Monserrat Noelia Salazar García

A BASIC CURRICULUM DESIGN FRAMEWORK

A Curriculum is a series of documents that answer basic questions about
how a course is going to be delivered.
COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM
Match the questions with the best option provided.

1. Why should we develop this 2. Course Rationale

course in the first place?
3. What do you want your students 4. Course objectives
to know at the end of the course?
5. What do students need to learn 6. Needs Analysis
by the end of the course?
7. What situational constraints 8. Situational Analysis
might influence how the course is
structured?
9. How is the course going to be 10. Course logistics
delivered?
11. How are we actually going to A. Syllabus
teach?

12. What materials are we going to Materials selection

use to teach the course?
13. Which students are suitable (or Entry Assessment
not suitable) for the course?
14. How are we going to assess On-going assessment
progress as we go?
15. What are students going to learn
throughout the entire course?
16. How do we determine the overall Course evaluation
effectiveness of the course?

Matching options:
B. Course evaluation
C. Syllabus
D. Materials selection
E. Course objectives
F. On-going assessment
G. Situational Analysis
H. Entry Assessment

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I. Needs Analysis
J. Course logistics
K. Exit assessment
L. Course Rationale
1.1. Course Rationale
It establishes the purpose of a course. It is the foundation of all the steps to
develop in the process.
When the course rationale is being developed there are four important
questions to be answered:

Fill in the blanks with the missing words:

1. What is the profile of the students ………determinent…………. in the course?
2. Why is it important for your ………organization……….. to offer this particular
course?
3. Why is it …………important………… for students to take this course?
4. Why should money be spent on …………developing this particular………… this
course?
1.2 Course Objectives
What we want our students to know and be ale to do at the end of the course,
A. Language Systems
Provide the information missing.
a) Pronunciation (………………………………how language sounds………………., word
stress, sentence stress, intonation.)
b) Vocabulary (Words of the language.)
c) Grammar (Sets of rules and …………patterns…………………… that govern how
we put our words together.)
d) Discourse (Sets of rules and patterns that govern how we put our ………
sentences……… together.)
B. Language Skills
……………listening…………………………
……………speaking…………………………
…………………writing……………………
……………………reading…………………
C. Content
There are three important areas to be considered:
1. Products What we see and touch at the work place. For example:
Policies
Procedures

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 Tools
Computer programmes

2. Behaviours
What do people do in the workplace?
What language is associated with/is used in the profession?

3. Values and Beliefs

What are the beliefs and attitudes that drive the organization?
What can we prioritize?
Why is it necessary to do so? Listening is more important that
writing…………………………………………………………………..
1.3 Needs Analysis
To conduct a needs analysis, we must talk to different people, to get the
necessary information, for example:
Perspective students What do they need to know?
Administrators
Perspective employers
Other professionals
workers
Other Funders
Tools to get information
Fill out the spaces.
1. .……questioner…. and surveys

What type of questions can you ask to find out information?

Y/N questions
Choice questions
……………choise….. questions
Open ended ………questions ……………….

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2. Through Observations
What we see and what language do people use?

3. Document information
Types: Documents, memos,………………e-mail……., reports, proposals, forms.

4. Interviews
Group interviews

5. Legislation review
Laws, rules and policies.

1.4 Situation analysis Constraints we may face as we deliver the course.

Write the words provided in the appropriate space.
Instructor Social Learner Change Institutional
A) ………social………….. factors
Is the course for a regulated profession?
Safety issues we need to address
Union issues we need to be address in the course?
B) ……………institutional………. Factors
Do we have the resources?
Do we have the time to develop the course?
Do we have the credibility?
C) …………instructional………… Factors
Staff qualified to deliver the course?
Find someone to deliver the course and be included in the project?
D) ……………learner………… Factors
Do students really want to take this course?
Do we have enough students?
Can students perform effectively?
E) …………change……………. factors
What are the changes in the organization?
And also, in our students’ lives?
Is everyone ready for the change?
1.5 Course Logistics Practical issues about course delivery.
Detailed questions
How long will the course be?
How many coursed are we going to have?

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How long will each class be?

1.6 Syllabus Language systems, language skills and content we are

going to put in the course, following the steps in order:
Order the steps to be followed, writing the correct number in each. (1- 7)
……2…. Divide objectives and divide them in teachable chunks to be the basis of
a single lesson.
…1……. Take a look at our objectives and goals and divide them into a more
detailed way.
………4... How much time are we going to stay in every chunk?
……5…. Which activities are going to be used?
……4…. What materials we need for each of the activities?
……7…. Document all the information and put the information into a “Scope
and sequence chart”.
……3…. Put them in a sequence that makes sense.

1.7 Materials Selection

Look for textbooks that are available
workbooks
Videos
Internet material
Sources of other materials
We should look for authentic material, that means material that is real and
used in the workplace, in the profession or occupation.
1.8 Assessment
What kind of assessment is needed? Write the type of assessment.
………entry………. assessment
Which will assess the basic level of proficiency the students should have before
the course.

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We need to have a “before picture”, that tells us if there was any improvement
in the students’ level of English.
…………exit…….. Assessment
It tells us what language proficiency the students are dealing with. It is
necessary to demonstrate the change.
Which parameters of assessment should be taken into consideration when
implementing a correct assessment system?
One that has the following characteristics:
Valid
Our intend is what we are really doing?
Reliable
Take the same test to 2, 3 different teachers and they will come out with about
the same assessment.
Practicable
Is it easy to administer?
Is it easy to mark?
1.9 On-going assessment Formative assessment, (Fill in the spaces)
Make sure there is variety:
…………quizzes…………….
Tests
Presentations
1.10 Course evaluation System to figure out if the course was successful.
Talk to students
Are their answers/opinions similar to those of:
Teachers’?
……………administrators,………….’?
Employees’?
Funders’?
Tools to conduct
Collect information and put it together
3 ways to use this information:

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a) To make improvements to the course.
b) Information put it together into a report and circulate it to stakeholders
involved to inform. (people who have an interest in an organization’s
affairs.)
c) To justify and promote future courses.

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