Creation of an Effective and Quality Curriculum - Essay Example

? Education Education Concept of Curriculum Education scholars and philosophers to explain the meaning of curriculum have put many concepts forward. A review of some of the definitions behind the concept reveals a shifting of meaning in relation of the changing nature of education across time and space. In the opinion of some scholars, the concept of curriculum encompasses the structural design of the learning process. It is the manner in which the formal learning systems structure their processes in order to impact effectively on the learner (Laurillard, 2010). This definition of curriculum stems from the proposition of formal learning, which considers it as an organized and systematic discourse. As such, curriculum becomes the distinctive feature that differentiates formal learning from informal learning. Learning is a process that demands certain systems and designs in order for it to achieve its set objectives. Due to its logical nature, the learning process entails the organization of knowledge in accordance with the objectives of interests of the students (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2011). On this score, the learning process is considered as a needs-based discourse that takes place in controlled environments that are governed by specific procedures and order. In essence, curriculum development must relate to the objectives of learning as a systematic process that proceeds in sequence from a point of relatively lesser knowledge to the projected point of adequate knowledge. Curriculum provides the mechanics that enables the learning process. It provides the kinetic force that appropriates the learning process in accordance with the needs of the students (Kern et al, 2009). Alternative explanations contend that a curriculum is basically a plan that governs the learning process of the teaching process. This kind of explanation often considers curriculum as a document. In essence, curriculum is considered as a documentation that defines the limits and scope of the learning process in any given field of study. It serves as a guide to the teacher about the methods to be adopted in the learning process. It defines the boundaries of the learning process of a given subject in terms of the aspects to be included and those to be excluded from the learning process (Kern et al, 2009). The pursuit of the details in the curriculum helps the teacher to concentrate his or her focus on the pertinent issues that attach to the field of study (Subang, 2011). These issues are usually developed in line with the social, economic, political, and other forms of human discourses that have to be addressed by the study. This implies that curriculums must evolve with the changing nature of realities on which it is based. For example, studies in intelligence have often changed their curriculum in line with the changing nature of global insecurities. In the particular example of the United States, the military educational curriculum has undergone a determined shift from the cold war era to the modern age. During the cold war era the intelligence courses in the United States had their curriculum focussed primarily on the tensions between the United States and the Soviet bloc. The design of the curriculum was designed to be responsive to the needs of the society as they manifested themselves at that period. However, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of global terrorism, the curriculum has been changed in such a manner that there is more emphasis on the phenomena of global terrorism than on the threat posed by Russia. Legislations One of the most important legislations by the United States Congress was the Native Culture, Language, and Access for Success in Schools Act. This bill was sponsored by Senator Daniel Akaka in 2011. This act was primarily intended to level the field of education by recognizing the challenges faced by non-native American students and teachers in the learning process. Among other things, it directed states to lower the kind of requirements for teachers of Indian or on-native origin. The act also prescribed the adoption of alternative teaching and evaluation processes that would meet the unique challenges faced by students of non-native origin. This act could be interpreted from the dimension of the educational philosophy that proposes equity and equal access to education by all regardless of demographic variables. Another important curriculum-related legislation was the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teaching Act. Senator John Kline sponsored this bill in 2012. This legislation provided a framework for funding local education agencies for purposes of enhancing the process of teacher-evaluation. The overarching objective was to evaluate and train teachers on methods of teaching that are evidence-based and which could suit the learners to the demands of the job market. This legislation impacts significantly on the curriculum in the sense that it targets the improvement of the methods of teaching in line with the requirements of the outside world. Curriculum Frameworks It might be argued that some of the characteristic of curriculum are flexibility and adaptability to prevailing realities. This basically implies the capacity to change in line with external conditions. Obsolete curriculums often tend to create a gulf between the system of learning and actual realities that the learning process must engage. Another characteristic of curriculum is the element of authenticity (Subang, 2011). This is the ability of the curriculum to reflect a solutions-based approach. It emphasizes on a practical approach to the learning system in ways that promote the search for solutions on various societal discourses. This is a recent development in the field of curriculum design in the sense that it seeks to situate the features and characteristics of curriculum within the specific challenges of human life. A learner who goes through such a curriculum must be able to acquire the knowledge gained to engage meaningfully with the challenges of the modern society. Result-oriented