Module 2: Curriculum Management

M2S1: Overview of curriculum.

At the end of this session, you will be able to –
• State Tyler’s Principles of Curriculum Development.
• List the three elements of Curriculum Spiral, and
• Illustrate Glaser’s Basic Teaching Model.

Curriculum development is the foundation for all academic activities. A properly structured
curriculum with clarity of purpose and distinctly illustrated roadmap ensures its complete
implementation. The most universally accepted definition of curriculum is the one proposed by Ralph
Tyler in the1940s.
Tyler defines curriculum as all the learning experiences, planned and directed by the school, to attain
its educational goals. According to this definition, curriculum is a deliberate, systematic, and planned
document. His postulates for curriculum, which are famous as Tyler Rationale, assert that curriculum
answers four simple questions –
- What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?
- What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?
- How can these educational experiences be effectively organized? and
- How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?
This definition can be converted as the map for curriculum to include –
1. Defining appropriate learning objectives,
2. Establishing useful learning experiences,
3. Organising learning experiences to have a maximum cumulative effect, and
4. Evaluating the curriculum and revising the aspects that did not prove to be effective
Curriculum therefore, is the framework for implementing the course, which ensures clarity and
uniformity in all matters relating to the course delivery. Curriculum is classified into three
components – stating the learning objectives; indicating the teaching–learning methods/media to
realise the objectives; and, choosing the assessment practices to check the extent and depth of
attainment of the stated objectives. These three components of curriculum are arranged in a spiral
manner, so as to create an incremental progress in learning.
Central to the curriculum are statements of objectives, which span across three domains – knowledge,
skills, and attitudes / communication as per Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives. These are
further codified at three varying levels of complexity and depth, as per Guilbert’s Levels.
The purpose of stating objectives in each domain is to identify the most appropriate instrument to
realise it, that is, the teaching-learning method(s) / media, and the most authentic way of assessing
their attainment. The curriculum spiral therefore, acts as a professional compass to guide the teachers
and learners for their academic pursuits.
All the academic activities follow a system-based pattern. As in any system, there are components of
input, processing, and output. The preparations that a teacher does to organise and deliver are the
input. The events that happen in the classroom, or clinic or any teaching-learning context are the
process, and what the students are able to perform, represents the output.
The entire process of teaching as a system can be represented in the form of a graph to illustrate a
basic teaching model. As can be seen here, the purpose of teaching is initially listed as learning
objectives. Once the purpose is established, we need to assess what is the extent to which the learners
are already aware of the basics of the subject, so as to facilitate their learning at an advanced level.
This is also called as ‘entry behaviour’ assessment, which is the knowledge or skill capacity of the
learners at the entry point of that class.
Once the basics are in place, the next step is the rolling out of instruction, which can be in the form of
teaching methods, and teaching media. To simplify, teaching method is what the teacher ‘does’, like
giving a lecture, conducting a demonstration, etc. Teaching medium is what the teacher ‘uses’ i.e., a
blackboard, specimen, etc.
The outcome of this entire procedure is seen in assessment, which is the extent to which the teaching
has been successful. Assessment also gives feedback as to whether the selection of ‘objectives’ was
relevant, whether the assessment of ‘entry behaviour’ was appropriate, and whether the ‘teaching–
learning methods/media’ were suitable for the objectives and the context. It also indicates as to
whether the assessment method itself was appropriate or not.
At the end of this session, are you able to –
• State Tyler’s Principles of Curriculum Development.
• List the three elements of Curriculum Spiral, and
• Illustrate Glaser’s Basic Teaching Model.