Lesson 3.

1
Fundamentals of
Curriculum Design
The Teacher as a Curriculum Designer
Designing a curriculum is a very challenging
task. It is here where the style and creativity
of the teacher come in.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers

These 10 Axioms will be used to guide curricularist in

designing a curriculum. Axioms are principles that
practitioners as curriculum designer can use as
guidelines or a frame of reference.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
1. Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary, and desirable.
Teachers should respond to the changes that occur in schools and in
their context. Societal development and knowledge revolution come so fast
that the need to address the changing condition requires new curriculum
designs.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
2. Curriculum is a product of its time.
A relevant curriculum should respond to changes brought by current
social forces, philosophical positions, psychological principles, new
knowledge, and educational reforms. This is also called timeliness.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
3. Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer
curriculum changes.
Curriculum is gradually phased in and phased out, thus the changes
that occur can coexist and oftentimes overlap for long periods of time.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
4. Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change.

Teachers who will implement the curriculum should be involved in

its development, hence should know how to design a curriculum.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
5. Curriculum development is cooperative group activity.
Group decisions in somme aspects of curriculum development are
suggested. Consultations with stakeholders when possible will add sense of
ownership. Even learners should participate in some aspect of curriculum
designing. Any significant change in the curriculum should involve a broad
range of stakeholders to gain their understanding, support, and input.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
6. Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from
choices of alternatives.
A curriculum developer or designer must decide what contents to
teach, philosophy or point of view to support, how to provide for
multicultural groups, what methods or strategies and what type of evaluation
to use.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
7. Curriculum development is an ongoing process.
Continuous monitoring, examination, evaluation, and improvement
of curricula are to be considered in the design of the curriculum.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
8. Curriculum development is more effective if it is a comprehensive
process, rather than a “piecemeal”.
A curriculum design should be based on the careful plan,
should clearly establish intended outcomes, support resources, and needed
time available, and should equip teaching staff pedagogically.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
9. Curriculum development is more effective when it follows a systematic
process.
A curriculum design is composed of desired outcomes, subject
matter content complemented references, set of procedures, needed materials
and resources, and evaluation procedure which can be placed in matrix.
Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers
10. Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is.
Curriculum planners and designers should begin with existing
curriculum. An existing design is a good starting point for any teacher who
plans to enhance and enrich a curriculum.
GUIDE QUESTIONS;

1. What learning outcomes need to be achieved?

2. What content should be included to achieve the learning
outcomes?
3. What learning experiences and resources should be employed?
4. How will the achieved learning outcomes be measured?
ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM
DESIGN
1. Behavioral Objectives or Intended Learning Outcomes

The objectives or intended learning outcomes are the reasons for

undertaking the learning lesson from the student’s point of view; it is desired
learning outcome that is to be accomplished in a particular learning episode,
engaged in by the learners under the guidance of the teacher.
SMART
SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RESULT- TIME-BOUND
ORIENTED
Intended learning Example
outcomes
Students will be able to explain
It is used to refer to the
the reason why…
anticipate results after
completing the planned
activity or lesson.
 Students must have explained
the reasons why…
DIFFERENT KINDS OF OUTCOMES

 Cognitive Objectives
 Performance Outcomes
 Affective Outcomes (in some context only)
ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM
DESIGN
II. Content/Subject Matter
 should be relevant to the curriculum
 Should be appropriate to the level of the lesson or unit.
 Should be up-to-date, and if possible , should reflect
current knowledge and concepts.
 Should follow the principle of BASICS.
BASIC
BALANCE ARTICULATION SEQUENCE INTEGRATION CONTINUITY
ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM
DESIGN
III. References
 Tells where the content or subject matter has been
taken. The reference may be a book, a module, or any
publication. It must bear the author of the material, and
if possible, the publications.
 References
1. Project Wild (1992) K to 12 Activity Guide, An Interdisciplinary, Supplementary Conversation and
Environmental Education Program. Council of Environmental Education, Bethesda, MD

2. Shipman, James and Jerry Wilson, et al (2009). An Introduction to Physical Science.Houghton

Mifflin Co. Boston MA
ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM
DESIGN
IV. Teaching and Learning Methods
 These are the activities where the learners derive
experiences. It is always good to keep in mind the
teaching strategies that students will experience and
make them learn.
 Cooperative learning activities allow students to work together. Students are guided to
learn on their own to find solutions to their problems. The role of the teachers is the
guide the learners.

 Independent learning activities allow learners to develop personal responsibility. The

degree of independence to learn how to learn is enhanced.

 Competitive activities, where is students will test their competencies against another in a
healthy manner, allow learners to perform to their maximum.

 The use of various delivery modes to provide learning experiences is recommended.

 SOME BEHAVIORIST TEACHING LEARNING
METHODS
A. Direct Instruction
1. State Learning Objectives / Outcomes
2. Review
3. Present new materials
4. Explain
5. Practice
6. Guide
7. Check for understanding
8. Provide feedback
9. Assess performance
10. Review and test
 SOME BEHAVIORIST TEACHING LEARNING
METHODS
B. Guided Instruction
1. Review
2. Anticipatory set
3. Objective
4. Input
5. Modeling
6. Check for understanding
7. Guided Practice
8. Independent practice
 SOME BEHAVIORIST TEACHING LEARNING
METHODS
C. Mastery Instruction
1. Clarify
2. Inform
3. Pretest
4. Group
5. Enrich and correct
6. Monitor
7. Posttest
8. Assess performance
9. Reteach
 SOME BEHAVIORIST TEACHING LEARNING
METHODS
D. Systematic Instruction
1. Review
2. Development
3. Assess comprehension
4. Seatwork
5. Accountability
6. Homework
7. Special Review
 TEACHING-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

1. ADEQUACY
 This refers to the actual learning space or classrooms.

2. SUITABILITY
 Relates to planned activities. Suitability should consider
chronological and developmental ages of learners.
 TEACHING-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

3. EFFICIENCY
 Refers to operational and instructional effectiveness.

4. ECONOMY
 Refers to cost effectiveness.
ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM
DESIGN
V. Assessment/ Evaluation
 Leaning occurs most effectively when students receive
feedback, i.e. when they receive information on what
they already learned.
3 MAIN FORMS OF ASSESSMENT

1. Self-assessment
2. Peer-assessment
3. Teacher-assessment
 ASSESSMENT

FORMATIVE SUMMATIVE
Major Components of a Course Design or Syllabus

1. Intended Learning Outcomes (or Objectives)

2. Content/Subject Matter (with references)
3. Methods/Strategies (with needed resources)
4. Evaluation (means of assessment)