ABSTRACT
How should curriculum designers translate abstract learning outcomes into engaging learning experiences that get results? What is the right balance between depth and breadth or between content and skills? What methods should be used to continuously improve a curriculum over time? To answer these kinds of questions, the authors combined research from cutting-edge fields with their own first-hand experience to carefully curate fifty essential elements that demystify the work of curriculum design.
Written for utility, clarity, and practical value, this book provides indispensable professional development for educators working in a wide range of fields—from teachers and school leaders to educational publishers and instructional designers. The elements included are applicable across primary, secondary, and higher education as well as for workforce development programs. The Elements of Education for Curriculum Designers is an invaluable resource for anyone aiming to help others learn more effectively.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter 1|2 pages
Advance Organizers
Introductory devices used to facilitate learning, promote transfer, and enhance recall by contextualizing new information in terms of what learners already know.
chapter 2|2 pages
Aesthetics
Techniques of visual and writing style used to increase the appeal and effectiveness of a curriculum.
chapter 3|2 pages
Alignment
The intentional continuity, consistency, and connectivity of a curriculum both within and across areas of study.
chapter 4|2 pages
Background Knowledge
What learners already know about a given topic at the outset of instruction.
chapter 5|2 pages
Backward Design
A process by which learning experiences are derived from learning goals and assessment evidence to increase curricular effectiveness.
chapter 6|2 pages
Breadth vs. Depth
The degree to which a curriculum prioritizes general exposure or concentrated coverage.
chapter 7|2 pages
Capstones
Culminating, integrative learning experiences that provide opportunities to synthesize ideas and apply previous learning in real-world contexts.
chapter 8|2 pages
Case Studies
Real-world, problem-based scenarios that encourage students to move from concrete examples to generalizable principles.
chapter 9|2 pages
Content vs. Skills
The degree to which a curriculum prioritizes subject-specific knowledge or transferable application.
chapter 10|2 pages
Course Guides
An essential communication tool that orients learners and external audiences in navigating an academic program.
chapter 11|2 pages
Crosswalks
A tool used to document, cross-reference, and align curricula in order to inform iteration and guide implementation strategy.
chapter 12|2 pages
Curriculum Assessment
A process or instrument for determining whether and how well the desired results of a curriculum are realized.
chapter 13|2 pages
Curriculum Maps
A high-level visual tool for documenting milestones in the enacted curriculum over time and ensuring the enacted curriculum satisfies learning outcomes.
chapter 14|2 pages
Curriculum vs. Program
Curriculum is the what and the why of learning, while program is the when, where, and how.
chapter 15|2 pages
Development Cycle
Four stages—analysis, design, development, and testing—that characterize an effective creation process for curricula.
chapter 16|2 pages
Enacted vs. Intended vs. Assessed
Three major curriculum models used to articulate learning goals, align instruction, assess learning, and drive continuous improvement.
chapter 17|2 pages
Essential Questions
Open-ended, thought-provoking questions that require higher-order thinking and promote transfer.
chapter 18|2 pages
Five Hat Racks
Information architecture strategies used to structure a curriculum.
chapter 19|2 pages
Flexibility Tradeoff
A heuristic for weighing the relative benefits or drawbacks of a curriculum's level of adaptability.
chapter 20|2 pages
Framing
Techniques used to shape how concepts, skills, and information are presented and how learners understand and retain that material.
chapter 22|2 pages
Inclusivity
A curricular approach that values, respects, and supports learners, especially when exposing them to challenging ideas or offensive language.
chapter 23|2 pages
Innovator's Dilemma
A model that explains why established, successful curricula still need to be innovated to remain effective in the future.
chapter 24|2 pages
Interdisciplinarity
An approach to curriculum design that deliberately connects ideas and methods from more than one subject area to promote transfer.
chapter 25|2 pages
Iteration
A process of revising a curriculum until an essential number of requirements have been satisfied.
chapter 26|2 pages
Labeling Systems
A technique for clearly, consistently, and efficiently summarizing the key structural elements of a curriculum.
chapter 27|2 pages
Learning Objectives
Granular articulations of the goal(s) of a given learning task, which are derived from higher-level learning outcomes.
chapter 28|2 pages
Learning Outcomes
Succinct statements of what students will know or be able to do at a given point in their learning.
chapter 29|2 pages
Learning Progressions
Purposeful organization of a curriculum into sequenced benchmarks that represent thresholds of progressive competency.
chapter 30|2 pages
Learning Tasks
Activities that require the application and practice of knowledge in order to improve retention, develop accurate conceptual models, and increase automaticity.
chapter 31|2 pages
Levels
An approach to curriculum design that keys courses to different standards of proficiency or aptitude.
chapter 32|2 pages
Magician's Code
Tricks of the instructional trade—such as learning goals and rubrics—that should be shared with students only in cases where test performance is paramount.
chapter 34|2 pages
Minimalism
An approach to curriculum design that engages students in applied learning using the fewest instructional prompts, materials, and scaffolds possible.
chapter 35|2 pages
Modularity
A method of managing curricular complexity by dividing a program of study into self-contained units.
chapter 36|2 pages
Propositional Density
The amount of information or meaning conveyed by the elements of a curriculum.
chapter 37|2 pages
Proximity
A technique for placing curricular elements close to one another to increase the perception and recall of their relatedness.
chapter 38|2 pages
Rigor
Productively difficult learning experiences that push students to the edge of their abilities.
chapter 39|2 pages
Scalability
The ability of a curriculum to be effective in as many contexts and for as many learners as possible.
chapter 40|2 pages
Specialization
Curricula focused on developing a particular skill set or knowledge in a specific area of study.
chapter 41|2 pages
Spiral Curriculum
Intentional repetition of key skills and concepts at well-orchestrated intervals throughout a curriculum.
chapter 42|2 pages
Stakeholder Assets
The curricular resources required to meet the wide-ranging needs of a large, diverse group of users.
chapter 43|2 pages
Storytelling
A method of using narrative devices to make curricula more engaging and memorable.
chapter 44|2 pages
Student-Facing vs. Teacher-Facing
Differential design strategies to meet the needs of either students or teachers.
chapter 45|2 pages
Student Work Samples
Examples of students' work products that make learning outcomes concrete.
chapter 46|2 pages
Subject-Matter Experts
Individuals who possess authoritative knowledge in a specific domain and collaborate with curriculum designers to produce effective learning experiences.
chapter 47|2 pages
Templates
A tool that increases curricular quality and workflow efficiency by providing a consistent structure for instructional inputs.
chapter 50|2 pages
Usability vs. Learnability
The degree to which a curriculum prioritizes ease of use or effectiveness at achieving learning outcomes.
