How to Design a Curriculum

Curriculum design requires careful planning

Curricula are used by educators from kindergarten to college as tools for course organization and delivery. Designing a curriculum is an important part of education. In some jurisdictions, curricula are designed by the government (especially for elementary and high schools); in others, particularly in colleges, educators must seek prior approval of their curricula from the administration. The curriculum outlines your objectives and methods for teaching a particular course.

Things You'll Need

• Pen or pencil and paper
• Textbooks (optional)

Instructions

Plan your curriculum

1. Determine your target group. What grade level or year of college? What is the average ability level? What subject will you be teaching? If your audience is a college class, what are the prerequisites and the target major or faculty?

2. Decide on the course's objectives and outcomes. What should students learn? How will you determine what they've learned---essays, exams, assignments? Plan out activities for each objective, particularly if your curriculum is designed for elementary students.

3. Select your course materials. These can be textbooks, worksheets, videos, or whatever other materials you can find (although textbooks are the most common, especially in high school and college). Match your material with your objectives---for example, by designating a textbook chapter per objective.

4. Check your completed curriculum against government or administrative benchmarks and, if necessary, seek approval for your design. You may also choose to seek the advice of someone who has done a similar course, to make sure that you are not overlooking any important points.

Tips & Warnings

• Be ready to adjust your curriculum as necessary to meet the needs of your students.

References

• Curriculum Construction and Critique
• Curriculum Design in a Changing Society