Notes on curriculum: A seminar-workshop
shop, which could be the format of a graduate class in Curriculum, can accommodate 20 to 25 participants or less and who may represent different disciplines.
Viewpoints on the curriculum.
There are four viewpoints of curriculum: 1) humanist viewpoint —provides personally satisfying experience for each individual learner; a liberating process that can meet the need for growth and personal integrity; method-integration of emotions, thoughts and actions; stress is on process rather than product. 2) social reconstructionist viewpoint—emphasizes societal rather than individual needs. The curriculum has primal responsibility to effect social reform for a better society; what Paolo Freire calls conscientization. Conscientization enables individuals as active learners achieve a deep awareness of socio- cultural reality that shapes their lives and of their ability to transform/ change that reality (Freire, 1970). Method relates national and world events to students’ goals; use of discussion, community surveys, case studies, role play, socio-drama, simulation, etc. assessment on student interpretation of societal issues. 3) technological viewpoint – views curriculum as a technological process for producing whatever ends policy-makers demand. Stress is on the method and which in turn have consequences for curriculum goals and content. Method – predetermined instructional goals rather than emergent process; mastery of common expectations; programmed instruction; placement tests; criterion- referenced tests, etc. 4) academic viewpoint —as a vehicle to introduce subject matter study to learners. Method —exposi of some major themes to teach the disciplines, solutions to problems require knowledge of the discipline.
Workshop dynamics (30-45 minutes). - Part 1
Have ready prints on size legal of each of the four curriculum perspectives. Leave upper half of the sheet blank for the sketches participants will be asked to draw from their understanding of a perspective in Part 2 of this seminarworkshop. 1)The facilitator/lecturer begins with a general discussion about a) different view points on the curriculum, b) explain descriptive or prescriptive curriculum, c) describe the different sets of courses/subjects in a curriculum ( foundational, major and if there are, a minor and electives).2) Divide the participants into two general groups, Groups A and B. 3) Divide Groups A and B further to Groups A-1 and A-2; likewise, B-1 and B-2. 4) Draw lots to assign the viewpoint each group will discuss. 5)Have each group discuss concept/s of teaching and learning drawn from the assigned viewpoint. 6) Instruct each group to keep notes and synthesize their discussion; 7) request a volunteer from each group present in plenary a synthesis of the learning gains from this activity.
2 Workshop dynamics (45 minutes). - Part
The facilitator/ lecturer instructs each member to draw/sketch on the free space of the print of each viewpoint, the curriculum concepts derived from the viewpoint assigned to their respective groups (ex. class activities). After 15 minutes or so, instruct 1) groups to discuss their respective sketches and on a new sheet collate the sketches of their group members. 2) When ready, ask volunteer from each group present in plenary the sketches of their respective groups, relating said sketches to their operational definition of curriculum.
Workshop dynamics – Part 3 (45 minutes).
This part intends to draw from participants the best instructional approach and/or methods suitable to a group’s curriculum viewpoint. The facilitator begins by saying.” Our understanding of curriculum has implications on our choice of content and methods. teacher and that of the learner in the teaching and learning process - cedures in conducting our classes. This exercise is not to nitpick as to whether an approach is a method or a technique; but a free discussion among you how best to conduct a class related to a viewpoint on curriculum. Each group 1) lists down intended learning goals with two examples of assignments and class activities for each goal within the assigned viewpoint, indicating the or collegiate education. A presentation of assignments and class activities of each of the four groups in plenary follows after which is an open forum. Facilitator thanks the groups for their active participation and requests several volunteers to share impressions on the activity and distributes an evaluation sheet for comments/suggestions.
From an activity I wrote in Training Activities for Teachers in HE, Pat Cryer. Ed.; Publisher - Staff Development Group - Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), UK. and a paper for the SEA-Germany International Symposium cum Workshop, published by a consortium of the Universities of Gottingen, Marburg, Kassel-Witzenhausen and Institut Pertanian Bogor.