Station 9. Curricula

What theories do I have to take into account when working on curriculum development?

There are many different theories, approaches and models on curriculum development. We will not be able to cover it all, so we’ll focus on some elements that are important to take into account regardless of the approach or model chosen:

• A definition of curriculum
• Curriculum representations
• Curriculum levels.

How is a curriculum designed?

There are many different methods and approaches to designing a curriculum. We will explain some of the approaches, look at different inputs for the curriculum design process, suggest steps that can be followed, describe how to involve different stakeholders and share some tools and models that can support the design process – without being exhaustive. 

What are the trends in curriculum development?

From subject-oriented to modular curricula

Based on our current understanding of how people learn, and rapid developments in the world around us, there has been a shift from traditional subject-oriented curricula to modular curricula. Modular curricula should be more flexible. They consist of building blocks based on learning outcomes that can be offered several times during each school year, and can be combined in different ways. A module covers a specific task in a holistic way, it has a clear start and end and can be offered on its own. This approach also makes it easier to adapt the curriculum to changing market demands. If there are changes to a specific task, for example due to the introduction of new technology, only the module related to this task needs to be revised, instead of all the different subjects linked to the task in a subject-oriented curriculum.

The general belief is that building curricula with modules supports bridging theory and practice and supports an external orientation towards the work field (e.g., Hubbal & Burt, 2004; Nieuwenhuis, 2013), and although modules can still be more or less interdependent the traditional idea of a curriculum as a ‘linear assembly line’ is left behind.

Let’s take one example to illustrate the difference between a subject-oriented and modular curriculum. To become a cook, someone needs to be able to cook different courses within a wide range of cuisines. In a subject-oriented curriculum, this task will be covered by different subjects. For example, a subject covering the theory of different cuisines, one on cooking technology, one on hygiene and safety in the kitchen, practical classes on cooking skills, and so on. In a module-oriented curriculum, students receive a specific objective for the module, for example to cook a three course menu of Italian cuisine. Within the module there is time for hygiene and safety, or to repeat or build upon knowledge acquired by learners on this topic in a previous module. There can be short lectures to explain the characteristics of Italian cuisine, and this can be followed by immediate practice of the different techniques. In the meantime, learners can start thinking about the three course menu they would like to prepare and cook. To make it more challenging, learners can be asked to prepare the three course dinner based on a case description. The case can describe the expectation of the customer, and the learners will have to prepare a dinner to meet these expectations. In this way, theory and practice are offered in an integrative way and it will become clear to a learner why he or she needs to learn specific theories and skills. Without this knowledge and skills, they will not be able to perform the final assignment.

Further reading:

• Hubball, H., & Burt, H. (2004). An integrated approach to developing and implementing learnig-centred curricula. International Journal for Academic Development, 9(1), 51-65.
• Nieuwenhuis, L. (2013). Werken aan goed beroepsonderwijs [ Working on good vocational education ]. Inaugural oration. Nijmegen: HAN University of Applied Sciences.