended learning outcomes;
 a statement of content, assessment, learning interactions to achieve the ends;
 resource plan detailing people, materials, time, facilities, texts, references, readings, etc.
needed;
 an implementation plan - assigns responsibility for who should do what, when and where
 a plan for monitoring and evaluating the success of delivery and making adjustments to
improve achievements.
Such interactive ‘ends-means' planning can help to ensure holistic, coherent design.

The phases are: Topic level CD: Course level CD:

Scoping and positioning:
identification of and consultation established need for and established need for and
with interested parties context of the topic context of the course
establishment of learning ethos
and intent
Definition:
development of the broad/high
level description
Detailed design:
intended learning outcomes
educational means plan
(assessment, content and
learning interactions)
logistics/delivery resources and
implementation plans
control/evaluation plan
establishment of topic aim
More Information
Topic description;
topic objectives(?)
More Information
Detailed topic information:
learning outcomes
assessment (SAM)
content
learning and teaching mode(s)
and methods
timetable, study plan,
textbooks, support
resources, FLO pages
Topic evaluation plan
statement of course
philosophy
Course rules;
graduate profile;
requirements to meet external
accreditation requirements
Course information
Course aims and learning
outcomes
Program of study, sequence of
topics, specializations, majors
Strategies for development
and assessment of Graduate
Qualities
Broad consideration of
delivery mode, work
integrated learning, etc.
Particular issues in design of
first year curriculum
Course review plan

Planning review and Confirmation of: Confirmation of:

confirmation resource availability resource availability
teaching capability teaching capability
internal / external approval
Implementation effective topic delivery effective course delivery
Ongoing review
formative input toward refined/improved topic refined/ improved course
continuous improvement

CD is in essence a subjective process of asking questions and making choices. Educational

