Photo: Darlene Redmond, Vietnam

Curriculum Development5 Steps to a Competency-

Based Curriculum

By Darlene Redmond

Darlene Redmond, B.Tech, M.Ed(IT)

Curriculum Development AdvisorVietnam Association of Community CollegesVietnam

Faculty MemberInformation Technology Systems ManagementNova Scotia Community CollegeCanadaUniterra/WUSC Volunteer

3

Workshop Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:• Define competency-based curriculum

development• Describe the five-step approach to curriculum �

development• Develop a program or course curriculum using �

the five-step approach

4

What is Curriculum?

Needs - WHY you teach

Content - WHAT you teach

Organization - HOW you teach

Evaluation - HOW you test5

6

Curriculum Development

1• Identify Required Competencies (Skills,

Knowledge, and Attitudes)

2 • Set Learning Outcomes and Objectives

3• Develop Learning Experiences

4• Integrate Assessments

5• Evaluate and Adjust the Curriculum

Needs

Content

Evaluation

Organization

Success!

NEEDS: IDENTIFY REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Topic 1

7

Task Analysis of an Occupation

• Expert workers and employers are the best source for task analysis (Your Program Advisory Committee)

• Any occupation can be described in terms of tasks

• All tasks imply knowledge, skills and attitudes

8

Example: Safety and Health Coordinator

“The Safety and Health Coordinator recognizes, evaluates, and controls workplace hazards through employee education and engineering practices to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.”

9

What tasks are involved? What does the graduate need to know? What does the graduate need to be able to do to complete occupational tasks?

Determine Competencies

10

Knowledge

Attitude

Skills

• Writing safety reports• Identifying unsafe

acts or conditions• Developing safety

program• Educating

employees• Investigating

accidents…

Job tasks... …Competencies

Determine Competencies

KnowledgeHealth and Safety standards:Investigation techniques: Training tools: Word-processing, presentations

11

Determine Competencies

SkillsAnalysis: Find and compare information from various sources and identify issues and relationships.

Planning and organising: Develop plans of action to reach a particular goal.

Written communication: Able to express ideas in writing appropriately and accurately.

Questioning: Asks questions effectively and appropriately to obtain information.

12

Determine Competencies

AttitudesJudgement: Come to conclusions based on logical evaluation of information and determine the best course of action. Attention to detail: Pays attention to even small issues to ensure that tasks are accomplished thoroughly.

Decisiveness: Able to weigh possibilities and make decisions.

13

Develop a Graduate Profile

14

KEY ORGANIZATIONAL

TASKS

A competent graduate can perform…

through…

What combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes?

Develop a Graduate Profile

The exit point for the training program should match the entrance point for the job

15

Graduate

Profile

Occupational Profile

Your Turn

1• Identify Required

Competencies (Skills, Knowledge, and Attitudes)

16

Exercise #1

CONTENT: SET LEARNING OUTCOMES AND OBJECTIVES

Topic 2

17

Outcomes and Objectives

18

Program Learning Outcomes(based on the identified needs)

Course Learning OutcomesCourse Learning Objectives

(program goals organized into courses)

Lesson Learning Objectives(course goals organized into

lessons)

Activity Learning Objectives(lesson goals organized into

learning activities)

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes are broad statements that specify the competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) required to successfully complete a program or course.

19

• Think of what you want your learners to do “in the real world” with the knowledge and skills they will acquire during instruction.

• Write brief general statements that describe this real-world performance. State the outcomes in terms of learner competencies.

Writing Learning Outcomes

Example from Kien Giang Community College

Program: Electronics and Electrical Engineering Technology

Outcome:Students who graduate from this program will have good skills in electrical technology, especially in the field of Electrical Engineering for agriculture industrialization, have the ability of self-studying to enhance their own knowledge, have the capability to adapt to the development of their local community.

21

Describes overall curriculum outcomes Stated in terms of learner competencies Realistically attainable during the curriculum Stated in terms of learner knowledge, behavior

and attitudes Describes real world behaviors to be used by the

learner

Checklist for Learning Outcomes

Outcomes and Objectives

23

Program Learning Outcomes(based on the identified needs)

Course Learning OutcomesCourse Learning Objectives

(program goals organized into courses)

Lesson Learning Objectives(course goals organized into

lessons)

Activity Learning Objectives(lesson goals organized into

learning activities)

Outcomes vs. Objectives Learning Outcomes are broad and answer the question, “Why should a student take this program/course?”

Each learning outcome must be supported and defined by one or more SMART Learning Objectives.

Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound

24

Outcomes vs. Objectives

"The outcome is where we want to be. The objectives are the steps needed to get there."

