ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the concepts of curriculum development and instructional design, the development of a matrix that can be used to prepare for educational events in most aviation settings, and some examples of applying the course development matrix to different aeronautical activities. For a check airman, a military instructor pilot, or an airline director of training, there have been few models available for aeronautical curriculum development. Perhaps an initial focus on curriculum development can be gained by reviewing the work of Ralph Tyler in Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. Hilda Taba, in Curriculum Development: Theory and Practice, extended Tyler’s four questions somewhat in the development of a seven-step model. The influence of the professionals, particularly the unions, on the purpose of training curriculum is an important consideration in aviation. In aviation, the primary driving force in defining why the content of a specific learning event is developed may well be government regulation.