design is not a 'hard' science. Subjective decisions need to be made on the philosophy, ethos and
orientation of a course or topic and what content to include and to exclude; about what textbook
to use; about what references to recommend; about what student capabilities to develop.
Subjective decisions are made about delivery strategies, the importance of different types of
learning, and the level of support given to students as they pursue learning, and
assessment. Following this guide will assist in ensuring at least "informed subjectivity"
considering the full scope of curriculum issues.
Topic Curriculum Development
Learning and teaching are purposeful activities. Key questions to help us thing about our
educational intentions for a topic are:
 where does the topic fit in the course context?
 why is the topic needed?
 what do our students need?
 what should the topic do? What is its educational aim?
An aim statement is a starting point - a declaration of educational intent and direction for
the topic.
It is good educational practice, to clearly communicate to students what a topic is intended to do.
When formulating statements of aims, words really matter. The statement should encapsulate the
essential characteristics of what the topic intends to do.
Developing the topic description
The purposes and essential educational characteristics of a topic are described in the topic
description. This topic description (included on the University's website and course information
book) is usually the first information about a topic that prospective students encounter. It creates
the first impression that can strongly influence enrolment decisions.
The key question is:
what (say 3 to 5) elements of the topic are critical to the achievement of the topic aim?
This phase results in a precise, detailed statement of specific characteristics of the scope of the
topic.
Detailed topic design
Detailed design must occur within the general structural and administrative parameters of what
constitutes a topic. The detailed design should be communicated to students in the topic booklet
and Statement of Assessment Methods (SAM).
The key aspects and questions that need to be considered in the detailed design are:
The students
Students are at the heart of the learning experience. Different student cohorts are likely to bring
different previous experiences to a learning environment. The nature of the student cohort can
have a significant effect on what can be realistically achieved in a topic of a specified size (e.g.
4.5 points; 9 points). Detailed design needs to consider matters of educational background,
cultural diversity and inclusive teaching.
Questions that need to be asked about the potential student cohort are:
what background and knowledge are they likely to bring to the topic in relation to:
 academic skills, practices and conventions?
 the knowledge and culture of the discipline/field of study ?
 cultural and contextual behaviours and knowledge ?
what pre-existing knowledge/skills are required for a student to have a reasonable chance of
success in achieving the intended learning outcomes of the topic?
The expected entry competencies need to be made clear to prospective students, and if necessary
mechanisms put in place to help build those competencies.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes are statements of the attributes and capabilities that a student should be able
to display on successful completion of the topic. They provide the basis for determining student
progress and designing assessment strategies and methods. They also provide signposts towards
appropriate content and learning interactions to help students achieve those outcomes.
Questions that need to be asked about intended learning outcomes are:
 What are the intended outcomes of the learning experience for students in the domains
of:
o Discipline knowledge and application of knowledge?
o Action and process competencies - including generic skills?
o Development of the student as learner?
 What is the appropriate balance across the intended outcomes?
 How will these outcomes contribute to the development of the Flinders Graduate
Qualities?
In developing and recording intended learning outcomes, words really matter. In particular,
verbs really matter.
Learning outcomes are statements of the capabilities that a student should be able to
display on successful completion of the topic
Assessment
"Assessment affects peoples lives" (Boud and Falchikov, 2007, 1). Assessment is the critical
link between learning outcomes, content and learning and teaching activities. Assessment not
only gauges what students have learned, it shapes how many students approach learning. Design
of assessment focuses on developing assessment methods and activities to enable students to
demonstrate their learning in relation to the stated learning outcomes for the topic.
The key questions are
 how will student learning and progress be measured/determined?
 what methods will be used for assessment?
 what criteria will be used to determine student capabilities?
 Do the assessment tasks match the intended learning outcomes?
Detailed information on design and use of various assessment methods is available on
the assessment web pages.
Selecting Content
Content is more than just knowledge. Content selection needs to give appropriate balance to
subject knowledge, process skills and the development of the student as learner as well as to
detail and context.
The key questions are:
 what knowledge (concepts, ideas, interpretations, applications) must be included to
enable students to achieve the intended learning outcomes?
 what generic process knowledge and skills should the student have been taught by the
end of the topic?
 what context in the discipline do the students need to have by the end of the topic?
 what is the appropriate balance of content: depth/breadth, knowledge/skills and
processes/values?
 what content should contribute to the development of Graduate Qualities?
 how can international perspectives be incorporated into the topic?
Once content has been selected it needs to be organized in relation to two main principles: scope
and sequence. Time is a major factor in determining the scope of content and the balance
between breadth and depth. Integration is also a factor in relation to scope: students generally
learn more when they are able to connect new content to prior knowledge and to seek and find
real world applications for what they are learning.
The selection of content is complete NOT when as much as possible has been put in, but rather
when as much as possible has been taken out without compromising the integrity of the topic as
a learning experience towards the intended learning outcomes.
Learning and Teaching Interactions: Approaches, Methods and Materials
Detailed consideration of learning and teaching interactions needs to be framed by the
educational aims and intended learning outcomes for the topic. Teaching needs to communicate
and model the knowledge, practices and values contained in the outcomes to prompt and support
learning.
The main questions that need to be answered are:
 What broad learning approach will best help to achieve the topic aim, e.g. problem based
learning, WIL, group based learning?
 How can teaching most effectively contribute to student learning towards the intended
learning outcomes?
The selection of teaching strategies and specific learning and teaching interactions needs to take
into account:
 appropriateness for the learners and inclusive teaching
 resources to support student learning (e.g. textbooks, FLO)
 other constraints (e.g. time, student cohort, teaching space)
A combination of strategies can promote greater learning for more students. Students learn more
when they are actively engaged in their academic work; become aware of their own preferred
way of learning; seek and find real world applications of what they are learning; and work
regularly and productively with staff and other students.
Other questions are:
 What are the most appropriate and practical learning activities?
  What resources are needed to support student learning?
 How can learning and teaching interactions contribute to the development of Graduate
Qualities?
 Detailed Topic Design
 Detailed design must occur within the general structural and administrative parameters of
what constitutes a topic. The major outcome of this phase is a fully developed topic
design as the basis for topic delivery. It provides the template for the total package of
learning experiences. The detailed design should be communicated to students in the
topic booklet and Statement of Assessment Methods (SAM).