25

Learning Objectives

26

On completion on the course/lesson/activity the student will be able to…

_____ Action (use an measureable action verb!)

_____ Content (knowledge, skill, attitude)

And if you need to be more specific about the level of knowledge, skills, attitude…

_____ Measurement (specific criteria for success)

Verbs to avoid:learn - know- understand

Appropriate verbs:apply – install – describediagnose – explain

Action Verbs

Workshop Learning Objectives

• Explain competency-based curriculum development

• �Describe the five-step approach to curriculum development

• �Develop a program or course curriculum using the five-step approach

28

Checklist for Learning Objectives

Related to a learning outcomeAnswers the question, “What will learners be

able to do at the end of the curriculum?”Stated in precise, observable, measurable

termsRealistically attainable during the curriculum

Your Turn

2 • Write Learning Objectives

30

Exercise #2

ORGANIZATION: DESIGN LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Topic 3

31

Lesson Planning

32

Program Learning Outcomes(based on the identified needs)

Course Learning OutcomesCourse Learning Objectives

(program goals organized into courses)

Lesson Learning Objectives(course goals organized into

lessons)

Activity Learning Objectives(lesson goals organized into

learning activities)

OrganizationLesson Plan Template

Course/Unit:Lesson Learning Objective(s):1.2.

Enabling Objective

Teaching Points

Methodology Learning Activity

Instructional Aids

Evaluation Time

OrganizationLesson Plan Template

Course/Unit: Network Administration – Windows / Week 2Learning Objective(s): After this lesson the students will have…

LO 3 - Performed routine NOS administration tasks used in a typical small to medium enterprise.LO 4 -Applied standard analysis and troubleshooting techniques for NOS support used in a typical small to medium enterprise.Lo 5 -Developed technical documentation, logs and reports suitable for a typical small to medium enterprise.

Enabling Objective

Teaching Points

Methodology

Learning Activity

Instructional Aids

Evaluation Time

3.5 Install network operating server software (Windows Server) with a variety of common options.

Plan and implement a LAN

Lab Students will install Windows Server without Active Directory services and connect a Windows 7 client via a workgroup

Microsoft Academic Alliance for licenses

Textbook Chapter 2

(Summative)Client PCs should be able to access files share on the server4 points

50 minutes

Lesson Learning Objective

• States the specific learning goal of the lesson• Is related to the learning outcomes or

objectives of the course• States what the student should be able to

achieve at the end of the lesson• Indicates how learning will be measured

35

Note: Material in this section was presented earlier this year by Uniterra volunteers Sabastian Fafard and Min Wu as part of a Teaching Methodologies workshop.

Enabling Objectives

• Specific learning of a class activity• The performance students are expected to

demonstrate at the end of a specified step or portion of the learning

• Sub-divisions of the lesson learning objective(s) into smaller, more manageable parts

36

Teaching Points

• The competencies (knowledge, skill, or attitudes) that are the focus of a lesson

• What participants need to learn to reach the objective

37

Methodology

How will the content be taught?• Lecture/Discussion• Demonstration/Performance• Case Studies• Role Play/Simulation• E-Learning

38

Learning Activities

If you tell me I will forgetIf you show me I might rememberBut if you involve me, I will learn. 

-Chinese Proverb

39

Learning Activities

• The average adult can sit and listen for about 10 minutes

• Build active learning techniques to improve and retain attention

• Vary your activities• Use different modalities to meet the learning

style needs of students (visual, audible, kinesthetic)

40

Your Turn

3 • Develop Lesson Plan

41

Exercise #3

EVALUATION: INTEGRATE ASSESSMENTS

Topic 4

42

Formative Assessment

• Takes place on an ongoing basis as instruction is proceeding

• Rates the student in terms of functional ability to communicate, using criteria that the student has helped to identify

• Helps students recognize ways of improving their learning

43

Summative Assessment

• Takes place at the end of a predetermined period of instruction (for example, mid-term, final)

• Rates the student in relation to an external standard of correctness (how many right answers are given)

44

Examples of Formative Assessments

• Polls/Surveys• Discussion/Questions• Think/Pair/Share• 5 minute paper• Muddiest point• Peer/Self Assessment• Wrappers

45

Examples of Summative Assessments

• Exams• Papers• Projects• Presentations• Portfolios

46

Your Turn

4 • The Wrapper

47

Exercise #4

Check Your Answers

 

 3 learning objective 4 graduate profile 1 learning outcome 6 formative assessment 2 summative assessment 5 teaching methodology

 

48

EVALUATE AND ADJUST THE CURRICULUM

Topic 5

49

Quality Assurance

The curriculum that was planned

The curriculum that was

experienced

The curriculum that was taught

50

Evaluating the Curriculum

• Does the curriculum meet the intended learning outcomes?

• Does the curriculum integrate employability and life skills?

• Does the content incorporate appropriately validated skills, tasks, and/or competencies?

51

Evaluating the Curriculum

• Is the content sequenced from basic to more complex concepts in coherent clusters?

• Is the content presented in an interesting and appealing manner geared towards the diversity of learners?

52

53

Thank you!

Email: darlene.redmond@nscc.caBlog: darleneredmond.wordpress.com

References

Ravalli County Curriculum Consortium, Bloom’s Taxonomy http://ravallicurriculum.pbworks.com/w/file/66914389/Blooms%20Taxonomy%20Action%20Verbs.pdf University of Chicago, Curriculum Terms and Conceptsuip.uchicago.edu/wit/2000/curriculum/homeroommodules/curriculumTerms/extra.htm#develop Theory Into Practice Wiki, Classroom Assessmenthttp://classroom-assessment-theory-into-practice.wikispaces.com/

University of Toronto, Examples of Learning Outcomeshttp://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/topics/coursedesign/learning-outcomes/examples.htm

54