CURRICULUM 101
Dr. Carol Fabrey
AGENDA
 Tasks:
 Welcome
 Define CURRICULUM
 Introductions
 Rank Employment Skills
 KWL Chart
 PPT
for your program
 Develop Educational
Goals and Learning
Outcomes for your
program
A starting point…
How do we define curriculum?
How Do We Define Curriculum?
 Curriculum is that which is taught at
school.
 Curriculum is a set of subjects.
 Curriculum is content.
 Curriculum is a sequence of courses.
 Curriculum is a set of performance
objectives.
How Do We Define Curriculum?
 Curriculum is all planned learning for
which the school is responsible.
 Curriculum is all the experiences
learners have under the guidance of the
school.
John Delnay (1959)
How Do We Define Curriculum?
 The most common definition derived from the word
(Latin root), means “racecourse.”
 “ For many students, the school curriculum is a race to
be run, a series of obstacles or hurdles (subjects) to be
passed.”
Bandi and Wales, 2005
Multiple Definitions
• All the learning which is planned and guided by the school,
whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or
outside the school, whether it is carried on in groups or
individually, inside or outside the school. (John Kerr, as quoted in A. Kelly 1999)
• Anything and everything that teaches a lesson, planned or
otherwise. (Leslie Wilson, 2005)
• What is taught in school or what is intended to be learned.
Curriculum represents a set of intentions; a set of intended
learning outcomes. (Posner & Rudnitsky, 1986)
Before developing YOUR definition…
Review the various types of curricula…
Handout: Types of Curricula
Types of Curricula
 OVERT, EXPLICIT, OR WRITTEN CURRICULUM
Refers to documents, texts, resources, and
supportive teaching materials that are overtly chosen
to support the intentional instructional agenda of a
school.
 SOCIETAL CURRICULUM
The ongoing, informal curriculum of family, peer
groups, neighborhoods, church organizations,
occupations, mass media and other socializing forces that
‘educate’ all of us throughout our lives.
Types of Curricula
 HIDDEN OR COVERT CURRICULUM
The kinds of learning derived from the very
nature and organizational design of the learning
institution, as well as from behaviors and attitudes of
instructors and administrators which may include
both positive or negative messages.
We learn simply by the exposure of living. Much that passes for education
is not education at all but ritual. That fact is that we are being
educated when we know it least.
Gardner
Types of Curricula
 NULL CURRICULUM
Since it is impossible to teach everything, many
topics and subject areas must be intentionally
excluded from the written curriculum. Eisner (1994)
indicates that when certain subjects or topics are left
out of the overt curriculum, messages are sent to
students that certain content and processes are not
important enough to study.
Types of Curricula
 PHANTOM CURRICULUM
The messages prevalent in and through exposure to
any type of media.
 CONCOMITANT CURRICULUM
What is taught or emphasized at home, or those
experiences that are a part of a family’s experiences, or
related experiences sanctioned by the family.
Types of Curricula
 RHETORICAL CURRICULUM
Comprised of ideas offered by policymakers, school
officials, administrators or politicians. May also come
from publicized works offering updates in pedagogical
knowledge.
 CURRICULUM-IN-USE
The actual curriculum that is delivered and presented
by each instructor.
Types of Curricula
 RECEIVED CURRICULUM
Those things that students actually take out of the
classroom; concepts and content that are truly learned and
remembered.
 INTERNAL CURRICULUM
Processes, content, knowledge combined with the
experiences and realities of the learner to create new
knowledge.
 ELECTRONIC CURRICULUM
Information learned through searching the Internet or
through using e-forms of communication.
Broad Definition
Is Curriculum…
 Scope and sequence?
 The study of any and all educational phenomena?
 The experiences or activities that engender these
experiences?
 What is intended to be learned?
 A course of study in one subject at a school or college?
 All the courses of study offered by an educational
institution?
Broad Definition
Is CURRICULUM…
 An integrated course of academic studies?
 Any program or plan of activities?
 A group of related courses, often in a special field of
study?
 A set of subject matter, planned or unplanned,
implemented by the academic institution, to meet
general and specific needs of students in order to
prepare them for their future roles?
 Schooling?
Your Turn
Define CURRICULUM
Next Consideration…
What must be considered in making curriculum
decisions?
Factors Influencing Curriculum Decisions
1. The nature of the learner
2. The nature of society
3. The nature of the subject matter
Factors Influence on Educational
Goals and Learning Outcomes
NATURE OF
SOCIETY AND
ITS NEEDS
NATURE OF
SUBJECT
MATTER AND
ITS
IMPORTANCE
NATURE OF
THE LEARNER
(HIS/HER NEEDS)
STATEMENT OF
EDUCATIONAL
GOALS AND
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Who is the Learner?
 Who are the learners at San Juan College?
What is the Nature of our Society
and its Needs?
 What are employers looking for in our San Juan
College graduates?
Rank Employment Skills for your program
Handout: Skills Sought by Employers Chart
The Importance of the Subject Matter?
 What is the nature of the subject matter taught at San
Juan College?
 How important is the subject matter taught at San
Juan College?
A Curriculum that Enables Learners to…
• Linger longer
• Dig deeper
• Cross boundaries
to secure learning
to follow through
to recap
to reach conceptual
understanding
go beneath the surface
link subjects
apply to real world
situations
A Curriculum for Society
• For the 21st century
for our changing
society
economy
technology
• Adaptable
• Challenging
for different needs
expands horizons
real audiences
real purposes
real skills
A Curriculum Emphasizing the
Importance of the Subject Matter
A curriculum that supports:
• the learner and the quality of the learning experience
and learning environment
• relevance and real-world issues
• affective and hands-on learning as well as cognitive
thinking
• critical and systemic thinking rather than only
informational learning
Much More…
A curriculum that is more than the sum of its parts…
 Coherent…building on and able to build upon, not
repetitive
 Meaningful for all students…Why am I doing this?