The key aspects and questions in the process of detailed design are examined in the
following sections

The students
 Students are at the heart of the learning experience.

ifferent student cohorts are likely to bring different previous experiences to a learning environment. The
nature of the student cohort can have a significant effect on what can be realistically achieved in a topic of
a specified size (e.g. 4.5 points; 9 points).
For example, take a topic on research methods. Would a 4.5 point first year topic offered to new entry
students exposing them to a range of approaches and techniques bear much resemblance to a nine point
topic for graduate students as preparation for a major research project? Would either of these topics
remain the same if they were offered for international students coming from educational backgrounds
different to the Australian system? If these topics, presented to different audiences, were identical in
content and approach would each represent a valuable learning experience for the students?
Detailed design needs to consider matters of educational background, cultural diversity and inclusive
teaching.
Some questions that need to be asked about the potential student cohort are:
what background and knowledge are they likely to bring to the topic in relation to:
- academic skills, practices and conventions?
Are they new students or have they been exposed to the general expectations of university/
undergraduate/ postgraduate level study?
- the knowledge and culture of the discipline/field of study
Is this likely to be their first exposure to the discipline or can some contextual understanding be
expected? What practical skills needed to function in the discipline/field of study are they likely to have?
 - cultural and contextual behaviours and knowledge
What general background can be expected from the students? Is this background likely to affect their
approach to learning? If so what additional student support might need to be provided to enhance their
learning experience?
A key question to ask about the topic itself is: what pre-existing knowledge/skills are required for a
student to have a reasonable chance of success in achieving the intended learning outcomes of their
learning experience?
This last question helps to identify the essential prerequisites for the planned learning experience. It is
also likely to help in providing sound advice to potential students about their likelihood of success in a
topic.
These questions together help to clarify and specify the expected starting point for students in the topic
and help to scope what needs to happen for students to reach the planned end point of the topic - the
intended learning outcomes.

Challenges facing curriculum design

The freedom to design curriculum from scratch is exciting, but the reality is that schools and
districts are not always prepared for the process problems that can arise from shifting
curriculum design internally. How do we support delivering high-quality and meaningful units?
 Standard selection and alignment with goals, learning activities, and assessments may be
random and messy.
 Teachers may be accustomed to working independently on curriculum.
 Professional Development for Curriculum Design varies greatly.
Given these challenges, the question is: How do we design high-quality curriculum? Let’s
explore the question.

Guided and Aligned Unit Design

To reduce the randomness of curriculum development, it is crucial to have a consistent process
and framework as a guide. Systematically selecting standards and other goals that align with
learning and assessments is one component. The ability to identify gaps and redundancies in
standard alignment across subjects, grades and schools is another important aspect. Using a
standards-based curriculum design platform, such as the one offered by Eduplanet21, you can
easily select and add in standards and customize appropriately throughout units, under the
respected framework of Understanding by Design®.

Importance of Collaboration in Curriculum Design

Many teachers have developed curriculum on their own, teaching what they have designed
independently. However, technology and shared files can add an important element of
 collaboration into the process. This not only improves output, but also enhances the curriculum
design experience for all team members who will learn from one another during the process. A
structured workflow process designed for transparency can support collaboration among
teachers in the following areas:
 Consistency of standards alignment
 Identifying gaps and redundancies in units
 Team based approach to unit design that builds on individual’s strengths and provides
opportunities for continual improvement.
Another benefit to collaboration while designing? It just might also improve camaraderie and
team morale.

Professional Development is Key to Success

As the saying goes, “a rising tide raises all boats”, meaning that elevating the status of a few
ends up helping everyone around them. This also applies to professional development for
curriculum design. Consider these questions:
 Did all members of the curriculum design team receive training in best practices?
 Was the training done over time with opportunities to apply learning between sessions?
 How will new staff training be accomplished and sustained?
It is imperative to provide sustained professional development to improve curriculum design.
Building capacity within your organization is also key to sustaining best practices. An easy to
navigate platform that embeds a unit design framework along with needs-based, on-demand
professional development is key to consistent and sustained professional development.
With these tips in mind, your school or district can choose products and services that are
equipped to better help you and your team to address the challenges and gaps in your
curriculum design.