curriculum are not based on abstract notions and ideas but are instead based on the practical approaches that apply in real life situations (Subang, 2011). For instance, the curriculum of business courses must engage with the issues of globalization, liberalization, technological business solutions, and other subjects that define the current landscape of global commerce. Discourses that explain the global nature of business must be pertinent to such a curriculum. Notably, curriculum defines the kind of methods to be used in the learning process (Kern et al, 2009). Every curriculum comes with its package of methods, which may differ to some degree with the methods adopted by another curriculum. Usually, the process of designing or changing a curriculum begins with the recognition of the challenges of the existing educational structures. In some cases curriculum may fail to meet the objectives of the learning process. When this happens, the standards and value of education become compromised. The resulting mismatch between the two systems is therefore, defined on the score of congruency. Pedagogy Broadly, the term pedagogy captures the meaning ascribed to the teaching skills that are employed by teachers to impart knowledge in their areas of specialization to the learners. Therefore, the term should be understood as a strategy and methods that teachers often employ in order to achieve a sense of effectiveness in the process of teaching. The term has also been used to refer to the various styles used by teachers for the purposes of instruction (Subang, 2011). Usually pedagogical skills may vary according to the kind of subject and the preferences of the teacher. The most applicable methods are usually employed by teachers for the purpose of achieving the greatest results in the shortest and most effective ways possible. On the other hand, andragogy basically implies the kind of learning strategies applied to adults. Its focus is limited to the introduction of adult learners to the process of instruction. Other definitions have regarded pedagogy as some form of science that develops out of a school’s philosophy and which must respond to the needs and interests of the school (NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2011). The scientific aspect of pedagogy might be regarded in terms of the capacity for order, method, and experimentation. Pedagogical approaches have their own internal mechanisms of evaluating their levels of success. For instance, the outcome of examinations is often regarded as a measure of the effectiveness of a pedagogical approach to respond to the specific challenges of the learning process. Therefore, the concept of curriculum ties in with multiple factors that define the learning process. It entails the methods to be adopted in the learning process, the duration of the learning process, the ways of evaluating the cognitive levels of the learning process, and other variables that attach to the formal system of education. Factors to Consider Some of the factors that teachers must consider on the matter of pedagogy must relate to the needs of the students. Teachers have to regulate their pedagogical skills in line with the nature of the students (NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2011). Students at a higher level of the course may rely purely on theoretical approaches to gain the imparted knowledge. However, students at lower levels would require practical approaches and demonstrations in order for them to engage meaningfully with the subject matter. Another factor is the cognitive abilities of the students. Students will lower cognitive abilities may require more teaching aids than those with higher cognitive abilities. Equally, some subjects require that teachers apply interactional or student-centred approaches for effective learning (NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2011). Furthermore, the kind of learning environment and availability of resources determine the kind of pedagogical approaches to be adopted by the teacher. An understanding of the cultural and social environments is important in determining the kind of strategies that would not run into conflict with the learning process. Matters of duration, scope of the study, and objectives feature as important determinants of the learning strategies. Examples Personal pedagogical approaches may impact positively on the requirements of curriculum. For example, a health sciences teacher may adopt the use of different documentaries on HIV/AIDS to enhance the understanding of his or her students about the various manifestations of the scourge. The use of documentaries may prove resourceful in the sense that it expands the comprehension of the students on the subject matter. The curriculum may require that the students engage with the kind of knowledge that would help them understand the real impacts of the scourge on the society. Another example could involve an agriculture teacher asking his students to test the efficiency of a certain chemical on certain pests during a fieldwork experiment. Practical approaches enhance the aspect of authentic learning, which is one of the most effective pedagogical approaches in the modern education systems. References European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. (2011). Learning Outcomes Approaches in VET curricula: A Comparative Study of Nine European Countries. Retrieved http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/5506_en.pdf Kern, D., E et al, (2009). The Six-Step Approach to Curriculum Development. 32nd SGIM Annual Meeting. Retrieved http://www.sgim.org/userfiles/file/SC04_Kern_David_201191.pdf Laurillard, D. (2010). An Approach to Curriculum Design. Institute of Education. Retrieved http://www.lkl.ac.uk/ltu/files/publications/Laurillard-An_Approach_to_Curriculum_Design-WIP.pdf NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2011). Pedagogical Approaches. NSW Curriculum and Laerning Innovation Centre. Retrieved http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ict/approaches/index.htm Subang, A. (2011). 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