Curriculum, by definition, refers to the course offered by an educational institution or a set of courses constituting an area of specialization (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
When the types of curriculum focus were mentioned, the categories of curriculum should be firstly discussed.
Types of Curriculum
1. Traditional
This is the traditional teaching approach with textbooks familiar to the public school attendants. It is comprised of 6-7 unrelated subjects with a different book for each.
Learning Style Match: Visual and Auditory
Advantages: More likely to cover the basic teaching objectives and the lesson planning could be laid out
Disadvantages: Time consuming, difficult to teach students with different grades or learning experiences.
2. Thematic Unit Study
This is also known as “thematic learning” or integrated learning. Basic school knowledge in school are now studied in light of a particular topic, theme or period instead isolated knowledge segments.
Learning Style Match: Multi-sensory
Advantages: Different grades and ages could collaborate together, specific teaching in relevant area of interest
Disadvantages: Lesson planning tends to be more flexible and requires more structure, lacks test taking skill in content areas.
3. Programmed:
This type is often self-paced and sequential. It requires little direct teaching and preparation.
Learning Style Match: Visual
Advantages: Easy to handle, little preparation, independent learner based
Disadvantages: Not designed to be interactive, not appropriate for younger grades or kids.
4. Classical
Classical curriculum considers stages or ways of learning that coincide with a child’s cognitive development.
· Grammar Stage – What’s in their world (PreK-2nd or 3rd)
· Dialectic Stage – Tell me more, tell me why, how does it work? Compare/contrast; Connect real things to abstract. (2nd or 3rd – 5th or 6th)
· Rhetoric Stage – What does it mean to me? What do I do with this information? Logic/debate. (Middle school to adult)
Learning Style Match: Multi-sensory
Advantages: Developmentally appropriate methods, systematic/chronological method to content, progression of knowledge
Disadvantages: easy to miss certain skill training, totally self-contained
5. Technological Learning
This also includes internet based programmes or we say distant education. Internet itself could provide users with multi-sensory, interactive learning, while software could provide the same experience under a comparative controlled environment.
Learning Style Match: Multi-sensory, visual and auditory
Advantages: More interactive and engaging, the learning could be progressed and leveled, resources and teachers are global
Disadvantages: Technology equipment is needed, too flexible to control
Roles of Curriculum
Since we have such categories of curriculums, the focus on different categories should also be different. Apart from the three types of curriculum focuses mentioned at class (single-subject focus, thematic focus and school-wide focus), there should also be other focus on different demands in curriculum setting, teaching objectives and learning outcomes.
Skill focus: many educational institutions like to express their curriculum settings on a larger scale of coverage, but on cultivating and developing skills, the more practice they do, the better the skills would be. It is not a simple group project in any curriculum, the related enquiry and problem-solving sections should be updated with the progress of teaching.
Academic or research focus: students need to finish projects or dissertations or exams to get graduated from schools or universities, but the knowledge they ever learned cannot easily be remembered for lifelong time, the projects or the research works students do cannot only be the way to finishing task but also equip students with ability of doing academics and research. For example, how to put the research result in a proper report format with professional grammar and terminology.
Roles of Curriculum in IPPUT
1. Thermometer
Curriculum in IPPUT cannot always stay where it is now, because it has to meet the needs and demands or requirements of hi-tech development and society. Regarding to different trends and needs from society, universities and institution could offer relevant course or curriculum. When the testing of setting was done, the “education thermometer” could guide more students and parents on choosing appropriate majors or courses.
2. Pragmatics
Utilisation is the final goal of all the education. Curriculum in IPPUT should remind all the students that the knowledge they learn should not only limited in texts, but also contribute to the society in a pragmatic way, moreover, achieve the implementation of IPPUT in the scale of classroom, school and society level.
References:
Seems that you have read some references before you wrote this essay. The categories of curriculum do inspire me something and I think the division of skill focus and academic or research focus is reasonable, maybe the categories and the different focus of a curriculum would influence greatly on the IPPUT, that's why we should analyze the types of curriculum focus before we analyze the roles of curriculum, we should think a little more about that.
ReplyDeleteI really agree you with the five types of the curriculum.Thank you for sharing those references.
ReplyDeleteThank you for William provide more details information to describe the curriculum innovation undergone on 5 types of curriculum, I believe teacher using IPPUT in curriculum that can attract student learning more different skill, such as improve the student critical thinking, inquiry skills, creativity and communication skills. This is teaching in the future planning direction in 21st century.
ReplyDeleteUsing IPPUT in curriculum can not only attract student to learn more practial skills but also improve their ability to work colloboratively and cooperatively. It also contributes greatly to self-learning which may sitimulate life-long learning.
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