PRINCIPLES AND DIMENSION

OF CURRICULUM DESIGN

Prepared by:
MARRYCHRES D. MEDINA
MAED-AS
• Curriculum Design provides clear
relationship among the different
elements of the curriculum:
objectives, contents, activities and
evaluation.
 Dimension of Curriculum
• Scope

• Sequence

• Continuity

• Integration

• Articulation

• Balance
Scope
All the content, topics, learning experiences, and organizing threads comprising
the educational plan. (Tyler in Ornstein, 2004)
It does not only refer to the cognitive content but also affective and
psychomotor
the terms broad, limited, simple, general are few of the words that can describe
the scope
refers to the coverage of the curriculum

can be divided into chunks called units, subunits, chapters or sub-chapters.

Sequence
A particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow
each other.

Vertical relationship among the elements to provide continuous and

cumulative learning

Contents and experiences are arranged in hierarchical manner where the

basis can either be logic of the subject matter or on the developmental
patterns of growth of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains
 Simple to Complex Learning – content &
experiences are organized from simple to
complex, concrete to abstract, easy to
difficult.
4 Principles for Prerequisite Learning- there are fundamental
Sequence things to be learned ahead.
-Smith, Stanley
and Shore, 1957 Whole to Part Learning – overview before the
specific content or topics. Related to gestalt
principle.
• Chronological learning – the order of events is made as
a basis of sequencing the content and experiences.
Five Major Principles for Organizing Content in
Units:
(Posner and Rudnitsky, 1994)
 A. Space – spatial relations will be
the basis for the sequence.
 
B. Time – from the earliest to the most recent.
 
C. Physical Attributes – the physical
World-related characteristics of the phenomena
such as age, shape, size,
brightness & others.
Sequence
Concept-related Sequence
-how ideas are related together in logical manner.
 

A.
CLASS RELATIONS – ™B. PROPOSITIONAL
GROUP OR SET OF THINGS RELATIONS – A STATEMENT
THAT SHARE COMMON
THAT ASSERTS SOMETHING
PRACTICES.
Inquiry-related • based on the process of generating, discovering & verifying
knowledge, content, and experiences are sequenced logically
Sequence and methodically.
Learning-related Sequence
- How people learn.
A. Empirical Prerequisites – based on empirical studies where the
prerequisite is required before learning the next level

B. Familiarity – prior learning is important in sequence

C. Difficulty – easy content is taken ahead than the difficult one

D. Interest – use interesting contents and experiences to boost their

appetite in learning
 Vertical repetition and recurring appearances of the
content provide continuity in the curriculum. This
Continuity process enables the learner to strengthen the
permanency of learning and development of skills.

Gerome Bruner calls this “spiral curriculum”. For

learners to develop the ideas, these must be
developed and redeveloped in a spiral fashion in
increasing depth and breadth as the learners’
advance.

“Spiral Curriculum” – content is organized according

to the interrelationship between the structure of the
basic ideas of a major discipline. (Gerome Bruner)
Integration

“Everything is integrated and interconnected. Life is

a series of emerging themes.” This is the essence of
integration in the curriculum design. Organization is
drawn from the world themes from real life concerns.

• Subject matter content or disciplined content lines are erased, and

isolation is eliminated.
Articulation
- Can be done either vertically or
horizontally.
• In vertical articulation, contents
are arranged from level to level
or grade to grade so that the
content in a lower level is
connected to the next level.
• HIERARCHICAL: “relationship of aspects in the
curriculum sequence to lessons, topics, or course
appearing LATER in the program
• Horizontal articulation happens
at the same time as social
studies in grade six is related to
science in grade six.
 Balance

• Equitable assignment of content, time, experiences, and other elements to establish

balance is needed in curriculum design. Too much or too little of these elements maybe
disastrous to the curriculum. Keeping the curriculum “in balance” requires continuous fine
tuning and review for its effectiveness and relevance.