Highlights of Curriculum Design & Development

1. CURRICULUM DESIGN
& DEVELOPMENT
AN OVERVIEW BY EASTER TAYLOR

2. COMPONENTS
OF
CURRICULUM
DESIGN
There are 3 main ideas that
shape our views of
education—socialization, the
value of knowledge (Plato’s
academic idea), & the growth
of the mind (Rousseau’s
development idea). These
ideas influence each
component of curriculum
design (Ornstein & Hunkins,
2013, p. 151).

3. SOURCES
OF
CURRICULU
M DESIGN
SOCIETY
School is an agent of society, “designed
to serve…the interests of the local
communities and larger society”
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 152).
We must balance individuality with
community membership.
KNOWLEDGE
This source celebrates Plato’s
academic idea, which deals with
what is worth learning.
Challenge: Knowledge is increasing
exponentially, while time remains
static.
MORAL DOCTRINE
Separation of church and state
prevent religious texts from guiding
curriculum, as was common in
colonial America.
Dwayne Huebner: “Education can
address spirituality without
bringing in religion” (Ornstein &
Hunkins, 2013, p. 153).
Teaching valued knowledge
enables students to better
understand the world in which
they live (Ornstein & Hunkins,
2013, p. 154).
“Spiritual individuals develop
empathy and compassion”
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 153)
and are aware of the outside
world, which promotes their active
participation in society.
Using moral doctrine as a
curriculum source, one
would place value on
religious and/or spiritual
knowledge.

4. SOURCES OF
CURRICULU
M DESIGN
CONTINUED
SCIENCE
Curriculum designs based on science
“contain only observable and quantifiable
elements. Problem solving is prioritized”
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 152).
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE LEARNER
This source is best explained by
Rousseau’s theory of development,
which “brings into consideration the
basic maturing of the individual,
specifically the growth of the mind”
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 150).
KNOWLEDGE
Science “emphasizes learning how to learn”
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 152). This is
directly aligned with our knowledge of how
students learn, form attitudes, and develop
values (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 154).
We recognize the “variety of ways in
which individuals process knowledge”
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 150). This
knowledge was selected based on
perceived importance.

5. MAJOR CURRICULUM DESIGNS
Subject-Centered
• Most popular &
widely used
• Influenced by Plato’s
academic idea
•Subject Design:
Compartmentalized
subjects
•Correlation Design:
Subjects linked while
still maintaining their
individuality
•Broad-Fields Design:
2+ related subjects
fused into a broad field
Learner-Centered
• Stresses socialization
& Rousseau’s
development idea
• Found more at the
elementary level than
secondary
• Advocated by
Progressives
•Child-Centered Design:
Learning based solely on
child’s interests &
concerns; Occurs in their
natural environments
•Radical Design: Literally,
Problem-Centered
• Focuses on real-life
problems of individuals
& social issues
• Emphasizes both
content and learners’
development
• Various types of designs
differ in the ratio of
addressing social needs
to individual needs
•Life-Situations Design:
Integrating process and
content to solve problems
•Reconstructionist Design:

6. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
When comparing design and development, consider the entire
process of building a home. There are several steps involved,
including drawings created by an architect.
Curriculum development, or the entire home-building process, is
the step-by-step procedure required to actually form the
curriculum. Curriculum design, or the architect’s drawing, is a
building block of curriculum development in which the major
components of curriculum are arranged. Curriculum design
provides direction and guidance as we develop curriculum (Ritz,
2014).

7. APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
Technical-
Scientific
Approach
Nontechnic
al-
Nonscientif
ic
Approach
• This approach stresses that
students learn specific
subject matter with specific
outputs.
• “Knowledge can exist as a
matter of fact, unaffected
by the process of creating
and learning it” (Ornstein &
Hunkins, 2013, p. 186).
• There is a systematic
outline of procedures that
facilitate curriculum
development (Ornstein &
• This approach stresses
the learner, rather the
learners’ output.
• Learning occurs through
quality activities and
conversation.
• Because ever-evolving
students are participants
in the learning process,
the curriculum should
evolve rather than be
precisely planned (Ornstein

8. APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
Technical-
Scientific
Approach
Nontechnic
al-
Nonscientif
ic
Approach
Although quality
activities and
collaborative learning are
essential to student
learning, the Technical-
Scientific approach
reflects today’s
educational focus. “The
more rigorous the
means, the more likely
the desired ends will be
attained” (Ornstein &
Hunkins, 2013, p. 180). This
is echoed by the
importance placed on
tests today, with a
proficient score being
the desired student
output. This approach is
also reflected in standard
3, which states teacher
leaders must “develop
relevant, rigorous

9. GOALS & STANDARDS
GOALS
• Goals are ongoing, general
destinations for learners (Ornstein
& Hunkins, 2013, p. 191).
• Goals can refer to a particular
school, school system, or subject
area.
• Example: Students can think
critically.
STANDARDS
• Standards are specific educational
objectives that define what
students learn and skills they can
demonstrate—content and
performance standards,
respectively.
• Examples:
• Content Standard: The learner
understands the importance of
statistics, data collection, and
the different representations of
data.
• Performance Standard: The
learner collects and organizes
data in a frequency table then
DANGER!
Goals and standards have been used
interchangeably in educational dialogue
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 191).
However, we must recognize the
difference between the two to ensure that
we adequately communicate the desired
outcomes of student learning. We also
need to set objectives for goals and
standards that reflect our teaching of the

10. SELECTING CURRICULUM CONTENT
Self-Sufficiency: Beyond functioning independently in society, the
content must enable learners to connect what they know to how they
feel and their spiritual selves (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 201).
Significance: Content is deemed significant according to what it
“contributes to the basic ideas, concepts, principles... and overall
aims of the curriculum” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 201).
Validity: The accuracy of content must be verified at its initial
selection and be checked regularly during the curricular program to
determine its state of validity.
Learnability: Is the content appropriate for the intended audience?

11. SELECTING CURRICULUM CONTENT CONTINUED
Interest: “Knowledge exists in the learner when it is meaningful to
his or her life…The school experience should create and broaden
interests as well as address them” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p.
201). This speaks to student engagement and Standard 3, which
emphasizes the development of a relevant curriculum.
Utility: “There is no knowledge, no content that does not have utility
to someone” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 202). Will the content and
processes up for selection equip students for success in their present
lives and prepare them for the future?
Feasibility: Is there enough time, are there enough resources
available, and is the political climate conducive to the selection of
this content?

12. REFERENCES
Gardner-Webb University. (2016) Program Standards for Graduate
Teacher Candidates. Retrieved on January 30 from
https://bbapp.gardner-
webb.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view
&content_id
=_975010_1&course_id=_10676_1&framesetWrapped=true
Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations,
principles, and issues. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Ritz, J. (2014, May 11). John Ritz. Retrieved from
http://ww2.odu.edu/~jritz/oted885/ntg2.shtml