Curriculum Design - Chapter 1 Summary

Overview

Curriculum Design is the process and tool which allows every person to organize and structure their different work sessions. We as teachers, have to design our lesson on a daily basis with different activities that point towards the objectives of every skill targeted. This sequential organization should be evaluated and provide a positive production and feedback. At the time of designing we should take in consideration a lot of elements, as the reading suggests these factors can be named the "outer circles", which are the principles, environment and needs that students grow surrounded with. 

As teachers, we must start every course with a diagnose test or survey that can reveal the students current knowledge, their strenghts and weaknesses, as well if there is a curricular modification to be applied. The reading suggests three sub-processes  to be developed which are the environment analysis, needs analysis and the application of principles which will be reviewed in the next chapters. 

The "inner circles" as can be seen at the first image, are focused to the goals, and the assessment that should be applied in the learning process of the students. Something really is that language courses must take in consideration to the target language content, and the use of it for the learners in its professional and personal growth. 

Considering the Environment

The environment analysis must consider the factors of the situation in which the course will be used and determining how the course should take them in account. The most popular way to understand the students environment is through a list of questions build up to provide the desired results. Teachers should know the nature of the learners, as the teachers and the teaching situation. I remember when I made my teaching practicum during the major, one of the first tasks was to surveyed the students and to know the students' population. 

Some of the factors that should be reviewed as well, are: 

-The small amount of time available for the course

-The large size of the classes

-The wide range of proficiency in the class

-The immediate survival needs of the learners

-The lack of appropriate reading materials

-The teachers' lack of experience and training

-The learners' use of the target language in the classroom

-The need for the learners to be more autonomous

These factors are part of the daily teaching process and which affect our lessons, that is the main reason why they must be take in consideration when designing a course. 

Discovering Needs

The needs along with the environment can be defined through a survey or diagnose test providing the teacher the landscape that will work with during the course. 

Following Principles and Goals

When the teacher knows the environment, needs and situation of the students in the classroom, it is easier to adapt the curriculum to apply the correct principles that should be reviewed during a course. Probably the goals should be the most important part of the curriculum design and aiming at these goals with the correct activities, classwork and extra class tasks; is the most delicate part. When pointing a goal there should be a clearview of the goals and how achieving theses goals will provide a correct production on the target language for the language skills. 

Content and Sequencing 

Though the units of progression in a course might be tasks, topics or themes, it is important for the curriculum designer to keep some check on vocabulary, grammar and discourse to make sure that important items are being covered and repeated. At the time of providing content we must take in consideration to keep a follow up on this content and how to evaluate it in different ways.

Finding a Format and Presenting Material

The material in a course needs to be presented to learners in a form that will help learning. As well, on this point we should review about a suitable teaching techiniques, methods and procedures and these needs to be put together in lessons. There are several advantages to having a set format for lessons, because it makes easier to plan, to monitorand that principles are being followed. The sources of the material used will have decisive effects on the ease of making the lessons and on the way of evaluating the course will be easier and more effective. 

Monitoring and Assessing

The aims of curriculum design are to make a course that has useful goals, that achieves its goals, that satisfies its uders, and that does all this in an efficient way. The way of assessing has plenty of options like tests, quizzes, oral presentations and extra class work, as teachers, we must develop every different assessing option. 

Evaluating a Course

A well designed course should be evaluated according to the objectives and topics developed through the course. Every element should match if it is not the case the designer will have to readapt every rubric evaluation. Every test, quiz, oral presentation, class work or extra class work must point toward and objective of every target content, this is the correct way to evaluate a course.