Curriculum Design Qualities

CURRICULUM DESIGN QUALITIES
Curriculum design is a term used to describe the purposeful, deliberate, and

systematic organization of curriculum (instructional blocks) within a class or
course. In other words, it is a way for teachers to plan instruction. When teachers
design curriculum, they identify what will be done, who will do it, and what
schedule to follow.
Purpose of Curriculum Design

Teachers design each curriculum with a specific educational purpose in mind.
The ultimate goal is to improve student learning, but there are other reasons to
employ curriculum design as well. For example, designing a curriculum for
middle school students with both elementary and high school curricula in mind
helps to make sure that learning goals are aligned and complement each other
from one stage to the next. If a middle school curriculum is designed without
taking prior knowledge from elementary school or future learning in high school
into account it can create real problems for the students.
Types of Curriculum Design

There are three basic types of curriculum design:
 Subject-centered design
 Learner-centered design
 Problem-centered design
Subject-Centered Curriculum Design

Subject-centered curriculum design revolves around a particular subject matter
or discipline. For example, a subject-centered curriculum may focus on math or
biology. This type of curriculum design tends to focus on the subject rather than
the individual. It is the most common type of curriculum used in K-12 public
schools in states and local districts in the United States.
Subject-centered curriculum design describes what needs to be studied and how

it should be studied. Core curriculum is an example of a subject-centered design
which can be standardized across schools, states, and the country as a whole. In
standardized core curricula, teachers are provided a pre-determined list of things
that they need to teach their students, along with specific examples of how these
things should be taught. You can also find subject-centered designs in large
college classes in which teachers focus on a particular subject or discipline.
The primary drawback of subject-centered curriculum design is that it is not

student-centered. In particular, this form of curriculum design is constructed
without taking into account the specific learning styles of the students. This can
cause problems with student engagement and motivation and may even cause
students to fall behind in class.
Learner-Centered Curriculum Design

In contrast, learner-centered curriculum design takes each individual's needs,
interests, and goals into consideration. In other words, it acknowledges that
students are not uniform and adjusts to those student needs. Learner-centered
curriculum design is meant to empower learners and allow them to shape their
education through choices.
Instructional plans in a learner-centered curriculum are differentiated, giving
students the opportunity to choose assignments, learning experiences or
activities. This can motivate students and help them stay engaged in the material
that they are learning.
The drawback to this form of curriculum design is that it is labor intensive.

Developing differentiated instruction puts pressure on the teacher to create
instruction and/or find materials that are conducive to each student's learning
needs. Teachers may not have the time or may lack the experience or skills to
create such a plan. Learner-centered curriculum design also requires that
teachers balance student wants and interests with student needs and required
outcomes, which is not an easy balance to obtain.
Problem-Centered Curriculum Design

Like learner-centered curriculum design, problem-centered curriculum design is
also a form of student-centered design. Problem-centered curricula focus on
teaching students how to look at a problem and come up with a solution to the
problem. Students are thus exposed to real-life issues, which helps them develop
skills that are transferable to the real world.
Problem-centered curriculum design increases the relevance of the curriculum

and allows students to be creative and innovate as they are learning. The
drawback to this form of curriculum design is that it does not always take
learning styles into consideration.
Curriculum Design Tips

The following curriculum design tips can help educators manage each stage of the
curriculum design process.
 Identify the needs of stakeholders (i.e., students) early on in the

curriculum design process. This can be done through needs analysis, which
involves the collection and analysis of data related to the learner. This data
might include what learners already know and what they need to know to
be proficient in a particular area or skill. It may also include information
about learner perceptions, strengths, and weaknesses.
 Create a clear list of learning goals and outcomes. This will help
you to focus on the intended purpose of the curriculum and allow you to
plan instruction that can achieve the desired results. Learning goals are the
things teachers want students to achieve in the course. Learning outcomes
are the measurable knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students should
have achieved in the course.
 Identify constraints that will impact your curriculum design. For
example, time is a common constraint that must be considered. There are
only so many hours, days, weeks or months in the term. If there isn't
enough time to deliver all of the instruction that has been planned, it will
impact learning outcomes.
 Consider creating a curriculum map (also known as a curriculum

matrix) so that you can properly evaluate the sequence and coherence of
instruction. Curriculum mapping provides visual diagrams or indexes of a
curriculum. Analyzing a visual representation of the curriculum is a good
way to quickly and easily identify potential gaps, redundancies or
alignment issues in the sequencing of instruction. Curriculum maps can be
created on paper or with software programs or online services designed
specifically for this purpose.
 Identify the instructional methods that will be used throughout the
course and consider how they will work with student learning styles. If the
instructional methods are not conducive to the curriculum, the
instructional design or the curriculum design will need to be altered
accordingly.
 Establish evaluation methods that will be used at the end and during
the school year to assess learners, instructors, and the curriculum.
Evaluation will help you determine if the curriculum design is working or if
it is failing. Examples of things that should be evaluated include the
strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and achievement rates related
to learning outcomes. The most effective evaluation is ongoing and
summative.
 Remember that curriculum design is not a one-step process;

continuous improvement is a necessity. The design of the curriculum
should be assessed periodically and refined based on assessment data. This
may involve making alterations to the design part way through the course
to ensure that learning outcomes or a certain level of proficiency will be
achieved at the end of the course.
6 Qualities of a Dynamic
Curriculum Development
Process
Curriculum Development

By Rubicon International, featuring Dr. Ann Johnson
Curriculum development is referred to as a process for good reason. As curriculum
development continues to evolve from the heavy binders filling bookcases or taking up
space on teachers’ desks to online curriculum development platforms, the process
becomes dynamic, continuous, and collaborative.
What does this process look like? While there is no concrete rule, working with
renowned consultant Dr. Ann Johnson and our in-house experts, we illustrate a
process that capitalizes on the creativity of teachers and the capabilities of
curriculum development platforms. Check-out our guide: ‘6 Qualities of a Dynamic
Curriculum Development Process’.
Do you want coaching on the curriculum development process? Learn more about
our professional development offerings.

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CURRICULUM DESIGN QUALITIES

Curriculum design is a term used to describe the purposeful, deliberate, and

Purpose of Curriculum Design

Types of Curriculum Design

Subject-Centered Curriculum Design

Subject-centered curriculum design describes what needs to be studied and how

The primary drawback of subject-centered curriculum design is that it is not

Learner-Centered Curriculum Design

The drawback to this form of curriculum design is that it is labor intensive.

Problem-Centered Curriculum Design

Problem-centered curriculum design increases the relevance of the curriculum

Curriculum Design Tips

 Identify the needs of stakeholders (i.e., students) early on in the

 Consider creating a curriculum map (also known as a curriculum

 Remember that curriculum design is not a one-step process;

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