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Curriculum: Higher Education
Programme Design
Overview of curriculum models

Author: Geraldine O’Neill Email: Geraldine.m.oneill@ucd.ie Date: 13th January 2010

Overview of curriculum models
Ornstein and Hunkins (2009, p15) contend that curriculum development encompasses how a ‘curriculum is planned, implemented and evaluated, as well as what people, processes and procedures are involved..’. Curriculum models help designers to systematically and transparently map out the rationale for the use of particular teaching, learning and assessment approaches. Ornstein and Hunkins (2009) suggest that although curriculum development models are technically useful, they often overlook the human aspect such as the personal attitudes, feelings, values involved in curriculum making. Therefore they are not a recipe and should not be a substitute for using your professional and personal judgement on what is a good approach to enhancing student learning. A commonly described, maybe slight simplistic version of two polarised curriculum models are those referred to by many authors as the ‘Product Model’ and the ‘Process Model’. Neary (2003a, p39) describes these as one which emphasises ‘plans and intentions (The Product Model) and one which emphasises activities and effects’ (The Process Model) (See Table 1 below). Table 1: The Product and Process Models of Curriculum Development.

The product model can be traced to the work of the writings of Tyler (1949) who greatly influenced curriculum development in America (O’Neill, 2010). ‘Models that developed out of Tyler’s work, such as Popham and Baker (1970), were criticised for their over emphasis on learning objectives and were viewed as employing very technical, means-to-end reasoning. The higher education context in Europe, which has been strongly influenced by the 1999 Bologna Declaration (European Commission, 2009), uses a model not dissimilar to Tyler’s work’ (O’Neill, 2010, In Press). The product model, however, has been valuable in developing and



References: Barnett, R. & Coates, K. (2005). A schema. In Engaging the curriculum in higher education (pp67-69). Berkshire: SRHE & Open University Press. Biggs, J (2004) Constructing Learning by Aligning Teaching: Constructive Alignment, in, Teaching for Quality Learning at University. pp11-33. 2nd Edition. Berkshire: SRHE and Open University Press. Diamond, R.M. (1998) Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass. Dirkx, J. and Prenger, S. (1997). A Guide for Planning and Implementing Instruction for Adults: A Theme-Based Approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Fink, L. D.. 2003. Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. See also: http://www.ysu.edu/catalyst/PastEvents/2005/FinkIDGuide.htm Gosling, D. (2009) Learning Outcomes Debate. Accessed 12th Sept, 2009 http://www.davidgosling.net/userfiles/Learning%20Outcomes%20Debate(1).pdf HEA, Higher Education Academy (2006). Curriculum Design. Retrieved February 10th, 2006, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/795.htm Hussey, T, & Smith, P. (2008) Learning Outcomes : A Conceptual Analysis. Teaching in Higher Education. 13 (1), 107-115. Hussey, T. & Smith, P (2003) The Uses of Learning Outcomes. Teaching in Higher Education, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2003, pp. 357–368 Knight, P.T. (2001). Complexity and Curriculum: a process approach to curriculummaking. Teaching in Higher Education, 6 (3), 369-381. Land , R. et al (2005) Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (3): implications for course design and evaluation http://owww.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/isl/isl2004/abstracts/conceptual_pap ers/ISL04-pp53-64-Land-et-al.pdf (accessed 11th January 2010) Lea, S.J., Stephenson, D., and Troy, J. (2003) Higher Education Students’ Attitudes to Student Centred Learning: Beyond ‘educational bulimia’. Studies in Higher Education, 28 (3): 321-34. Maher, A. (2004) Learning Outcomes in Higher Education: Implications for Curriculum Design and Student Learning. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education. 3 (2) 46-54. Neary, M. (2003a). Curriculum concepts and research. In Curriculum studies in postcompulsory and adult education: A teacher’s and student teacher’s study guide. (pp33-56). Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Neary, M. (2003b). Curriculum models and developments in adult education. In Curriculum studies in post-compulsory and adult education: A teacher’s and student teacher’s study guide. (pp57-70). Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd. O’Neill, G. (2010, In Press) Initiating Curriculum Revision: Exploring the Practices of Educational Developers. International Journal for Academic Development. O’Neill, G. McMahon, T. (2005) Student-centred learning: What does it mean for student and lectures. In: Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. Ornstein A.C. & Hunkins, F.P. (2004).Curriculum foundations, principles and issues. (3rd ed)). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Ornstein A.C. & Hunkins, F.P. (2009). Curriculum foundations, principles and issues. (5th ed). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Smith, P.L., Ragan, T.J. (2005) Foundations of Instructional Design. In, Instructional Design. NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc. pp17-37. Stark, J.S. (2000). Planning introductory college courses: Content, context and form, Instructional Science 28, 413–438. Subic, A. & Maconachie, D. (1997). Strategic curriculum design: An engineering case study. European Journal of Engineering Education, 22(1), 19-33. Toohey, S. (2000). Beliefs, values and ideologies in course design. In Designing courses for higher education. (pp44-69). Tyler, R.W. (1949). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2010) Understanding by Design: A brief introduction. Center for Technology & School Change at Teachers College, Columbia University. http://iearn.org/civics/may2003workshop/Understanding%20by%20Design%20 Teaching%20Ellen%20Meier%20CTSC.pdf Retrieved 10/1/2010.

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