Curriculum in Higher Education

1. Curriculum in Higher Education Jeffrey C. Sun

2. Why study curriculum?

3. Epistemology: the study of knowledge What distinguishes true [or adequate] knowledge from false [or inadequate] knowledge? Practically speaking, this question translates into issues of scientific methodology: how can one develop theories or models that are better than competing theories? Bill Tierney raises the questions … How do we define knowledge? How have what we defined as knowledge changed over time? Whose interests have been superceded or ignored by such forms? How do we transmit knowledge? What is the method used to determine what counts for knowledge? Who controls the decision-making? Who participates and who does not in curricular decisions? Knowledge – what is it?

4. Q: Which of the following home remedies has been scientifically proven to relieve the effects of a hangover? Vegemite on toast Eating menudo Drinking a "Red Eye" (whiskey, coffee, Tabasco sauce, a raw egg, pepper and orange juice) Drinking Coca-Cola None of the above Q: Urban legend has it that fast food chain KFC can no longer use its full name, "Kentucky Fried Chicken," because... The trademark is owned by another company Its products aren't really made in Kentucky Its products are supposedly made from a genetically manipulated organism that isn't really chicken Market testing showed that consumers like shorter product names None of the above Trivia …

5. Happened?:   A vengeful co-worker made it his practice to urinate into the office coffee pot. True False Scam?:   Identity thieves trick the unwary into revealing their personal details by telling them they've failed to report for jury duty and warrants for their arrest are being issued. True False Trivia …

6. CURRICULAR MODELS PHILOSOPHICAL PURPOSES

7. Philosophical Grounding … ESSENTIALISM The major proponents of essentialism include Horace Mann, William Bagley, James Koerner, Hyman Rickover, Paul Copperman, Theodore Sizer, Arthur Bestor, and E. D. Hirsch. PERENNIALISM The major proponents of perennialism include Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Robert Hutchins, Mortimer Adler, and Mark Van Doren. PROGRESSIVISM The major proponents of progressivism include William James, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and John Dewey . RECONSTRUCTIONISM The major proponents of reconstructionism include George Counts and Theodore Brameld.

8. Philosophical Grounding … • Perennialism ("Universal Truth") • Essentialism ("Back to Basics") • Progressivism ("Applied Learning") • Reconstructionism (“Social Engineering”) • …and others

9. Perennialism assumption of education is perennial or everlasting ability to reason as characteristic which distinguishes human beings from other animals Education is concerned with training rational faculties People are everywhere alike and that education should be the same for everyone. Perennialism is a culturally conservative educational theory centered on the authority of tradition and the classics. It believes that truth is universal and does not depend on the circumstances of place, time, or person. Philosophical (Levine, 1978)

10. Essentialism holds that education should be based upon essential or prescribed body of knowledge dealing with the heritage of humankind Subject matter tends to be abstract or conceptual rather than applied and practical No one approach; just teacher-centered, utilize tried-and-true forms of pedagogy and learning Premise: learning is hard work that is often done unwillingly by students Essentialism refers to the "traditional" or "Back to the Basics" approach to education. Its goal is to instill in students the "essentials" of academic knowledge and moral development. Philosophical (Levine, 1978)

11. Progressivism Education is based on life experiences; Student interest drives education, not predetermined Instructor is expert/adviser Problem-oriented as opposed to subject based Methods of critical thought are life-long skills while bodies of knowledge are continually changing. Progressivism is a movement that gained attention in the early 1900s for its sharp contrast to prevailing, conservative educational approaches. Progressivism promotes the idea that students should be encouraged as independent thinkers, creative beings, and expressive about their feelings. Philosophical (Levine, 1978)

12. Reconstructionism Society and education require constant reconstruction programs of study should be interdisciplinary education is being used to build a new social order and educate individuals into new citizenry behavioral roles a rationally educated humankind can direct the process of social and conscious evolution toward progressive goals and thus control humankind’s destiny; and educational socialization must now be both globalist and futuristic in its orientation Reconstructionism accepts the progressive design of education but adds an additional ingredient: an emphasis on reconstructing society. It conceptualizes education as an institution for social engineering. Philosophical (Kneller, 1971; Levine, 1978)