How can I use this?
 Utilizes resources…supports learning objectives
through instructor expertise
Educational Goals
 What are our EDUCATIONAL GOALS at San Juan
College?
 How can we define our Educational Goals?
 What are your Learning Outcomes?
SJC Mission/Vision Statement
(Draft)
To inspire and support the pursuit of knowledge and the
achievement of personal and community goals through
quality education and services.
SJC is recognized as a progressive, dynamic learning
environment built on mutual respect, meaningful
participation and a collective commitment to the core
values of the college and the community.
Handout: SJC Mission/Vision Statement and CSLO’s
San Juan College
Common Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of San Juan College programs and degrees, the student will…
 Learn………Students will actively and independently acquire, apply and adapt skills and
knowledge to develop expertise and a broader understanding of the world as lifelong
learners.
 Think……….Students will think analytically and creatively to explore ideas, make
connections, draw conclusions, and solve problems.
 Communicate………Students will exchange ideas and information with clarity and
originality in multiple contexts.
 Integrate…..Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of technologies in the
broadest sense related to their field of study.
 Act.....Students will purposefully, reflectively, and respectfully in diverse and complex
environments.
(Handout)
http://www.sanjuancollege.edu/documents/FSPDocuments/AssessmentCommittee/downloads/CSLO%20Rubrics.pdf
Learning Outcomes - Defined
Learning Outcomes specify the observable and/or
measurable knowledge, skills and judgment which a
person is expected to have developed or acquired as the
result of a course of study or a set of identifiable
experiences.
Learning Outcomes describe what a person should
know or be able to do or demonstrate at a given point in
his/her development.
Learning Outcomes:
• are broad
• use plain language
• use verbs requiring verifiable performances
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying
thinking according to six cognitive levels of complexity
Levels of Knowing – Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Bloom’s Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying




thinking according to six cognitive levels of complexity
The levels, often depicted as a stairway, direct many
teachers to encourage students to ‘climb to a higher level
of thought’
The taxonomy is hierarchical, each level subsumed by the
higher levels
This hierarchical arrangement leads to natural divisions
of lower and higher level thinking
The taxonomy is frequently used when writing learning
outcomes to describe the cognitive level that is expected
in student work
Handout: Bloom’s Taxonomy “Revised”
For example…
Samples…
SJC Associate of Applied Science -Business Administration and the Associate of Arts – Business
Administration
(Draft)
Program Learning Outcomes:
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The student will demonstrate understanding and application of general business concepts in the
American and global free market system.
The student will demonstrate understanding and application of basic Management Principles and
Organization Practices in modern business.
The student will demonstrate understanding and application of common Marketing Principles and
concepts.
The student will demonstrate understanding and application of General Accounting as it pertains to
business decisions.
The student will demonstrate understanding and application of the Management of Human
Resources concepts and principles and identify how these principles affect the relationship between
employers and employees.
The student will demonstrate understanding and application of the Communication and Group
Interaction skills necessary for a business career.
Samples…
SJC Occupational Safety On-line AAS Degree – School of Energy
(Draft)
The student will be able to:
• Appraise and control occupational safety, health and environmental hazards
that may exist in the workplace.
• Understand and apply various federal regulations pertaining to safety issues, as
well as voluntary industry best practices.
• Effectively communicate safety issues at all levels of an organization.
• Promote and promulgate appropriate safety training for all levels of an
organization.
• Provide top management with appropriate cost analysis and budgeting
information for an effective safety program.
Samples of Program Learning Outcomes
Paralegal Studies, AS
The successful graduate will:

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Understand the United State judicial system, the jurisdiction of all its courts, and the relationship of the courts to one another and
demonstrate this understanding.
Demonstrate the correct application of legal vocabulary and the court rules in a number of substantive legal fields.
Create a number of written assignments that consist of documents frequently utilized in legal settings and the use of several software
programs developed for and used in courts and law offices.
Analyze fact situations in order to conduct legal research (utilizing print materials, as well as computer assisted research) and draft legal
documents based on that research as demonstrated.
Demonstrate the ability to apply the Code of Professional Responsibility to a number of situations commonly occurring in legal settings and
recommend an ethical course of conduct.
Have experience doing substantive legal work in a legal setting under the supervision of a lawyer.
Green – Knowledge, Blue – Skills, Red - Judgment
Accounting ABA
The successful graduate will:
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Analyze accounting issues; research and evaluate alternatives; then formulate and communicate an ethical solution.
Assess risk, evaluate the internal control structure, and design and implement an audit plan.
Analyze business transactions, problem solve, and apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to make reporting decisions as
demonstrated.
Identify and research a global accounting issue through the successful completion of a prescribed research paper.
Understand and employ current technology, especially spreadsheet applications.
Compare and contrast the stances between the various regulatory bodies.
Identify and analyze various business transactions from accounting and tax aspects.
Your Turn…
WHAT ARE THE EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND
LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR YOUR PROGRAM?
Questions to consider…
WHAT ARE THE EDUCATIONAL
GOALS FOR YOUR PROGRAM?
How do you know these are appropriate ?
WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC
LEARNING OUTCOMES?
How do you know these are appropriate ?