13. CURRICULUM DESIGN PLANNING & DESIGN

14. Curricular Design • William Bergquist’s 8 Curricular Models • Ralph Tyler’s Approach • Paul Dressel’s Curricular Taxonomy • Clifton Conrad’s Curriculum Planning Steps

15. 8 Curricular Models • Heritage Based • Thematic-Based • Competency-Based • Career-Based • Experience-Based • Student-Based • Values-Based • Futures-Based

18. College Type • http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2036716n?source=search_video

19. Ralph Tyler’s Approach • What educational purposes (goals or behavioral outcomes) should the school (curriculum) seek to obtain? • What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes? • How can these educational experiences be effectively organized (into courses or sequences of courses)? • How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? (Tyler, 1950, pp. 1-2)

20. Paul Dressel's Curricular Taxonomy • Student-Centered  Disciplinary-Centered • Problems, Policies, Actions  Abstractions, Ideas, Theories • Curricular Flexibility  Curricular Rigidity • Curricular Integration  Curricular Compartmentalization (Tyler, 1950, pp. 1-2)

21. Clifton Conrad’s Steps • Choose an organizing principle a. Academic disciplines b. Student development c. Social problems d. Selected competencies • Establishing curricular emphases a. Locus of learning b. Curriculum content c. Design of program d. Flexibility of program • Building a curricular structure (practical checklist of items)

22. Curricular Models Combined • Heritage + Competency: Alverno, Sterling, and Mars Hill • Heritage + Career: Curry, Worchester Polytechnic Institute

23. GENERAL EDUCATION

24. “a corrective to the overemphasis on specialization” (Meiklejohn, 1962) “universals of human culture” (Hutchins, 1967) “generally involves study in several subject areas and frequent aims to provide a common undergraduate experience for all students at a particular institution” (Levine, 1978, p. 3). General Education

25. Purposes of General Education • To bring curricular coherence and unity to an otherwise fragmented and overspecialized undergraduate course of study. • To promote social integration by teaching a diverse student clientele the knowledge, values, beliefs, and traditions upon which Western societies have developed and prospered. • To provide students with a broad-based knowledge of the "truth strategies" (i.e., ways of knowing) in various disciplines and to assist students in developing general intellectual skills and habits of mind.

26. TYPICAL APPROACHES Core Curricula Distribution Requirements Major Dominated Model Competency Based Free Electives ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES (Newton, 2000) Great Books Model Scholarly Discipline Model Effective Citizen Model General Education Models

28. Gen Ed … conclusions?

29. Gen Ed … conclusions

30. MULTIPLE INFLUENCES TO CURRICULAR DESIGN

31. Purpose: general goals that guide knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be learned Content: subject matter or content within which learning experiences are embedded Sequence: arrangement of subject matter intended to lead to specific outcomes for learners Learners: information about the learners (i.e. intended audience) Instructional Processes: instructional activities for learning Instructional Resources: materials and settings to be used Evaluation: strategies used to determine if skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior change (dispositions) as a result of learning Adjustment: Changes in plan to increase learning, based on experience and evaluation Academic Plan

33. External Forces/Factors accrediting bodies licensing requirements state boards of higher education (quality mandates and resources) societal trends market demands competition with other postsecondary providers religious orders/hierarchy disciplinary and other intellectual influences and currents technological developments elementary and secondary education trends expectations of graduate and professional schools textbooks perceived quality standards (public expectations, literature) external grant money (from state and federal governments, private foundations for faculty research, curricular and pedagogical innovations) legal rulings Internal Forces/Factors --faculty power blocs, subcultures --faculty resistance to change (curriculum, pedagogy, evaluation/assessment) --institutional culture (attitudes, beliefs, sage/heritage, traditions) --faculty teaching load --faculty and student critical mass --faculty teaching load --student demands and enrollment patterns --institutional assessment mandates and practices --resources (financial, capital, human) --co-curriculum --curricular advisory committees --faculty and administrative turnover Factors/Forces Affecting Curriculum

38. Liberal v. Professional Ed

39. Liberal v. Professional Ed